8 minute read
Kes Hansen - Golf course superintendent, Bosch Hoek
1. When did you realise that turf management was the industry you want to take further?
I have been playing golf since the age of 10. I have always wanted to be involved with golf in some way, shape or form. I completed a turf grass management course at the Durban Technical College in 1997. Once completed, I was employed at Cato Ridge Country Club.
From Cato Ridge I moved to Champagne Sports and worked under Trevor Livesey for my duration there. Thereafter I had the opportunity to work at Wentworth in the UK.
Upon my return from the UK, in 2003, I began my journey at Bosch Hoek where I have been able to put my experience from courses in SA and the UK into use.
In 2006 Bosch Hoek was then rated the Number One 9-Hole Golf Course in South Africa which was an accomplishment that cemented my passion for turf management and manicuring Golf Courses.
5th/14th green at Bosch Hoek
2. What is the best and worst part of being a golf course superintendent?
The best part is seeing the fruits of your labour after trying new strategies and adapting to the challenges that arise, as well as being appreciated for the work that has been done. There is no greater pleasure for me than seeing people enjoy the golf course that has been laid out for them.
The worst part is things not going according to plan due to inclement weather or machinery malfunctions.
3. You are at Bosch Hoek GC, an inland course in the Natal Midlands, what is your biggest challenge maintaining a course in the Midlands?
The weather is the biggest challenge because we have very cold winters which come with severe frosts.
The biggest challenges in summer is the rainfall and the added heat, which creates the perfect breeding ground for diseases in the grass.
4. With Bosch Hoek being a 9-hole golf course, what are the pro’s and con’s from your point of view?
Pro’s - fortunately being 9-holes, we can get the golf course ready very early in the day which allows for golf to commence from 06H30. This brings in added revenue. We are also afforded the opportunity to stay on top of course maintenance sooner than if we were an 18-holer. With the time and capability, we can set daunting goals and achieve them.
Cons – We are restricted with space which impedes on the number of golf carts on the course at any given time as traffic control is a key aspect to the daily smooth running’s on the course.
5. What are the differences in grasses (fairway, rough, greens) at Bosch Hoek to other parts of the country?
At Bosch Hoek, our fairway’s, rough areas and tee boxes are all kikuyu grass. Kikuyu is the most common grass used from the Midlands to JHB. In my opinion, it is the best grass when correctly maintained because although it is a vigorous grower, it most certainly provides the best surface to play off. Kikuyu, as opposed to cool season grass, found in JHB and Cynoden, found in coastal regions, is a lot hardier and in my opinion, easier to maintain.
Our greens are A1-A4 bent grass, this provides a much smoother surface and runs at a more consistent speed. Other regions, such as the coast, would have Paspalum greens. This grass is difficult to get up to speeds for tournament standards because of its density.
6. Does one need different machinery on course for different types of grasses around the country?
Anything cut with a cylinder mower, as apposed to rotary mowers, is always going to provide a better finish. The machinery found at any given golf course will naturally rely on their budget. I firmly believe that any rough areas on a golf course can still produce a quality cut on any grass type with a rotary mower.
But if you are after a cut above the rest like we are at Bosch Hoek, I suggest cylinder mowers on fairways, greens and tee boxes, along with a decent rotary mower on the rough areas.
7. How big a difference does climate and location play in golf course maintenance?
Climate and location work hand-in-hand with the maintenance requirements of a golf course. Careful planning and strategic applications of specific products need to be timeous.
9th/18th green at Bosch Hoek on a winters morning
The wetter, more humid regions would need to consider the diseases they are susceptible too, whereas the more arid ‘scapes would need to be conscious of where their water will come from for the season should rainfall not be a reliable option.
This all plays a role in how one should conduct and strategise their maintenance both short-term and long-term.
8. To what extent does course setup affect slow play, and how do you deal with it?
As a 9-hole golf course, playing on the same greens twice does result in slow play too often. It is vital that morning tee times do not clash with the afternoon field in terms of set-up.
We have course marshals to maintain pace of play and with the implications of our new GPS Visage systems on the carts, we can send prompts to players such as “Speed up Pace of Play”.
9. In your opinion does course machinery or golfers spread more seeds like POA or diseases?
Our cool climate promotes POA in general, our objective is to keep the POA off the bentgrass-greens as they are both cool-season grasses and compete with one another.
We have a program in place to execute this. In my opinion, I do not think the golfers impact the spreading of both POA and diseases as much as machinery would.
10. Do you think it should be mandatory for each golf courses to close one day per week for maintenance?
I do believe it is beneficial for the golf course to close a day per week for maintenance, however from a business perspective, we have a later tee off time on a Monday to allow for such maintenance to be carried out – again, we are able to do so because we are 9-hole course and have the luxury of staying open seven days a week without it impeding on course maintenance.
11. Do maintenance staff ever come into conflict with golfers and how do you deal with this?
Our staff are aware of the impact they could have on golfers in all aspects. They have been trained to operate consistently without interfering with the golfers.
They are mindful of what is happening around them and courteously step aside whilst golfers pass through.
On golf days, we have the course ready before hand and while play commences, our staff tend to various other duties around the working farmland.
12. How important is it for golfers to repair their divots and pitch marks immediately vs only a couple of days or a week later?
If the divots and pitch marks are repaired immediately, the grass has an opportunity to recover overnight. If it is only repaired a couple days later, the grass has a greater task of recovering.
The aim is to keep the course as pristine as possible, with golfers aiding the process instantaneously, the course can recover quicker and continue flourishing.
13. People always complain about inconsistent bunkers, how difficult is it to maintain consistent bunkers and do you implement general checks and how?
We hand rake all our bunkers. They are kept at 100ml sand in the base of the bunker and 60ml of sand on the faces, this is kept consistent by our staff with a user-friendly measuring stick.
Bunkers are generally a nightmare to maintain on any golf course, for this reason we implement general checks using the measuring stick twice a week and after heavy rains.
