The eighth hole at Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate has always been a tricky little number.
Playing from the top of the hill the distance is deceptive and many a golfer has either come up short or overcooked their tee-shot.
Even landing on the green has been no guarantee of success. Over the years the slope has quickly turned gleeful cheers into anguished cries.
However, by all rights, this should change when the redeveloped green on the Par-3 goes “live” towards the end of September.
Course steward and Sards resident Stephen Daly explained that the eighth green’s “reversed saucer shape” had led to balls rolling off the putting surface even when players were on target.
Its small surface area has not helped either.
To spare golfers frustration in the future the revamped green, at 280m², will be almost double the size of its predecessor and far less punishing in terms of gradient.
Daly said upgrades to the club’s greens had been part of the plans from the outset, along with the tee-boxes and fairways.
The makeover of the eighth/17th began in earnest in April and the aim is to redo all the greens over the next five or six years.
Valuable insight was offered by a club member who has worked with renowned golf course designer Peter Matkovich, while horticulturalist Russell Darlow directed the landscaping.
The old green was dug up with huge amounts of soil being displaced. The relaying process involved a covering of stone, which in turn was blanketed with clean soil devoid of seeds of other grass types.
“We’ve put something called Bayview grass on top. This is a species of Cynodon that was recommended to us. Humewood [Golf Club] used to have it before they moved to bent grass,” Daly said.
“It is the hardiest grass for a green. It withstands drought, wind and temperature changes. It’s also quite affordable in terms of maintenance.”
Bent grass, he added, required a sophisticated irrigation system because it died at 24 degrees Celsius.
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A temporary green has been in place since redevelopment of the eighth began but, to Daly’s surprise, it has been well-received by the Sards faithful.
“When we put it in the rule was that if you landed on the green you could take a two-putt and move on. But, honestly, it’s proved quite popular.
“Most golfers understand you are busy improving the course. I was expecting some moans about it but the ladies, in particular, love it because the hole currently plays a lot shorter than the 180m it will become.”
Some have even called for the temporary green to become a permanent fixture, though Daly wryly suggested that it probably would not go down too well given the amount of money spent on the overhaul.
He said a lot of effort was being put into the maintenance of the greens.
Twice a year they are hollow-tined and verti-drained, the latter a process that relieves soil compaction to promote drainage. The result has been much quicker surfaces in recent times.
“The club is in good health,” Daly said.
“The number of rounds is about 20 per cent up on last year. The club is becoming more and more popular.”