Project summary
World class short game teaching school at top venue
In summer 2014 MJ Abbott Limited constructed a purpose-built short game teaching school designed and overseen by Spanish seniors professional and two-time Ryder Cup player, Manuel Piñero.
The teaching school is a dedicated area for short game play and shots up to 80 metres in length. The site covers an area of 10,000m² in a natural clearing in an area of pine forest beside the existing tournament practice ground.
Two large greens have been constructed totalling 1,800m² of playing surface, 4 no. bunkers and shaped surrounds with playing areas extending into the pine forest for varying shot lengths. The whole site has been constructed in natural turf with greens built following USGA guidelines and cores collected from the existing courses to establish the playing surfaces.
Drainage has been installed to the green surrounds, with 13 no. purpose-made gully pots installed to all low-lying hollows and outfalling to 2 no. large modular system soakaways. An extensive head-to-head irrigation system has been designed and installed to the surrounds, with a total of 14 no. control valves to effectively water the intricate grass areas.
The full scope of works carried out by MJ Abbott comprised:
- Root clearance
- Topsoil strip and screening
- Cut and fill earthworks
- Final shaping of 2 no. large greens, 4 no. bunkers and surrounds
- Drainage to all areas
- Irrigation to all areas
- Gravel raft to green surfaces
- Rootzone to green surfaces
- Topsoil respread to all surrounds
- Cultivation and seeding of all green and bunker surrounds
- Spreading, dressing and seeding all green surfaces.
Growing-in maintenance was carried out by the Club and the facility was ready for first use in Summer 2015.
