Course maintenance with 1 550 sprinklers
Bro Hof is much more environmentally-friendly than an “old-fashioned” type of course. By paying close attention to quality at every stage it was possible to do the right thing from the beginning – to make sure that the course is easier to maintain, doesn’t need spraying with weedkiller and requires less fertiliser.
Moisture sensors on the greens and a fully-computerised sprinkler system with 1 550 sprinklers, covering the entire course, make it easy to keep the course in top condition.
To get the course in absolute peak condition, Bro Hof has a very merited Course & Property Manager, Barry B. Britton, who – along with the greenkeeper, Jonas Lindgren, and 30-50 golf course workers – will be responsible for the two courses. There will be a lot of hand mowing. Thankfully the water is so good that it doesn’t require extra oxygenation. Nor are fertiliser inspections necessary.
So that the right equipment is available there is a well-equipped machine hall in the old barn, with a value of over SEK 15 million, including 40 different lawn mowers.
Maintenance may not disrupt the players
It is a challenge to maintain a course where the greens must always be smooth, the fairways in top condition and the whole course must look as it would on television. At the same time, maintenance may not disrupt the players.
This means that mowing must start at 6 a.m. at the first hole and move onwards in order to create the least possible problems. Thanks to the large machine park some jobs can be done more quickly. For example, hole-cutting all the greens takes six hours, instead of about two days as it would on an ordinary course.
There isn’t yet an exact maintenance plan; it will gradually develop as it becomes apparent how the members and guests use the course. However, one thing is certain:
“The course must always be in top condition and that needs the right person for the job. At the same time, we also have to look after the members and guests in the best possible way, whatever the situation. That’s a real challenge,” says greenkeeper Jonas LIndgren.
Mowing must start at 6 a.m. at the first hole and move onwards in order to create the least possible problems.