Golf Course Architecture - Issue 66, October 2021

TEE BOX 28 The green at the par-three third has been lowered and now has a “semi-punchbowl” feel to it, says Chambers “ The recent work has brought a unique part of the property to our hands” GCA spoke with Ben Chambers of Centreline Golf Design, who has overseen work on eight greens at St. Michael’s Golf Club, near Sydney, Australia What has been the aim of the project at St. Michael’s? The main focus has been the green complexes and surrounds. The greens were very old, full of poa annua and had very little root profile. The surrounds were kikuyu and were inconsistent from a playability standpoint. The brief given by the club was to rebuild the greens with a new and improved greens mix along with new contouring and couch (bermuda) grass surrounds to match the existing ‘Windsor Green’ fairways. What has been completed so far? We initially transformed the practice hole to demonstrate to the membership what could be done. We added a new bunker style that would suit the site and its surroundings and trialled Pure Distinction bentgrass on the THE INTERV I EW with Ben Chambers Photo: Centreline Golf Design