Budding PGA professionals studying golf at a leading Gloucestershire college are developing their putting skills on a tournament-quality synthetic green supplied and installed by Southwest Greens to Nicklaus Design specifications and standards.
The new all-weather green is the latest addition to Hartpury College’s golf academy and is being used by students working towards a BTEC National Diploma in Sport, specifically the Performance and Excellence in Golf module which involves two years’ full-time study at the college, which is located near Gloucester.
Many of the students will go on to further golf studies at universities or at the PGA’s National Training Academy.
Installed by Southwest Greens within the college’s dedicated short-game practice area, the 300 sq m putting and chipping green delivers all of the characteristics of a top quality championship golf green without the associated high levels of maintenance.
One aspect of the new green of particular importance to Hartpury College’s resident PGA-qualified coaches was the creation of subtle slopes, borrows and contours within the putting surface to produce a realistic and testing challenge for students.
Neil Jones, one of three PGA-qualified golf coaches/lecturers at the college, said that the exclusive partnership agreement signed recently between Southwest Greens and Nicklaus Design was an important factor in the decision to award the business to Southwest Greens.
“Our principal requirement was for a high quality putting surface able to mirror the conditions faced by golfers in competitive situations,” explained Neil. “Prior to placing the order, we discussed with Southwest Greens and Nicklaus Design the position, size and design of the green and were provided with scale drawings detailing the finished installation and its integral surface variations.
“The design incorporated all the features we wanted, including level areas, subtle contours and a gentle slope into which chip shots could be played from the fringe around the green. The designers also added extra width to the fringe at this point to provide sufficient space for extended off-green play.”
The end-result, says Neil, is a first-class putting surface that looks, feels and plays just like natural turf, yet without the maintenance demands. As a bonus, the run of the green remains consistent and true all-year-round, enabling student coaching and practice to continue in virtually all weathers.
“A golf degree programme will be introduced by the college in September and this will complement our existing diploma course and England Golf Partnership’s Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence scheme, for which Hartpury College is an official provider,” commented Neil. “Our aim is to be the number one golf college in the country and our new putting green represents a significant step towards achieving that goal.”
The exclusive collaborative partnership signed recently between Southwest Greens and Nicklaus Design encompasses the design and installation of synthetic golf greens ranging from residential projects of 50 sq metres to commercial putting and golf course greens measuring 300 sq metres and more.
To mark the partnership, a new Golden Bear premium synthetic turf has been launched exclusively by Southwest Greens, combining minimal maintenance with maximum performance. Every Nicklaus Design green installed outdoors or indoors by Southwest Greens will feature the famous Golden Bear logo within its fringe.
Southwest Greens www.southwestgreens.co.uk
Hartpury College www.hartpury.ac.uk