Champagne Sports Resort

Situated in the tranquillity of the Central Drakensberg, boasting the most spectacular view of Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak, lies Champagne Sports Resort. This cosy hideaway’s unique combination of convenient location, country club atmosphere, luxury accommodation and friendly staff makes packing your bags to leave this eternal place a challenge.
Champagne Sports Resort is more than a hotel in the mountains, it is an experience. From the 18-hole championship golf course to the roaming herds of Blesbok and the rare birdlife that inhabit the estate, there is something for everyone to enjoy. And, with five dams stocked with bass or trout, as well as outstanding sporting facilities and cultural activities, this enduring resort provides a balance between recreation for sports enthusiasts and tranquillity for those seeking relaxation.
Only a four-and-a-half hours drive from Johannesburg and 2-hours from Durban, the resort is ideally situated for both relaxing leisure weekends and for corporate conferences.

Golf
Put your skills to the test on our 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Hugh Baiocchi to provide an exciting challenge whatever your handicap.
The clubhouse is easily accessible from the resort and you have access to caddies, motorized golf carts, a well-stocked Pro-Shop, as well as lessons from our Resident Professional Golfer.
The clubhouse is also equipped with both ladies and gentleman’s locker room and a bar, and light meals are served in the golf lounge and on the magnificent veranda which overlooks the golf course and the mountains beyond.

A Golf Hole with a view.

Southbroom Golf Club on the South Coast of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa has a very unique fourth hole. The tee off area is located on the very edge of the breaking sea. Many a golfer will take an old ball and send it flying deep into the sea. The breakers strike the base of the tee box at high tide and the view looking north in the morning is stunning.

The south view of the hole gives a deceiving view of a short hole, if the wind is against you an extra 40 metres can be added to the distance.

  If you are ever in the area, take on this Golf Course and hope the day you choose, the wind is not too strong.

Are Keepers of the Green given the recognition they deserve?

As the preparers of the turf that the Golfers enjoy given the recognition they deserve? In some cases yes, in others, the egotistical members of the committees consider themselves experts in fields beyond their comprehension. Today the expectations of committees, and golfers is for a perfect course at all times. The nuances of nature, the construction of old courses and the changes of the seasons do not allow this to be possible.

Are Green Keepers expected to control the weather, the diseases and the expectations of nature, with the controls of budgets being cut by committees more bent on self grandeur than sensibility? The expenditure being made on improvements to bars and buildings, while the course expected to maintain itself on reduced budgets to finance these improvements.

A golf Course income depends on rounds, the demands of golfers, as well as the competition between courses has reduced the players that can afford to play. What now do committees expect to gain by reducing staff, reducing expenditure, cutting budgets and the like, whilst still expecting the course to remain in pristine condition. Do they fully understand what is required to keep the course looking its best, or is the “Keep” expected to wave his magic wand and all will be good.

The future lies in the correct analysis of course expenditure, what do we spend our money on, and where is it actually spent. What do the differing diseases cost, not as a chemical cost but an actual cost. Are bunkers seldom hit worth having as hazards? Their costing could be higher than if they were converted to a grass bunker and cut as rough.

The future lies in the hands of committees, their insight into actual costs. They can tell you what a coke costs but can they tell you what a green cost?

These are the controllers of the “pennies” let their future be more realistically aided in analysis and may they listen more closely to their employees when they explain the problems faced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How I Entered the Profession.

Many years ago I was introduced to “Green Keeping” by an experienced “old school” type, who practised his magic on grass greens, the type of which would be any ones guess, yet they were the most fantastic, superb putting surface, one could wish for. I trained under his supervision for three odd years learning to do things his way. The science behind the practises we followed, never came into the picture. “Spring treatment” was done on the first day of September, come hell or high water, soil temperatures, not an issue, so long as the sand for top dressing ran through your fingers and yet was not too fine. The 2:3:2 fertiliser needed to be on hand. Watering was by hand, and the quantity? When it looked enough! The cutting process started when it finally broke through the sand, and had sufficient healthy growth. You kept adding nitrogen until the green looked good, lowered the cutting height when it felt right! Kept an eye out for the dreaded “dollar spot” and algae, and insured the necessary curative chemicals were on hand. This was my introduction to keeping the green. Soil condition, black layering, verti cutting, and soil testing never came into the equation, additions of fertilisers and which combinations to use, were done by feel. “The green tells me what it needs, and that is what I give it”, this was a standard answer to my inquires. Later we became more modernised, and started the practice of verti cutting, and sometimes even dusting. But no matter what we did the greens remained superb. I started on my own to study more, and read all I could get my hands on, whenever a person appeared to know something about golf greens, they became a target for me to harass, not letting up until they had divulged all their know-how. (Knowledge is gained from looking, listening and asking questions)

Course Superintendent/Green Keeper/Specialised Gardener

What is the consideration or importance given to a title, are all of the above not referring to the same person employed by a Golf Course to prepare the best possible surface for Golfers to play on?

Course Superintendent, sounds more impressive than a Green Keeper, but after all, a Green Keeper is merely a Gardener with a very specialised knowledge.

Following on to this blog site will be articles on Green Keeping, hopefully generating discussion between like employees for the betterment of the industry.

Read this article: South African golf course and the disregard of the statutes