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When The BUZZard checked in at Kingswood Clubhouse & CC to interview the usual suspects for this edition of your quarterly newsletter, one integral part of the team was MIA.
Greenkeeper Ivan van Heerden had taken a day’s leave and was already on his way to Cape Town, to be there in the flesh when South Africa’s Springboks took on the All Blacks for their crucial second test.
Our multiple Rugby World Cup holders’ victory on 29 August saw the whole nation take leave of their senses in a collective sigh of pride and relief. So we were glad to hear that the family van Heerden had the time of their lives, and had returned to George in one piece. They must’ve ducked sufficiently to avoid getting their heads chopped off by those pesky low-flying planes. Back in the saddle, Ivan continues his important work on the Kingswood golf course.
Below he elaborates on some of the projects recently completed, and those still in the pipeline.
Evergreens to suck it up
‘We have recently planted 11 trees between the 15th and 16th holes – a great new project that looks pretty, too. The evergreen wild fig (Ficus natalensis) was perfect for this purpose.
‘It was decided to plant this species, not only because they’re soft on the eye, but they love water, and will significantly assist in drying up the area to the left of the 15th, where drainage has been a challenge.’
Why the evergreen wild fig (Ficus natalensis) is perfect
Ficus natalensis is a small to medium-sized tree, typically reaching 10 metres in height with a canopy that can spread up to three times its height. Its leaves are oblong or elliptical, dark green and glossy, while the bark is smooth and light grey, thickening and twisting with age. The tree produces small red or purple edible figs and clusters of greenish-white flowers. One of its most striking features is aerial roots, which can thicken into secondary trunks.
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Water matters and warm winters
When it comes to the course itself, the most recent heavy rain was again rather devastating, but nowhere near as impactful as the storm that wreaked havoc in George and across the Garden Route in the first week of May. ‘In terms of the course, the heavy downpour end-July was harsh but at least this time we didn’t suffer any damage – by then all the trees blown over during the “great storm” had been cleared away. We received 440mm of rain during May and June alone.
‘But it was necessary and I’ll never say no to rain. And if it has to rain some more, I’d be glad.’ Ironically, the only new equipment acquired by Ivan’s team is a sprinkler. ‘It was a surprisingly mild winter with no significant cold snaps, no snow on the mountains and fortunately no frost on the course.’
Ivan says his team are now nearly done with the settlement on five: ‘The placing of sandbags was an important and necessary project after the area was drenched by the heavy downpours. The drainage being done on the sixth hole and fairway is helping water to get to the right place.’
Pitch-fixing part of good behaviour
When asked about the behaviour of golfers, some of whom took time to get accustomed to new rules such as no alcohol on the course, Ivan reports ‘good behaviour’, but says the problem of those who don’t care to fix their divots and pitch marks is ongoing. ‘We’re asking nicely that golfers fix their fairway divots rather than ignore them and play on. If every golfer in a fourball does that, the course would look much healthier. Please help us out here.’
Fill up the divots with compost, which is provided in golf cart divot holders. Every hole has sand to top up the divot holder. Rather than replace, fill the hole up with sand. The correct way to fix pitch marks on greens is to press the pitch repairer from outside to inside instead of lifting it up.
Finally, says Ivan, ‘the tees recently levelled look great, and are now nearly completely covered. Within a month the effect of this growth will be just perfect.’ The photos on this page tell the rest of the story. Suffice it to say, Kingswood’s course is ready for play, with golf days and competitions in the pipeline these holidays and beyond.
