Golf Course Architecture - Issue 64, April 2021

37 Apes Hill’s redesigned par three holes – the fifth, eighth, twelfth and sixteenth – are expected to make a big impact. There has been substantial clearance of vegetation on the fifth, with a green site set among ledges of exposed rock, and the twelfth, which now has clear views of both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. “We were very careful with the design to focus on reducing the footprint of the grasses that need full maintenance, water and fertilisers,” said Kirby. “Using the latest technology for irrigation, we have been able to reduce the number of sprinkler heads on the course by 56 per cent and the new Zoysia Zorro grass we planted needs less water. These factors have helped us to significantly reduce the overall volume of water and chemicals that will be required in the maintenance of the course.” There has also been a substantial decrease in the number of bunkers on the course, from over 100 before work began to fewer than 50. Agronomist and superintendent Ed Paskins, who has been on the island for the past 20 years, has assisted Kirby along with a local team of contractors, and shapers Justin Carlton and Gary Shapiro. The irrigation team includes contractor Aqua Turf International and consultant Rain Bird. The project will also introduce a new nineteenth hole in front of the clubhouse, inspired by the island- green seventeenth at TPC Sawgrass. There will also be a new par-three course, a Titleist Performance Institute, a golf performance and teaching centre and a swing bio- mechanics analysis bay. Photos: Apes Hill The green complex on the par-three fifth has been rebuilt to expose the natural coral