Golf Course Architecture - Issue 59, January 2020

42 TEE BOX San Roque begins work to realise ‘future driving range’ vision Earthmoving work has started on a new driving range project at San Roque Golf Club in southern Spain. “This is a unique project to showcase our vision of the ‘future driving range’– a hybrid combination of our best-in industry performance range products combined with natural grass,” said Kevin Holinaty, president of synthetic golf turf specialists Southwest Greens Construction. “The idea is that the golfer is able to hit out to a range with raised and stepped targets. The targets and fairway are using the Southwest Greens performance range turf system and the surrounding rough zone is using a low maintenance natural grass. It provides a practical solution to minimise maintenance and it gives the venue the opportunity to have world-class visual targets.” The range and academy is expected to open in July 2020. The academy practice area, which includes a chipping green and bunker zone, will feature Southwest Greens’ PRO System. “Our vision is to reinvent how the game is practiced, with innovative driving range solutions,” said Holinaty. “Range facilities must become interesting and entertaining to attract more players to practice. We feel our synthetic solutions provide the ability for clubs to deliver unlimited features to the practice experience, which historically have been lacking at most conventionaldriving range centres. This is helped by the low maintenance of synthetic systems in comparison to natural turf.” Southwest Greens Construction will be working alongside Atlantic Golf Construction – who is also renovating the golf course – on the project, with John Clarkin of Turfgrass Consultancy consulting as the lead agronomist for the overall project. Project director for San Roque Stephen Dundas said: “The standard of the driving range had to match that of the course. There is no point in having a great golf course when the quality of the range lets the product down. I had seen the driving range Southwest Greens Construction built in Grimaud, France, and I was impressed by the quality of the product, not to mention all the benefits it provides the golfer, as well as the owner.” The club is also building a new clubhouse and driving range building, with Jason Floyd Golf Academy moving its teaching facilities to San Roque’s academy and range. Image: Southwest Greens Construction A 3D rendering of the planned driving range at San Roque