GOLF @ KINGSWOOD

Expert greenkeeper Ivan van Heerden took time out of his chock-full schedule to share feedback on the recent course redesign, and the impact of the current drought on Kingswood’s fairways, dams and greens.

Redesign well received

Ivan acknowledges that the new course presented challenges at first: ‘It took some getting used to for our golfers to start on a par 3 and end on a par 5. But I think players are now enjoying it, because there’s a better flow to the golf course, tackling the first eight holes before proceeding to the next 10. ‘The pace of play has improved, and we’re getting great feedback on the new halfway house so, overall, renumbering of the course has been well received, and it now plays the way it was always designed to play.

We love it when a plan comes together!’ Drought ’25 tops driest year so far A meticulous measurer of rainfall, Ivan says that George has only had 466mm so far this year – about 300–350mm less than the town’s average annual rainfall. With no other water sources than the heavens above, KGE is totally dependent on rainwater to fill its dams. ‘We have 30 million litres of storage capacity in our dams, and to irrigate the course, I need 2 million litres. So essentially, as we speak (on 3 December), we have only 15 days’ worth of stored water.

‘At this stage of the fight, we can only afford to water tees and greens complexes, but there’s no water for the fairways and we depend on stormwater to fill the dams,’ he says. The photos on this page show the difference in green and brown, the former being where water is being applied.

‘The last rain – 18mm received during the first weekend in December – at least made an impact on the colour of our fairways, with a bit of green coming through. But the situation remains extremely dire. ‘It’s the driest year since I started at Kingswood, the previous low clocking 573mm in 2019.

This means we need to get 107mm by the end of December just to break even with that dismal record. ‘According to current forecasts, it doesn’t look likely that we’ll reach the 500mm mark this year. But I’ll be very happy if we could get another 34mm in the next few weeks. Either way, watering the course remains an enormous challenge.’

Going grey

‘We don’t have the luxury, as is the case with so many other Cape estates – Pinnacle Point, Pezula, Hermanus, Simola, Goose Valley, St Francis Links – of getting greywater from the municipality. But we are in talks with the George and Garden Route District municipalities, their mayors and management.

‘We’re in the discussion phase, working on a plan to relay the town’s treated water into our system. All it will take is getting a pipeline installed from the municipal greywater plant to supply Kingswood with a source for irrigation.

‘If we can pull this off, it would transform the Kingswood course; it would mean I can water every day, every night, and wouldn’t have to ration or worry about which part of the course gets watered and which doesn’t.’ Ivan says no agronomist or greenkeeper wants to be in a situation where they must decide what lives and what dies. ‘We already have enough stress battling diseases, keeping the course neat and maintaining green speeds. You don’t want more stress worrying about what dies or survives. ‘Not everyone understands the extent of the problem: I’m responsible for 35+ hectares and everyone expects all of it to be in top condition.

They look at their own green lawns of perhaps 20 square metres of green and expect the course to be in the same conditions. That’s not going to happen when there’s no water.’ But wait, there’s more … Ivan reminds that golfers’ feet and golf carts add stress to the grass. ‘What’s more, I can’t apply fertiliser because it needs water to be absorbed by the vegetation. So that adds to our many challenges, creating a more stress for our greenkeeping team. ‘We can only hope for some rain soon to get the course looking the way it’s supposed to. At this stage, we’re only focusing on tees and greens to ensure that they’re neat and attractive, so ensuring a positive playing experience for members and guests.’

Daily maintenance not left behind

Ivan says that, during the past six months leading up to the 1 September launch, his team focused on settling in the greens around the clubhouse. ‘We also did drainage on the 6th and painted bunker faces while paving the cart paths in preparation for the festive season – all the small odds and ends requiring our continued attention. ‘Other maintenance issues included the fixing of burst waterpipes underneath roads and bridges.

The last thing we can afford now is to lose water, but when pipes burst it’s also related to the drought. We’re working hard on fixing that and I’d like to believe that we are slowly but surely winning the fight.’ Ivan concludes by reiterating that, when in drought, these issues have always been his team’s priority. ‘But if we don’t make another plan, our hands will be tied.

Part 2: New golf team

When chatting to Dean le Vieux, who on 1 September took over the baton as director of golf at Kingswood Golf Club (KGC – see ‘Meet the Team’ elsewhere in this edition), it was enlightening to hear his take on new membership arrangements, and how successful the uptake has been so far.

By Friday 28 November, a milestone was reached when KGC hit the 500 mark in terms of full members having signed up. By the time you read here, it is hoped that the target would have increased significantly. Dean shared a summary of his first three months at the helm and his vision for the season.

New regime, new rules ‘

Perhaps the most impactful of rules now pertaining to new members is that no liquor is being allowed on the course. Not everyone is chuffed with this arrangement, but it’s a decision made based on what’s right for all players involved, and what’s right for the club as a whole. ‘We’ve also implemented new scoring systems and have opened timesheets to members and visitors.

I’m happy to report that, until mid-January, we’re already 70% filled up – which bodes well for a busy festive season on the course,’ Dean enthuses. ‘It really is all about putting members first. We make decisions and put plans in place to serve our entire golfing community. By planning our calendar for a year in advance, it gives us the edge in terms of expected numbers and allows members to have a seamless experience.’

Who needs paper, anyway?

Dean had a dream – and the nous to realise it – of making golf ops at Kingswood paperless. ‘As a start, we installed GPS units on golf carts and live online timesheets. ‘The TV screen in the golfers’ lounge section of our clubhouse will be linked to ScoreCapture, which all members will be asked to download.

It’s a free live scoring golf app that offers digital scorecards, GPS tracking, and analysis tools to enhance members’ golfing experience.’ Dean says a small margin of members have been less than ecstatic about these newfangled arrangements, but the majority are honouring and even embracing these measures, all of which will ensure that KGE is not left behind in terms of a future vision.

‘I’m hoping that all members will appreciate this bigger picture in the near future. ‘The fact is that every decision made is for the greater good of our Kingswood golfing fraternity,’ he says. Click on www.homeofgolf.africa for more good news about golfing on the Garden Route, and how KGE forms a pivotal part of that plan.