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Ivan van Heerden explains the challenges of caring for the Kingswood golf course during winter, and shares news on some of his team’s recently completed projects.
The weather is a primary concern for anyone tasked with the management and maintenance of a golf course, and knowing its vagaries is essential when it comes to planning when to plant and where to drain. After so many years since his move from the more predictable climes of Gauteng, Ivan van Heerden is now completely au fait with the Southern Cape meteorological scene.
‘Mostly my team does all the work required on the course, but in some cases we have to call in experts in a specific field. As we speak, Pete Barnardo from PNB Civils is working on the drainage to the left of the 16th hole, putting in a flow drain with a total distance of 265 metres. We hope this will help remedy the wet patch we’ve been seeing next to the 16th.’
Diving in before desilting
Sludge that accumulates in ponds and dams on golf courses can create problems if left unchecked. This sediment or ‘silt’ is a naturally occurring material that can be washed into a reservoir from surrounding areas by rain and runoff. The process of desilting greatly improves the ability of aquatic plants to filter out impurities, thereby improving water quality.
Ivan says Kingswood is no different from other estates when it comes to this occurrence, and that solutions are being investigated. But as is invariably the case with operations on and off the course, budgetary considerations come first.
‘Dynamic Diving came to give a quote to suck sludge out of our ponds. Unfortunately, they first have to do an assessment to see exactly how much silt is involved, and these costs have to be settled before it is even decided whether you are going to desilt or not,’ he says, adding that the jury is still out on whether and when this process will take place.
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Good green, bad patch
According to Ivan, it’s heartening that the course boasts a healthy sheen of green for this time of year. ‘Up to the end of July, we’ve missed out on all the rain that normally follows heavy falls in the Cape, which is not a bad thing for the course. But comparatively, we are dry this year without any significant rainfall figures during the winter so far. In total, we have received 406mm this rainy season [this figure pertains to the week ending July 26]. That’s approximately 400mm less than last year – in other words, about half of what was recorded by this time last year.
‘Hopefully we will get some rain during August and September so that the course can receive a good drenching and we don’t have to rely on other sources to keep it saturated. The wetter the course, the longer before we have to start watering it again.’
Ivan explains that the discoloured areas some residents and visiting golfers may have noticed on the fairways are caused by a turf disease called large patch, and it is spread by both dead and living plant matter. ‘When treated, it will die, but continues spreading even when dead, so we have to stay on it by spraying very regularly.
‘Kikuyu usually gets it if it doesn’t go dormant, so the common name for what we see at Kingswood is Kikuyu patch, and it is part of the large patch scourge. Fortunately, with continued spraying and maintenance, it generally disappears again by the onset of summer.’
Ongoing affairs
Just because it’s winter and freezing out there doesn’t mean that Ivan’s team is afforded a rest when it comes to the general maintenance required to keep the course looking like a million bucks. Among these tasks count filling up holes made by golf carts. ‘And between the tee boxes and fairways, we are slowly but surely starting to top-dress for heat and to promote better growth.’
When it comes to new plantings, 11 wild fig (Ficus natalensis) trees now make for a pretty feature to the left of the first tee. Observant players would also have noticed five new trees behind the second green. ‘We took out that garden as part of our plan to make the area resemble the rest of the natural areas on the golf course, instead of just a garden. Another plus is that it will provide a slightly better screen between the second green and third tee boxes. Best of all, it will make for a better view of the new clubhouse if you look down towards the second.’
Finally, he says the bunkers have now all been painted a darker colour, which prevents them from getting dirty as quickly and makes them blend in better than a lighter colour does.
Course work on course
To wrap it up, Ivan is confident that all projects are on track and ‘looking good’: by the time you read this, draining on the 16th would have been completed and all new trees settled in firmly, since the completion date of that operation was the end of July.
‘So everything is progressing well, with ongoing fixing of holes and top-dressing of bare areas that take strain during wet spells. We will plant grass later in the year, because if you plant now, it simply won’t take. We are waiting for soil temperatures to warm up and water to be drained before we can successfully remedy open patches.’
Here’s wishing Ivan and his team all the rain they require – but not too wet – and enough mild spells during the rest of winter – but not too hot or dry – to continue with their never-ending quest of keeping Kingswood’s course pristine
