De Simone completes second nine at Viveiro in Cape Verde

Golf course architect Pierfrancesco De Simone has completed the second nine at Viveiro Golf & Country Club, on the island on Sal in Cape Verde. 

The project commenced in 2022 and extends the course to 18 holes, with the first nine, overseen by agronomist Fulvio Bani, opening in 2022. 

Rocky ground conditions drove De Simone’s decision to build on top of existing levels, with finer material ffrom a local quarry. 

With the island receiving very little rainfall and experiencing strong seasonal winds, irrigation was a key element of the project. The club worked with Italian Rain Bird dealer Scarabelli Irrigazione and installation was completed by a local crew. Water used on the golf course is recycled from nearby holiday resorts, via a treatment plant. 

The new nine begins at the clubhouse, with the opening holes heading northwest towards the bay of Algodoeiro. Its style is typical of a desert course, with fairways and greens bordered by waste areas, palm trees and other desert vegetation from the Viveiro nursery. 

Highlights include the downhill par-four twelfth, with its Atlantic Ocean backdrop and a green alongside the beach, and the long double dogleg par-five seventeenth. 

There are three sets of tees on each hole to make the course enjoyable for players of all abilities. The new nine can play to over 3,500 yards and the full 18 can extend to 6,600 yards. 

Amber HickmanAmber Hickman

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