While native areas on golf courses can help properties save costs and decrease their environmental footprints, that is no call for superintendents to get complacent. The areas require patience and TLC to take root—and once established, they are still not maintenance-free.
South Carolina, Florida and California Golf Courses Renovate Layouts
Atlantic Dunes at The Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, S.C., opened on October 3 following a reconstruction; The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Naples, Fla., will complete a $9 million renovation of its championship golf course in November; and Los Robles Greens Golf Course in Thousand Oaks, Calif., was formally unveiled last week as an environmentally and economically sustainable facility, after a renovation was completed in April.
Los Robles Greens GC Works on “Aggressive” Turf-Reduction Project
The Thousand Oaks, Calif., property is putting the finishing touches on the project, which is designed to reduce annual water usage by 25%, taking out 30 acres of turf and replacing it with drought-resistant native plants and mulch, and installing a new irrigation system.
Los Robles Greens GC Opens Outdoor Event Facility
The city-owned golf course in Thousand Oaks, Calif., held a low-key ribbon-cutting for the Tuscan-style space named The Gardens on November 7. The Gardens includes an amphitheater with a stage, seating area for more than 250, large lawn area for tents or open-air dining, a bar and patio for tables or dancing.