Golf course reconstruction, drainage and irrigation
Vidauban Golf Club, France
Project challenges
Rocky ground conditions and heavy winter rains
The site is rock and heavy clay and suffered badly during periods of regional heavy rains which generally happened between October and February. These major rain events were a challenge but the following works were completed:
- Construction of new practice putting green
- Construction of new practice range tees
- Construction of new short game practice area and bunker
- Installation of 22,000 linear metres of primary drainage
- Installation of 70,000 linear metres of secondary drainage
- Application of 3,000 tonnes of sand dressing
- Installation of Toro full fairway satellite irrigation system
- Installation of SubAir drainage and ventilation system to 19 greens
- Replacement tarmac cart path system tied back into all natural turf areas
- 25,000m² bark mulch placement beneath feature umbrella pine trees
- Overseeding of all greens and tees
- Seeding of significant areas of fescue roughs.
Outcomes
Dramatic improvements in drainage
The project had a number of challenges, not least the rocky terrain, but MJ Abbott’s specialist rock trenching wheels were more than up to the task, resulting in huge improvements to the drainage and the ability for the maintenance team to get out on the golf course within a few hours of the extreme rainfall events often experienced in the region in the winter months, where previously they would have needed to wait for days or weeks.
