31 for the better players, there will be plenty of strategic interest in terms of angles, firmness of the ground and pin positions.” Roald is introducing template concepts to Selfoss. “We have a replica of the Eden hole at St Andrews – our par-three sixth has the Ölfusá behind the green rather than the Eden River,” he said. “We’ve got a reverse Cape at the seventh, the fifteenth is a riverfront par five with a reverse Road Hole green entrance, and the sixteenth is a Redan. We’re playing around a bit and trying to mix an original design that underlines the unique nature of the site and Icelandic golf with template holes and such concepts so golfers can have some fun.” The architect expects eighteen holes to be completed by 2026, with a 14-hole routing ready by late 2024. With no specialised golf contractors operating from Iceland, the new holes at Selfoss are being built by a local contractor – although Roald is making use of technology to ensure they are built to a high standard. “We’re using automated machine guidance (AMG),” said Roald. “We design everything to a high degree of detail and produce 3D models that we send directly into the construction machinery. Those machines can be set on automatic or can be manually controlled. The minutest detail can be achieved; we have contour lines just a few centimetres apart. It’s traditional architecture meeting modern technology! “It is an absolute gamechanger because AMG allows us to do business with local companies – that’s the social corporate social responsibility element – and it obviously makes all the logistics a lot easier. We’re receiving excess soil from nearby construction, housing and road projects, which contributes to considerable savings in haulage distances and carbon footprint. While much of the site is quite flat, we’re able to add character to the fairway surroundings with this additional soil. I’m seeing around a 27 per cent decrease in the number of machine hours via using AMG.” Selfoss has also approved a plan to introduce a short course by Roald that will be located near the entrance of the site and is expected to open in 2025. “Considering the recent completion of indoor and outdoor practice facilities, it can be said that Selfoss will have a full range of golf options,” says Roald. Image: Edwin Roald Among the new holes to be built along the banks of the Ölfusá River are the reverse Cape seventh, the par-five fifteenth inspired by the Road hole, and the Redan sixteenth
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