World Golf Awards a major success for Turfgrass Consultancy
Hoiana Shores, Vietnam. Photo Credit Gary Lisbon
Irish clubs, hotels and industry leaders did well at the 7th World Golf Awards but there was also success for an element of the game that often gets overlooked — the agronomists.
It’s little wonder that Turfgrass Consultancy, an Irish company founded by John Clarkin, was thrilled to see four of its recent projects receive plaudits at the awards celebrated in Dubai earlier this month.
Turfgrass had three of their projects nominated out of a field of twelve, for the prestigious title of “World’s Best New Golf Course 2020”; Dumbarnie Links, Scotland, Österakers Golfklubb, Sweden and Hoiana Shores Golf Club, Vietnam. The distinguished title was awarded to Hoiana Shores. A fourth project, Antognolla Golf Resort, also won the Best Course in Italy award.
“There were 12 courses nominated for best new course and Turfgrass had worked on three of those,” Clarkin said. “Then Antognolla Golf Resort, a Robert Trent Jones Jnr design which we redid last summer, won the Best Course in Italy award, so it was nice.
“All four were unique in their own way. Hoiana Shores was unique in so far as it was a true links golf course built on sand dunes for firm, fast-running shots but done with warm season grasses, which was extraordinarily rare. Tara Iti Golf Club might be the only other course done that way.
“It was also great to work on Henrik Stenson’s project at Österakers Golfklubb in Stockholm, which was his first design project. He’s a great guy and lovely to work with. Then to build a new links course at Dumbarnie in Scotland, the most important there was to make sure there was a nice balance between the environment and the golf itself.
“There’s always a misconception that golf courses are not good for the environment. They can work in harmony and that was the plan for what we did in Dunbarnie. The environmental plan was the most important part of what we did there, using organics on the golf course; creating wildlife areas that golfers would not be going into.
“It is all about the team. Very few people know about the amount of effort that goes in behind the scenes to develop a golf course.”
“It is all about the team so it’s nice to get recognition for everybody. - for the designers, for the construction companies, for the greenkeeper, for the general manager. Very few people know about the amount of effort that goes in behind the scenes to develop a golf course.”
The winner of World’s Best New Golf Course Hoiana Shores, in South East Asia, was designed by Robert Trent Jones II. The architectural firm retained Turfgrass to provide agronomic specifications for the planning, construction, grassing, and grow-in of this world-class golf resort.
Hoiana Shores is a stunning links golf course with a difference, thanks to the warm season grasses that were used. The brief for Turfgrass was to create the typical firm fast fairways for running shots and to allow golfers make use of the prevailing wind. Tifeagle was sown on the greens while the rest of the course was planted with Zeon Zoysiagrass.
The course is built on pure sand, which could have caused some challenges. However, Mike Gorman from RTJII managed to create an extraordinary landscape with blow out bunkers and rolling terrain. This makes Hoiana Shores more akin to links courses in Ireland or Scotland as opposed to Asia.
“We are delighted for the client, RTJII, Links Shape Golf, Ben Styles, General Manager, and Rob Weiks, Superintendent who all worked tirelessly on this magnificent project to be recognised for their commitment and vision”, Clarkin said.
Another project for the Turfgrass team brought them to Dumbarnie Links in Scotland. Paying close attention to the environment and natural beauty of the site, Turfgrass assisted Paul Kimber and renowned golf course builder Landscapes Unlimited, in securing planning permission for the course along with completing the grassing specification and development plan. This project was quite a climatic contrast to South East Asia, so traditional fine fescues were selected to compliment the wonderful Clive Clark design.
Julian Mooney, Director of Turfgrass points out: “There is a perception that golf and golf development can disturb the local environment. Done properly, golf can both coexist with nature and enhance it. This was very much at the forefront of our minds when we delivered the Dumbarnie Links environmental management plan.”
Österakers Golfklubb, located just North of Stockholm, Sweden is the first course to be designed by Major winner Henrik Stenson. Turfgrass was retained by Christian Lundin, principle architect at Henrik Stenson Golf Design, to develop the construction specifications, grassing plan and construction agronomy for this stunning project.
The course set through beautiful trees and lakes was planted with Creeping Bentgrass on putting surfaces, and a blend of Ryegrass, Smoothstalk Meadowgrass, and Fescue on the primary golf corridor. Onsite trials pre-construction, allowed us to determine the grasses best suited to the local environment. These combinations have allowed Magnus Ljungman, Course Manager to produce some of the best surfaces in Sweden.
Antognolla Golf Resort near Perugia in Italy recently underwent an important upgrade with both a new irrigation and drainage system. Robert Trent Jones II also carried out a bunker renovation and updated the grassing lines.
Turfgrass was engaged to oversee the works and upgrade the grass species to make the course more drought tolerant. Water is of strategic importance on a golf course and a paramount commodity today. That is why many courses are reviewing their grass types to ensure the future of their course, placing further emphasis on sustainability and ultimately playing their role in protecting the environment.
The World Golf Awards is a celebration of the best courses and destinations across the golf industry. Their recognition of excellence exemplifies and authenticates all the hard work, precision, and drive from all the nominated golf courses. Turfgrass is grateful for the opportunity to have been involved in four of the nominated projects, each one with their own distinct and unique requirements and considerations. However, Turfgrass believe that the real prize for them is to work with skilled, enthusiastic, and persevering teams, on great projects.
