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Kingswood greenkeeper Ivan van Heerden provides an update on work done on the golf course of late, and plans for the year ahead.
Settle on six
It’s always interesting to visit the work space of Kingswood Golf Estate’s greenkeeper – or, more correctly, ‘Senior Course Superintendent’ – Ivan van Heerden. Let’s just say there’s never a dull moment, with tractors and bakkies and their able operators buzzing about from early morning onwards.
In terms of recent work done on the golf course, Ivan goes all technical when telling about settlement operations successfully carried out at the 6th hole, where an embankment to the side of the green had been threatening to collapse after sporadic heavy rains throughout the year.
‘We went for what’s called the marine option, which entails an MC-grid being stretched over the bank, before being anchored on each side to tighten the earth underneath it.’
Ivan explains that an MC-grid looks a whole lot like chicken wire – except that it is manufactured from plastic and designed to react to friction. ‘So if there’s any shifting of the bank, then that grid pulls everything together.’
The next step was to install a flow drain on top of the grid to divert all water from the foot of the embankment. And then followed the heavy- lifting part of the operation: about 300 sandbags weighing 40kg each were tightly positioned to secure the bank, helping the settlement process along and ensuring that it does not wash away in heavy downpours.
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‘This method has been tested on a variety of beaches and in other marine locations where the sea and other waterways wash turf away, and it seems to work very efficiently.’
He adds that examples of this system can be seen at beach hamlets such as Gouritz and Klein Brak River, where it has kept the ocean at bay in settled areas for over 10 years.
‘We researched the subject extensively before embarking on the settlement project, as working with this system was a first for us. Apart from the fact that we’re confident it will stand the test of time, we also managed to get it at a very reasonable cost.’
He says that, for the price negotiated, it was by far the most economical option. ‘Gabions, for instance, would have been extremely expensive. But we wanted to do something drastic to remedy the eyesore in front of the 6th hole before our seasonal guests arrived.’
When looking at the before and after photos posted here, it seems that Ivan and his team are allowed to say ‘mission accomplished!’
A look ahead
Of course, said holiday season will first have to be survived, with all the essential maintenance necessitated by increased traffic on the course, before projects in the pipeline for 2024 can be tackled.
‘These will include remedying drainage on the 16th hole, while we are also planning to desilt all dams in order for us to return water capacity to the 15th and 16th holes especially,’ says Ivan.
‘Finally, we are exploring the possibility of sinking two boreholes – and are doing this in consultation with the environmental guys – to see if more water can be accessed to assist us in keeping the golf course irrigated during dry spells.’
More than just a course
The BUZZard had learnt from a little bird that there is a vision afoot of working towards Kingswood’s inclusion in the list of Top 50 courses in the country. But how will this objective impact Ivan and his team?
‘Yes, being part of the country’s Top 50 golf courses has always been a plan. But it’s a difficult plan that is sure to present some challenges. However much I would like us to be there, the reality is that it involves much more than just the golf course.’
Ivan explains that the Top 50 criteria focus to a great extent on external issues, way beyond just the condition of the course. Included are adjudication of amenities such as the clubhouse, memorability, playability, and design.
‘Surveys will typically include golfers’ experience of the facilities enjoyed before and after the game, what is it like to play there, and what your lasting impressions are. How do you remember the course – does it play easily for average golfers, or is it geared for the most competent of players only?
‘We plan to meet with a representative from Golf Digest to ask exactly what we need to do, where we stand, and what we can work at to get into the Top 50. But it will also take some time to get in place all off-the-course facilities that are required for making the list.
‘From our side, we will be giving our very best to elevate the condition of the course to such a standard that we can compete with the best in the country.’
