85 “From the outset we embraced a respect-for-nature philosophy with the client. Nature told us where to place each element – we just had to listen. The terrain shaped the routing plan organically, with two loops of nine holes returning to an elevated clubhouse. Each hole is designed to offer a rich sensory and visual experience, and the layout can be adapted in future to meet the demands of professional tournaments. We wanted a course that punishes poor shots but rewards good ones, that challenges experienced golfers yet is accessible to newcomers. “One highlight is the fifteenth hole, a par five with a 25-metre drop from the tee, flanked by a nature reserve on one side and a manmade lake on the other. Golfers will need nerves of steel.” Given Dalaman’s sandy soils and its hot, dry and windy coastal microclimate, irrigation planning was critical. Giles Wardle of lrriplan designed and specified the irrigation system and has worked with IDG to align the course routing with efficient water use. Wardle and Craven collaborated to fine-tune grassing lines, adjust tee positions to fit the rotor spacing, tweak teeing surfaces and check distances from cart paths to ensure that irrigation coverage was optimised and uniform. The course’s water supply will come from a lake fed by a river outfall, ensuring a reliable and sustainable source. To manage this efficiently, a Rain Bird IC System has been installed, designed with the region’s warming climate in mind so it can support the course for decades to come. Rain Bird’s CirrusPRO Central Control and 1,382 sprinklers provide precise and uniform coverage across the site. Golf Med, Rain Bird’s distributor in Turkey, and its sister company Golf Tek, oversaw construction, while the client contributed professional surveying, drone mapping and engineering services to fine-tune the installation. Holes have been routed around pine forests, mountains, sand dunes, lakes and marshland “ Nature told us where to place each element – we just had to listen” Photo: International Design Group
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=