Golf Course Architecture - Issue 61, July 2020

irrigation work, extending some tees, and drainage on the existing fairways. “This slow start was of course better than not starting, but it was painfully slow compared to what we had planned,” says Grauballe. “Luckily, our contractor Nelson & Vecchio was already present in Denmark with a few staff who wanted to stay and keep working. “Our client was able to provide individual accommodation for the workers, making it possible to maintain social distancing and, since the work is outdoors, the risk of becoming infected has been minimal.” The original plan was to work on three or four holes at a time. But to give Nelson & Vecchio more working flexibility and therefore speed up the project, nine holes were closed to golfers. “It has been a huge help that the client is very understanding and has been able to make provisions and assist whenever necessary in order to get the project moving,” says Grauballe. “After a couple of weeks with the small crew and establishing that it was possible to keep safe, the contractor decided to bring in more staff. This was possible as the Danish borders were opened for people with contracted work. With a shaper and an almost full crew on site, work kicked up a gear.” By June, and as Denmark became one of the first countries in Europe to ease lockdown measures, turf was in place on all areas of the first nine holes. “We’ll now turn our attention to the two other nine-hole loops,” says Grauballe. “For the next phases, we are trying to make sure that the members can have a full 18, plus small loops of three to six holes open at all times.” Lockdown in Pakistan began in late March. Most workers on the new Rumanza layout by Faldo Design in the city of Multan had to stop working completely. Only a handful of key staff, including construction manager David Mathews of Desert Group, remained on site. “With Pakistan in lockdown, the rate of progress on the project slowed down considerably with most staff unable to attend the site, and distribution channels significantly impacted,” says Andy Haggar, lead architect at Faldo Design. “Along with David, some skilled workers remained on site, so we were able to keep an eye on works during this period. It also meant the turf nursery could be maintained and some shaping work could continue. “All the planning for the project was done before we had even heard of Covid-19” A skeleton staff on site at Faldo Design’s Rumunza project allowed for some work to continue Photo: Faldo Design 57