33 TEE BOX First nine of new 27-hole Cape Verde project opens for play The first nine holes at Viveiro Golf Course have opened for play on the island of Sal, which is part of the Cape Verde archipelago. Italian agronomist Fulvio Bani is leading the project on the desert island that is located 350 miles off the west coast of Africa. The development includes 27 holes of golf along with a clubhouse, hotel, leisure facilities and residential areas. “The strong inf luence of the wind, which comes exclusively from the northeast and can sometimes reach up to 75mph, and the need to save water, led us to create grassy playing areas interrupted by coarse sand sections,” said Bani. “My design avoids penalising the average golfer. “We have used sand that is resistant to the force of wind – the few sand bunkers are small and deep to avoid their emptying by the wind. We also considered the wind’s presence for the placement of tees.” The island is almost absent of rainfall, experiencing around 350 days of sunshine a year. “The orography of the terrain, especially in the steep areas, required us to soften and shape fairways to optimise the visibility of landing areas and spots near greens,” said Bani. “As there are no trees on the site, we planted some tall, native trees to improve visibility of playing areas and to increase the perception distances, especially for doglegs and behind greens.” A computer-controlled Rain Bird irrigation system is installed, operating with integrated control (IC). It features more than 550 rotors, automatic mains filtration and high-density polyethylene pipe. Paspalum Vaginatum from the Pure Dynasty variety has been selected for all playing surfaces. Bani said: “High temperatures heavily inf luenced our choice as they needed to be resistant to the hot climate and to the lack of water.” Photo: Viveiro Golf Course
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