News Release

A green surface on which to park the caravan or pitch the tent has a positive influence on holiday makers, according to an experienced park owner.

Des Watts has two parks in Ballarat and one at Coburg in Victoria, as well as the BIG4 Renmark Riverfront Caravan Park in South Australia. He knows that greening up parks and staying that way is difficult but he is working towards making it easier with the help of his turf consultant.

"The human eye detects colour and there is something relaxing about fresh green areas. I don't think it is something that people spend time analysing; it's just a feeling they get," he said.

Golfers invited to a tournament in Whyalla for the first time must wonder what they’ve got themselves in for as they travel through the outskirts of the town. This is a dry part of the world. Trees in the natural landscape are few and far between, with just the occasional stands of western myall and bullock bush dotted through a blanket of hardy saltbush and bluebush species.

"Every course has its own characteristics and special set of advantages and disadvantages," Phil said. "In this case we have a top performing course in a harsh climate. There are issues to address like anywhere else but what everyone sees is a great looking venue which overcomes the limits of a small budget through volunteers and achieves goals by planning things well and following through."

Turf machinery tyres which apply minimal downward pressure give the soil a better chance of doing its job of supporting a healthy grassed surface.

Agronomist Phil Toy has applied this principle after assessing the importance of chemical and physical properties of soil.

“I found that much of the good work to improve soil properties can be undone if we don’t look at the factors that lead to early re-compaction or disturbance of the surface,” he said.