t h e i r i s h a B r o a d

I distinctly remember having many verbal confrontations with my school buddies when they started to ‘slag’ me about

wanting to cut grass for the rest of my life. I knew that there was much more to the business than that, but I never knew how big a global industry, golf really is, and on many different facets it contains.

I was recruited for a Grow-In Superintendents role in the Czech Republic by Braemar Golf Developments, but somehow ended up as a Construction Foreman on The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain in June 2007. I am not sure how, or why, but I am very grateful it happened, because of the many eventful experiences and the massive learning curve I went through while I was there.

SiteThe Royal Golf Club was formerly Riffa Views Golf Club and it is the only public and commercial golf club on the Island of

Bahrain. The 18-hole facility required a total re-modeling and upgrade in order to provide a challenging and top quality course that would be a worthy and memorial addition to the European Tour. The expansion was up to an area of 36 hectares, which included The Montgomerie Championship Course, The Wee Monty 9-hole Par-3 course and turf nursery. An extra 2 hectares driving range and training facility was also constructed. The original Riffa Views course would remain open for the first year of the project and then be totally re-constructed and the area would become the major part of the new front 9-holes. The initial construction started in January 2007 on the extra acquired desert land that was adjacent to Riffa Views.

ConstructionOn arrival I was met by Martin Champion, who was the Project Manager. I was given a tour of the site and a quick introduction to some of the management and office staff.

My first impression of the site was a rugged, dusty and scarred landscape with many operational surface oil and gas pipes running across the site. This area was the untouched and the natural landscape of the island. Within the site there are some jagged and protruding features, which had to remain intact. Robin Hiseman, of European Golf Design implemented a routing plan and golf course design that incorporated these features and gave the course a natural feel and playability. It was a great joy watching and listening to Robin and Martin, two extremely experienced and motivated men, discussing the construction process, the attention to detail and necessary care to incorporate the features and to develop a true links look and feel. The challenge of creating an inland links is daunting wherever the site may be, but in the middle of a desert!! It quickly became apparent that achieving the designer’s vision was easier said than done.

As I look back over the last decade and the journey my career has taken, it does sometimes over-whelm me. Greenkeeping is a fantastic business, of that there is no doubt. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found this rewarding, challenging and consuming profession that I am in.

P a t r i c K r y a n

Construction at the Royal Golf Club Bahrain

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Three Shapers were recruited, Murat Badruk and Richard D’Elia for the D6 Dozers and Trevor Dormer for a 22 Ton excavator. Murat and Richard did all the main shaping of the entire site while Trevor focused mainly on the greens, tees and bunker complexes. With my role as the construction foreman and the time constraints that came with it, my finishing work was focused on the fairways and bunker complexes and I enjoyed this immensely. With a box blade and level bar behind a tractor I levelled and spun out the fairways to get an undulated and flowing surface that reflected the exceptional work and creations of the two shapers before me.

The cut and fill for the project was 500,000m3 with the majority of the cut coming from the three lakes that were to be built. All 320,000m2 of fairways were built with the fill and with some pushed up material from the edges. After the irrigation was installed, all the fairways were sand capped to a depth of 450mm with dredged sea-bed sand. The 1.9 hectares golf greens needed silica sand that was imported from Saudi Arabia in 1m3 bags, with a total of 5,500 m3 used for all the greens by the time it was finished. The bags were individually lifted by excavator and the sand was released from the bottom of the bag once it was in position. This process involved a substantial crew to dip, spread, rake and lift the bags. Zeo-pro was also incorporated in the top 100mm of the green’s surface to promote moisture and nutrient retention. 5,500 m2 of bunkers were also built.                              

GrassI was given the responsibility for the grow-in of the 3 hectare turf nursery of Seashore Paspalum Supreme. Paspalum Supreme was selected because it had all the required characteristics and strengths needed to meet the challenges of the site, regional climate and most importantly the water quality of the area. As the name suggests Seashore Paspalum has a high salinity tolerance, the most salt tolerant warm-season turfgrass (Carrow & Duncan, 1998). Paspalum is highly stoloniferious and an aggressive grower when conditions are suitable. The

grass has a nitrogen storage capacity and produces a good deep green and strong sward. To my surprise, Paspalum is prone to fungal attack, Brown Patch (Rhiztonia) in particular, during the winter months, while the plant is semi-dormant and at its weakest.

The nursery had been constructed prior to my arrival and had been sprigged three weeks previously. The nursery was vital to the project because the 3 hectares would be used to sprigg and grass the entire 36 hectares of turf that is now the Royal Club. The sprigging process would of course be done in stages but the incredible strength and recovery

1st Green getting ready for sprigging

Aerial view of the Royal Golf Club construction site

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attributes of this warm season grass would prove invaluable. I immediately set up a light and regular nutrient and irrigation program. This of course changed as the plant quickly developed and matured over time.

The grassing harvesting procedure was again labour intensive and time consuming. Our first harvesting procedure entailed a deep and aggressive scarifying, to rip and tear up the stolons, which were then raked to remove the sand. We watered the material and loaded it on to trailers for transport to the grassing area and it was then generously

spread out over the area. To incorporate the grass into the soil, it was driven over with a grooved roller which would slice up the sand surface and ensure great soil contact. The area was then slowly rolled and watered. The area was then handed over to the grow-in team managed by the grow-in manager, Mark Hooker. Mark, a kiwi, took control of the grow-in and gelled quickly with the team he brought with him a vast knowledge and experience of turf. After the construction completion he took the role of the Director of Agronomy at The Royal.

The first process worked well but the stolons were a on the small side and because of this the development of a full canopy of turf was a little slow. We adjusted the procedure slightly, so instead of scarifying, we sod cut the turf at a shallow depth to ensure that a good amount of the thatch and plant material was left behind, to enable re-generation and recovery. The cut sod was then power harrowed two to three times to break it up into small pieces. The remaining stages of the process remained the same. This slight adjustment resulted in getting a

stronger and more vigorous plant material for grassing. It also greatly increased the turf sward development times.

We used the same grass type and stolons when grassing the entire course. It is incredible to see how modern cultural and maintenance practices can alter a grass plant and refine its growth habit to produce excellent swards of different height, colour, texture and playability. An aggressive grooming, verti-cutting, aeration and top-dressing program is required to fine down the plant for a greens surface and to prevent

the green surface from becoming unsmooth and grainy.

DrainageThe drainage of the course became another facet of my role and I can totally understand people, thinking ‘Drainage and desert- WHY!!’ Of course all greens and tees had to be drained to enable flushing of the root-

zone. Flushing is vital to control and battle the accumulation of salts in the root-zone profile. Even Paspalum cannot withstand an extreme build up of salts.

Large catchment areas and sumps were built in the natural areas to drain the features and for any heavy rains and localized flooding, which does happen. During the week before the Volvo Golf Championship, the course got less than 40mm in a 24 hour period. When shaping a golf course, water movement is a vital consideration of the construction process and all turf areas have a fall built-in to move water to run off areas.

The greens and tees were not built to the USGA specifications but to Californian Method. Sand selection criteria are similar, with a high percolation rate, but a gravel

Grass Stolons

4th fairway construction

“The greens and tees were not built to the USGA specifications but to Californian Method. Sand selection criteria are similar, with a high percolation rate, but a gravel layer is not required.”

greenside magazine | September 201115

6th Green construction

layer is not required. The bases off the greens were compacted, rolled and shaped until the surface was firm, smooth and with no holes, dip or cracks. To achieve this, the sub-soil was ripped through by the dozer, to break and soften up the material. It was then shaped as closely as possible to the design. The top surface was then watered by tanker

Bunker face shaping

and rolled. A tractor and level bar, or in some cases a sand-pro with a small front blade, were used to really spin out the base layer in order to achieve the desired contours and flow to the greens. Being involved in this whole process was fantastic and it really got my creative juices flowing.

150mm and 300mm of Megaflo® drainage

pipes were used for the green and tee base drainage layer. The pipe is flat, wide, strong and with a geotextile coating. The pipe also has internal components that not only re-enforce the pipe but also give the pipe a large water holding and movement capacity. This product selection removed the need to dig any drain-lines or gravel usage and ensured

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that the integrity of the green surface was maintained.

The lay out and positioning of the pipe was vital to maximize water collection and the movement of moisture through the soil profile. My laser level was invaluable; once I marked the surface, we rolled out the pipe and then had to make all the connections. This was a slow process and required massive attention to detail. The solid pipe and geo-coating had to be cut with stanley knives and a joining curved out of both pipes to be connected. We insured the joint between the pipes had a connecting upper and lower lip and then used duck tape to make the connection solid. The geo-coating was then also duck taped to seal the joint.

StaffingGetting to know and working with all the staff on the project was the most rewarding and enjoyable part of my working day. The staffing numbers and staff structure was sizeable, layered and bulky to say the least. Martin Champion was the Project Manager. His instructions and directions went to the Assistant Project Manager, then on to an engineer, next stop was a Labour Foreman, then a Charge Hand and finally to the labour

force. This process was similar to a game of Chinese whispers and was not adequate for a golf course construction site, especially on our site because, excluding Martin, the shapers and myself, nobody had built, played or even really knew what golf was or what was required to meet the client’s expectations.

I quickly needed to change things on the ground, so with this in mind I had every labourer write his name on his safety vest and every morning I would personally shake their hand and greet them. This allowed me to quickly get to know them and build a rapport with them. The resulting bond and relationship stood to us all throughout the project when the pressure built up and

“I quickly needed to change things on the ground, so with this in mind I had every labourer write his name on his safety vest and every morning I would personally shake their hand and greet them. This allowed me to quickly get to know them and build a rapport with them.”

deadlines had to be met. We developed a team spirit in these early stages that stayed with us throughout and transcended to new crew members on their arrival as our numbers increased from thirty to one hundred and forty by the projects end. The staff numbers were huge but by Middle East project standards very normal if not on the smaller side.

I focused on the course construction and initially left all the civil construction to the engineers. The thirty men I first worked

with would become my core guys but, as you can guess, managing this number of men individually was not an option. As I got to know them, as for any group of men throughout the world, their individually qualities become apparent, like who had the best work ethic, who were the natural leaders, and (as we say) who had ‘cop-on’. Shiva, Shish Pal, Lokini, Niaz, Akbor and Kadusa were the six men I picked as leaders of three groups. For example in group 1 - Shiva was the leader, Shish Pal his right hand man and together they supervised and controlled up to fifteen men, depending on what task they were performing. Pairing two men together when leading a team resulted in a few things, namely they could support and back each other up and maintain control, discipline and productivity. Each of the groups were assigned many different tasks ranging from:

• Drainage• Grass Harvesting and spreading• Sand-Capping Fairways• Bunker Finishing• Green Building• Lake Lining• Tee Construction• Truck control and guidance

Their work was incredible. For example, Shiva’s group were assigned to the green and tee drainage, and after the first few complexes I was so confident in their work that all I did was mark where the drains had to be placed, what size of pipe to be used and pretty much left them to it. I would check in with Shiva 3-4 times a day and check the finished result; this enabled me to deal with many other things on site and this proved invaluable to me.

As my role expanded to include the lake lining, the stone facing of lake walls and

lighting, I increased the amount of groups. I always kept to this group set up and if ever facing the same staffing levels again I would repeat the same structure. It is the only way to ensure control, communication and productivity. I have the upmost respect and admiration for the men I worked with, we worked incredible long and hard hours, 80 hours a week on average, six days a week, Saturday through Thursday of 12-13 hours and then a half day on Friday. I spoiled myself and took every second Friday off. This is standard for the region and we did what we could to make life better for the men on site. We made sure that tea and biscuits were available and we gave them meals when night work was happening in the middle of the summer. I also taught some of the men to drive the tractors and the site vehicle. Without their dedication and resilience through incredible heat and dust storms, the project would have never reached completion.

LakesThe site contains three substantial lakes, as well as a dynamic stream system through holes 5-8 on the Montgomerie Course. The excavation of lakes 1+2 were one of the first operations to occur because they would

I have the upmost respect and admiration for the men I worked with

greenside magazine | September 201117

provide the majority of the required fill. The excavation process involved two 22 ton excavators and six haulage trucks to move and dump material, and then a D6 dozer came in to give the base a soft, bowl shape. The bases had to be then leveled, watered and rolled before the lining process could begin. The most important and necessary part of the process was the anchoring of the ledge and trench. The ledge was 1.5m below the water level and the trench was well above the water level and ran the entire circumference of the lakes. Once the liner was down the trench was back filled and tied into the adjacent holes.

The positioning of the liner was again very labour intensive. A protective geo-textile layer was first placed down by hoisting up the large roll of material with straps and steel bars, then, between eight to ten men would run the material down the ledge. For the 70,000 m2 of extremely thick and heavy rubber liner, the process was the same. The idea was to use gravity and roll the liners down the entire lake edge and get it to meet at the mid-point of the base. The rubber was then welded together to make it water tight. The liner was placed down generously to allow for the material’s movement. I was surprised to learn that even when the liner was covered with water it can still heat and cool enough throughout a 24 hour period to allow substantial shrinking and expansion.

Where a tee or green was near the lake edges, a retaining wall had to be put in place. The wall consisted of strong, re-enforced concrete slabs with tapered edges, so we could place them to the required angles. The retaining walls were all later stone faced as well as the lake edges. Every rock was placed on the liner by hand to ensure the liners integrity.

Return for the TournamentThe Royal Club officially opened to members for play on 1st Feb 2009 and as we know, hosted the Volvo Championship on 27th-

“Our professional high standards of course maintenance, course presentation, turf knowledge and tournament preparation levels have made the Irish greenkeeper a respected and valued commodity on the International jobs market.”

30th Jan 2011 with Paul Casey posting a 20 under winning score. The course has developed quickly into a fantastic, mature and natural looking course and in just over three years from the construction start, it is now on the European Tour Circuit.

The importance of the grow-in superintendent’s role should never be under estimated and it really deserves a mention. Mark Hooker did a tremendous job and overcame some real difficulties namely water supply, water quality, and the harsh climatic conditions. I congratulate him on his success and thank him for inviting me back out to Bahrain for the week before the Volvo Championship, to help him and his committed crew with the pre-tournament preparation.

Seeing the finished product was emotional and satisfying. I am so very proud of having been part of the motivated, committed and genuine group of people that gave so much to

make The Royal what it is. Everyone’s hard work has really paid off.

ConclusionWe all know that Ireland went through a massive boom and financial growth throughout the 1990’s and the mid 2000’s. The golf course construction boom and industrial development has been beneficial to us all, mainly because so many of us were exposed to re-development, golf course construction, golf course grow-ins and business start ups. Ireland has hosted an array of magnificent world golf tournaments and this has resulted in greatly raising the Irish Golf Superintendent’s profile throughout the world. Our professional high standards of course maintenance, course presentation, turf knowledge and tournament preparation levels have made the Irish green-keeper a respected and valued commodity on the International jobs market.

3rd fairway

13th fairway