97 become more playable. The fairways are wider and more undulating in terms of playable spots, and there are options off the tee for players. So, the playing experience is a bit softer in terms of difficulty, which will satisfy most golfers that play here. “With the tweaks, the course looks better, but we’ve still retained the beauty and views that Saadiyat is known for. The course has character, and the changes have definitely elevated the playing experience for the majority.” In addition to the routing, irrigation (Toro’s Lynx Smart Satellite and Network VPe with FLEX sprinklers) and course changes, the club saw the opportunity to complete detail work and fine-tune some original features. Some bunkers on holes fifteen and eighteen were originally filled with the site’s red sand. “When Gary came to site during the original construction, he saw piles of red sand that we used to build the fairways and tees,” says Finn. “And it reminded him of Africa, and he said he wanted some bunkers made from the red sand to bring something unique to Saadiyat. “In this renovation, we’ve reinstated one of the red sand bunkers behind the eighteenth green. It’s not really in play, but it’s a visual aspect. And on the ‘Mousetrap’ tenth hole, there are the pot bunkers, and the story goes that Gary kept saying he wanted them deeper and deeper. Our work has reinstated those bunkers back to being deep pots.” On the back nine, Finn and his team have reduced Saadiyat’s turf footprint, so it is closer to its original footprint, and have reinstated some of the dune areas. “It’s a great project from a playability standpoint, plus in terms of sustainability and minimising water use,” he says. “We hydroseeded the dunes by hand with the original mix. “A key aspect was to make sure the changes and new holes match the style of the original holes. Our greens are Mini Verde bermuda and we’ve built the new ones to match the rest of the course. The same applies to the Mini Verde tees. Our fairways, surrounds and rough are Pure Dynasty paspalum, supplied by Atlas Turf International and Pure Seed.” Whitehead adds: “The fine-tuning details collectively make a big difference. Saadiyat is really underrated and a true beach-style golf course. This project has given us a chance to refine the course and relaunch an improved version of Saadiyat.” Photo: Saadiyat Beach Golf Club The renovation has allowed the club to reinstate dune areas, reduce its turf footprint and embrace its beachfront setting REPORT
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