GOLFDIGEST.CO.ZA / J ANUARY 2018/ 25Mark Muller on the
third tee at Atlantic
Beach, where he now
works as the course
superintendent.company and my associate Grant Bland.
The local industry went into decline
in 2008 when the recession hit, and
few courses have been built since then,
but there is still work available. We are
waiting for final approvals on a major
upgrade at Kuils River Golf Club in
Cape Town which involves building
seven entirely new holes, and renovating
the rest. The upgrade will be subsidised
by the developer of the surrounding land
which will include housing, a shopping
mall, and schools.
▶ ▶ ▶ It’s interesting how the
grasses first planted on a course
change over the years. Atlantic Beach
was originally planted with cynodon
grass throughout. But when it went
dormant in winter the poa got in,
and we had bumpy putting surfaces.
Southern Turf Management, who had
the maintenance contract before me,
began overseeding the greens with
bent grass, and they have responded
beautifully. Kikuyu has crept into the
fairways with all the water that was
poured on, and it’s now about 80%
of the fairway coverage. However, I
anticipate the cynodon will make a
comeback in the drier conditions.▶ ▶ ▶ Golf clubs must do as much
as possible to counter the increasing
costs of golf on the maintenance
side. Machinery, labour and fuel isexpensive, and the quest for perfect
conditions at some clubs is contributing
to making the game too expensive.
That is a deterrent to attracting younger
golfers. Clubs have got to budget
accordingly. I look at my own situation
at Atlantic Beach. Because of our dry
summers, there’s no need to mow the
fairways that frequently, as long as you
don’t compromise the condition of the
course. We now mow twice a week,
which means less wear and tear
on machinery, less fuel. Raising the
mowing height also leaves more leaf so
the grass can better withstand the wind
and heat. And golfers are happier with
fairways where they can get grassier lies,
instead of tight ones.