A new golf course maintenance programme has been introduced at the Verdura Resort in Sicily, Italy.

The resort – which lies close to the town of Sciacca on Sicily’s southern coastline – is home to 36 holes of golf, all of which were designed by architect Kyle Phillips.

The new programme aims to increase the sustainability of the resort’s golf facilities, and has already seen the recreation of specific areas with more than 200 native species of Sicilian plants and improvements to the site’s wetland areas.

Attention has now shifted to improving the grass quality of the two 18-hole championship courses, and a major conversion programme has taken place. This saw an alteration from rye grass to bermudagrass on all 36 holes, with the aim of reducing the amount of water used to maintain the course year-round.

A schedule of micro-coring has also been carried out to help improve the greens, and a six-month bunker reconstruction programme will get underway later this year to help improve drainage and playability ahead of next year’s summer season.

“The beautiful, natural Sicilian setting is very much at the heart of what makes the Verdura golf experience so special, and it’s imperative that we continue to enhance and preserve every part of the course with our sustainability and renaturalisation programmes,” said David Waters, head golf professional at Verdura Resort. “All our course maintenance programmes are designed to ensure that the beautiful surroundings are coupled with exceptional playing conditions – a combination that makes the golf courses at the resort some of the most enjoyable in Europe.”