The course of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande has been completely renovated in the last three years. It could be said, and this is corroborated by its greenkeeper Patrick Allende, that this mythical course, the first to be designed in Europe by the great American architect Robert Trent Jones, is in the best moment of its history.
The field,” says Patrick Allende, “after more than fifty years, had some major structural problems: very poor drainage, loss of the original bermudagrass, etc. This was the first field to be seeded with 419 bermudagrass and after those five decades it had become contaminated with all kinds of weeds that had virtually wiped out the original turf.”
“At the beginning, we were considering a reform project, mainly agronomic, to change the type of grass, but one of the causes for the loss of the bermudagrass was the lack of drainage, and that had to be solved as well. On the other hand, since it was necessary to raise the entire field, there was a unique opportunity to improve other aspects. We hired Roger Rulewich, one of Robert Trent Jones’ favorite disciples, with whom he worked for 35 years, and his partner David Fleury, because we thought they could best embody the spirit and the idea of the designer”.
Original plans
“We found the original construction plans from 1966 and when we compared them with those of 2014, superimposing them, we saw that the greens had lost a lot of surface area, in some cases reaching 40 percent of the original, so we understood that it was time to recover not only the dimensions, but also the shapes and contours they had when they were built. In this way, an ambitious comprehensive reform of the course was finally addressed, but always with an approach of restoration, to recover as far as possible the jewel created by Robert Trent Jones.”
-The reforms were made in two phases, during 2015 and 2016; and now the field, after more than a year of having finished the works, is in excellent conditions….
-That’s right, the field needs a little time after the works, we are starting to see the result and we hope that in spring it will be in perfect conditions.
-Could it be said that the field is in the best moment of its history?
-I’m sure it is. The course has gained a lot of quality because we have added 75,000 tons of silica sand in fairways, tees, rough, etc. This means adding 20 centimeters of sand of the highest quality. In addition, 43 kilometers of drainage have been built, which allows us to have a very firm course, with a certified 419 bermudagrass. The greens have been built following USGA specifications, with the highest construction standards and with an air extraction system through the drains that we did not have before and which is a pioneer in Spain. Undoubtedly, the field is much better than before.
-After the “great work”, completed in 2016, you have not stopped, you have undertaken other…
-Last year we rebuilt the putting green on the first tee so that it had the same playing conditions as the rest of the greens on the course; and the entire short game area, which now consists of six bunkers, a putting green and two chipping greens, was completely rebuilt with a new design. It is an area of 8,000 m2 that has looked spectacular and was completed in August 2017.
-Now you have completely lifted the short field….
-Yes, the entire short course and the driving range as well, which is the last phase of the major renovation and restoration project at R.C. de Golf Sotogrande. We are going to totally restore the short course following the same quality philosophy as the long course, with the help of Rulewich and Fleury. As was the case on the course, the greens had lost a lot of surface area and we are restoring them to their former shape and improving the course as much as possible.
Finally, the driving range is going to be completely rebuilt and we are going to add a short play area for children at the back, so they will have a great facility for learning and training. We plan to finish the work in July.
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