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S
ometimes the best things really
do
come to those who wait.
Golf Club de Genève was
established in 1921, and in 1972
commissioned Robert Trent Jones, Sr.,
one of ASGCA’s founding members, to
design its existing course on 100 acres
of the Bessinge estate. Overlooking
the city of Geneva and its famous lake,
golfers on this impressive parkland
course also enjoy Mont Blanc and the
Alps as a backdrop.
In 1982 the club hosted the
Women’s World Amateur Team
Championship and since 1991 it has
been the venue of The Rolex Trophy
on the European Challenge Tour.
Wanting to provide firm,
dry playing conditions for its
membership, while protecting the
integrity of the original design, in
2015 the club commenced a full
18-hole renovation. The design effort
was led by architects Bruce Charlton,
ASGCA, and Mike Gorman from the
firm of Robert Trent Jones II, ASGCA.
In addition to a major investment in
irrigation and drainage throughout the
course, a key aspect of the renovation
was to enhance the rootzone mix
to improve the performance and
playability of green surfaces.
The first phase of the renovation,
which was completed in 2015,
included the harvesting of sod from
existing greens. This process began
last September, and was followed by
the installation of a new rootzone
blend of sand and Profile Porous
Ceramics. The harvested sod was
retained and re-laid over the new
surface to begin the growing process.
The mix was specifically chosen
after sand samples were sent from
two different quarries and tested
at a USGA lab. Recommendations
were made to include Profile
Porous Ceramics – Greens Grade,
manufactured by Profile Products, in
both the greens and tee mix.
This design would provide an
optimum long-term balance of
air- and water-holding pore space,
improved nutrient retention, and
better stability.
Profile Products assisted with
rootzone testing to ensure the correct
sand was chosen. Although the
project was located in Switzerland,
the rootzone mix came from just
across the border in France.
Gavin Kelly, the European Sales
Manager for Profile Products, visited
the quarry to assist with the blending
and mixing of sand and the Profile
Porous Ceramics.
“It was important that the right
sand was selected for the project,
and that we tested the physical
characteristics of the mix,” noted
Kelly. “We first tested the sand on
its own, and then tested the sand
blended with the Profile Ceramics to
ensure that we had favorable levels
of infiltration, water-holding, and air
in the mix.”
In total, 550 tons of Profile Porous
Ceramics will have been blended
Golf Club De Genève
|
Jeff Langner
Getting the
right mix
CASE STUDY
20
|
By Design
Jeff Langner of Profile Products
explains more about the selection of a
new rootzone mix for the renovation of
Golf Club de Genève in Switzerland