Poverty Bay greenkeeper Brent Colbert is dwarfed beside a large tree that fell on the 13th hole as ex-tropical Cyclone Vaianu hit the region with force on Sunday. Photo / Chris Taewa
Poverty Bay greenkeeper Brent Colbert is dwarfed beside a large tree that fell on the 13th hole as ex-tropical Cyclone Vaianu hit the region with force on Sunday. Photo / Chris Taewa
Greenkeepers and volunteers were out in clean-up force on Gisborne city golf courses yesterday after Sunday’s storm.
Multiple trees fell at the Poverty Bay and Electrinet Park courses as ex-tropical Cyclone Vaianu unleashed its anger through the region.
Overnight rain and the impending arrival of Vaianu resulted in theclubs closing the courses on Sunday morning.
Both courses copped damage from Vaianu - numerous fallen trees, broken branches and debris spread over holes.
Head greenkeeper Rowan Clark and club member Bruce Duncan take a break while cleaning up fallen trees and branches on the 13th hole at the Poverty Bay course on Tuesday. Photo / Chris Taewa
Poverty Bay’s 13th hole, which runs along the airport-facing fenceline, was probably the hardest hit.
A tree, estimated at 35 metres in length, crashed to the ground by the women’s tee and more trees fell at the other end of the hole. large branch snapped and crashed to the ground near the green.
Poverty Bay greenkeeper Brent Colbert piled up plenty of branches and debris in the "triangle" area of the course as the clean-up continued from Sunday's storm. Photo / Chris Taewa
At the Park course, around six to 10 mostly medium-sized trees fell. The Park has copped damage from multiple storms in recent years, along with many hazardous trees having to be cut down.
Greenkeepers, arborists and volunteers quickly went into clean-up mode from Monday and continued over the week.
The front nine holes at Poverty Bay reopened today and the full course was expected to open probably by tomorrow.
Volunteers get stuck into clearing away the mess at the Electrinet Park course, which has been hard hit by multiple storms over recent years. Photo / Facebook
The Park was fully open today, with common sense urged when it came to affected areas of the course.
Both clubs were extremely grateful to those who turned up to help with the clean-up.
Several major golfing fixtures scheduled for the weekend were called off because of the forecast - the Waikohu women’s open and women’s pennants round at Waikohu; the ER Black Cup interclub at Pātutahi and the Tairāwhiti men’s interclub pennants at Te Puia Hot Springs.
The opening round of the Endeavour men’s interclub pennants at Mahia on Saturday went ahead.
