Implementation Process
The Course Enhancement Plan that has been prepared for the Glenelg course is to be implemented over a 4-year period. The holes selected for each year’s works program have been primarily predicated upon the roll-out of the new irrigation system. Last year the irrigation system was replaced on the Practice Fairway and it is planned for the system installation to spread out across the course from here to adjacent holes.
The Works Program
The following table details the holes planned for implementation works in each of the 4 years. Necessary preparatory works were undertaken earlier this year to the 19th hole, the new Turf Nursery south of the 2nd hole and at the 8th hole for siting and screening of new irrigation tanks. Please note that there may be some future changes to the holes to be included in subsequent years’ work programs.
| Year | Hole Numbers |
| Year 1 | Nursery, 18, 13, 14, 2 |
| Year 2 | 3, 12, 11, 4, 6, 10 |
| Year 3 | 5, 9, 15, 8, 16, 1 |
| Year 4 | 17, 7, Practice Range |
18-Holes in Play At All Times
The guiding principal for the implementation of the plan is that 18-holes of golf will remain in play for members at all times. One hole will be closed at a time to enable the works to that hole to be undertaken, with the 19th hole in play for that period. Works on the next hole in the schedule will not commence until the previous hole is back in play. The extended use that the 19th hole will see over the next four years was the reason upgrade works have recently been undertaken to expand the tee area and fairway area and eliminate one greenside bunker to improve golfer walk back to the 4th tees.
Accordingly there will be no temporary greens needed during the implementation phase, although some temporary tees will need to be utilised on some holes from time-to-time to suit construction logistics.
Before and after of the recent work on the 19th hole
Integrated Workzones
There are some locations on the course where the redevelopment of greens and the next tees are in close proximity and it makes practical construction sense to undertake these adjacent works in one phase. An example of this is the redevelopment of the 18th tees, which given their proximity to the 17th green, will be undertaken jointly when the 17th hole is closed down in Year 4. Other examples of integrated workzones include the 5th green & 6th tees, and the 6th green & 7th tees.
Photo: Example of the integrated workzone: 18th tees and 17th green
Design & Construction Personnel
Construction works will be led on the Club’s behalf by its Project & Construction Manager Ryan Van Der Veen. Ryan is an experienced and hands-on golf course architect who has previously worked for Pete Dye and Greg Norman. He has also contributed to the design aspects of the Course Enhancement Plan that have been led by the Club’s long-time golf course architect Neil Crafter of Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies. Former touring professional, tournament promoter and long-time Glenelg member Bob Tuohy will continue his involvement in the course that began with the 1998-2004 course redevelopment. Neil and Bob will have design contribution roles during the implementation phase of the plan. Tim Warren, the Club’s golf course superintendent, in addition to his turf capabilities, has considerable experience in overseeing course redevelopment projects from his time in past roles at Mt Gambier, Horsham and Patawalonga courses. Graeme Davidson, Glenelg’s Course Operations Manager, originates form Scotland and brings a wealth of experience to Glenelg with 20 years’ experience in the Greenkeeping industry.
Construction Process
Ryan Van der Veen, together with Committee and management, have undertaken detailed costing and scheduling of the implementation works to ensure, as far as is practicable, the smooth and seamless roll-out of course works over the next four years.
Typical construction work phases include:
- Treescape management including selected tree removals and dead-wooding / skirting-up of retained trees
- Stripping of existing turfgrass and vegetation from worksites
- Earthworks and shaping
- Fine shaping and trimming of surfaces
- Construction of tees
- Construction of new greens or resurfacing of retained greens
- Construction of revetted bunkers
- Construction of ‘hybrid’ bunkers
- Construction of paths
- Irrigation system installation
- Turfing, solid ‘Santa Ana’ turf to tees and fairways, solid bentgrass to greens and collars, seeding to roughs
- Landscape plantings of new trees, new screen plantings and new tussock plantings in roughs
- Grow-in of newly turfed areas until ready for play
Photo: Adam Hartlett planting trees as a screen along the 8th
Greens Resurfacing
All greens are proposed for resurfacing during the four years of plan implementation. The greens fall into three categories:
- New greens to be relocated and fully reconstructed (6 greens)
- Existing greens to be resurfaced and contours to remain as is (number to be determined)
- Existing greens to be resurfaced and contours to be slightly modified where necessary for agronomic reasons, to soften slopes or to add additional pin locations (number to be determined). The construction team will recommend to the Committee any minor recontouring that may be beneficial at the time of reconstruction of a particular green.
The new greens will be constructed using a profile of imported Tailem Bend sand over the native sand, while the existing greens to be resurfaced will have their profiles refreshed with an imported layer of Tailem Bend sand for consistency of profile between all greens.
Photo: Recent work carried out on the greens
Hole Plans as a Guide
The Hole Plans prepared for each hole in the Course Enhancement Plan are to be taken as a guide to the scope of works for each hole. For example, where a bunker is indicated on the plan, the final bunker shape as constructed may vary somewhat from the shape shown on the plan. Aspects of the plan may be altered on the ground by the Club’s design and construction team using their judgement and skills to get the best possible result for the course.
Commencement Date
It is proposed that Year one Works will commence in November 2021.
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