Golf Course Architecture - Issue 63, January 2021

78 INS IGHT KEV IN HOL INATY Tee line time Kevin Holinaty explains how innovative synthetic tee line solutions can add value to golf courses A glimpse into the future… a golf course that is environmentally sensible and requires no water or harmful chemicals. One that can be maintained with simplicity and substantial cost savings by using state- of-the-art synthetic turf systems; and, when its life cycle has come to an end, the old turf is removed and reclaimed back to the supplier where it will be repurposed into future products – a true cradle-to-cradle product solution. Wait… is it possible that this is all achievable now? Southwest Greens Construction, the official construction arm for the Southwest Greens Brand on a global basis, started in 2008 to make this a reality. The company’s ‘dot on the horizon’ was set, and step by step we are closing in on this objective. The acceptance of high-quality synthetic turf solutions in the golf industry is gaining traction. SGC leads the way, with a wide portfolio of synthetic turf systems that each serve a purpose – solutions that have been developed, besides looking at ‘natural ball behaviour’, to take away the issues experienced on natural surfaces. When logically thinking about synthetic surfaces, the ‘less maintenance cost’ concept is one of the first things that comes to mind. Southwest Greens looks at a golf course as a sum of components. We have created solutions for tees and tee lines, fairways, rough and bunkers as well as several products for putting surfaces – ranging from small indoor surfaces to replacing greens on existing courses. The challenges golf courses face nowadays can best be addressed by focusing on each of the components of the course, pinpointing the weaknesses, and creating a solid and long-lasting solution. We believe that breaking up the conventional golf course into components and then looking at how we can make improvements to them is a strategy that adds genuine value to the golf course industry as it adjusts to ever- changing variables and confronts increasing challenges. Looking at each component as an individual