Real Club de Golf El Prat in Spain has introduced a new sustainability plan, which includes, among other things, the renovation of its acclaimed Yellow Course.
The highly rated Barcelona-based club took advantage of the quiet period caused by the pandemic to work on one of its two championship courses to make it more sustainable, as well as improve its playability.
Greg Norman, who designed El Prat’s Yellow and Pink courses, which first opened in 2004, was brought back to carry out the renovations. He said: “I want to thank the club very much for entrusting us to redoing the 45 holes a few years ago, we had a fantastic journey on that trip, relocating the golf courses, but the most important thing that we have come away from all this, is the sustainability and the playability of all 45 holes. I am proud of the fact that we delivered that to such a great club. “
Overall, 56 bunkers have been removed and 31 modified. The maintenance staff was able to complete the work ahead of schedule over the winter without interrupting members’ play and the course is now ready for the summer golf season.
The objective of the Sustainable Plan is to reduce the economic and environmental impact by eliminating some bunkers, modifying others and remodeling fringe areas. Other advantages of this project are the reduction of water consumption, energy and fuel for machineries, and nutrients or phytosanitary products to apply to the course. All of these procedures will produce a more environmentally friendly golf course.
Besides improving sustainability, the plan is to retain the original design as much as possible. That is why the removed bunkers were turned into rough areas. Around the greens and their sides, the rough areas have been increased to reduce run off.
New maintenance standards have been established for greens, fairways and rough, so that they are always in the best condition possible. From now on the greens will be aerated using a new machine that ensures surface quality and speed.
