13 Although Turfgrass are based in the Republic of Ireland, Clarkin resides in southern France about an hour from the project. Gorman on the other hand hails from San Francisco, some 6,000 miles away. As he needed to be part of the on-site team at Vidauban, he would move to the south of France for the duration of the renovation. The renovation project saw a 30 per cent reduction in total sand area. However, we were able to create some incredible bunker visuals and a significant impact on sand throughout the entire golf course. The bunker shaping at Vidauban is severe, with face slopes in excess of 50 degrees in places. Due to the original sand no longer being available, we retained the existing sand, and then screened and bulked it up, by about 20 per cent, with local bunker sand. The high summer temperatures and drying winds make for extreme conditions for retaining turf cover, so drip line irrigation and overhead irrigation covers the perimeter of each bunker. Drained bunker bases and a 40-millimetre layer of asphalt line each bunker up to the perimeter edge. The MJ Abbott team did manage to get home for a Christmas break but had to move quickly in order to travel back to the south of France on 31 December 2020, ahead of the introduction of new travel restrictions that would have impacted the project. The team completed the works 12 weeks later and all returned to the UK in late March 2021. For more on MJ Abbott, turn to page 43 or visit www.mjabbott.co.uk Photo: Robert Trent Jones II
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