Glyfada Glyfada Golf Club Glyfada, Greece

Case Description:

Glyfada is a seaside resort community located on the Attica Peninsula of Greece just 20 minutes from the center of Athens. To the west are the beautiful sandy beaches along the Gulf of Saronikos. To the north are the rolling shoulders of Mount Hymettus. The name "Glyfada" was chosen because of the presence of salty water wells throughout the area. The golf course, also named Glyfada, was designed and constructed in 1962 by Donald Harradine and remodeled in 1979 by the American golf architect Robert Trent Jones. It is a Par-72, 18-hole municipal golf course laid out on terrain studded with more than 1500 pine trees. It is one of only five golf courses currently within the Country of Greece.

The golf course was constructed on a thin mantle of soil situated on top of bedrock; soil depth ranges from very shallow to 60 cm. Drainage is generally poor. Irrigation water is provided by 5 drilling wells, with depths varying from 97 to 160 m. All well water is mixed in a 1000-m3 concrete tank, which serves as the source of water for irrigation.

Greens were planted into a root zone of medium sand varying in thickness from 15 to 25 cm. Below the root zone sand from top to bottom are: 15 cm of coarse sand, 15 cm of gravel, and 25 cm of coarse gravel. While established with Penncross creeping bentgrass, some kikuyugrass has invaded, requiring periodic removal. Greens are mowed daily during the summer and three times per week in winter at 5.5 mm. Irrigation is daily whenever the temperature exceeds 20 degrees C; below this temperature, irrigation is performed one to two times per week. Fertilization is performed every 45 to 50 days with Greensmaster 7-12-12 with a portion of the nitrogen in slowly soluble (UF) form. Topdressing with medium sand is performed every 2 to 3 months at 3 mm.

Fairways are composed primarily of kikuyugrass; because of severe thatch development, the fairways are highly susceptable to scalping from mowing. Also, poor drainage and non-uniform irrigation coverage contribute to the generally low quality of the fairways.

While the greens at Glyfada have generally acceptable quality, the fairways do not, especially during the summer months. The superintendent is looking for guidance on how the fairways can be improved.

Study Materials:

• Irrigation Water Quality
• Calculating SARw
• Sodium/Salinity Harzard Chart
• Salt-Affected Soils
• Turfgrass Salinity Tolerance

Assignments:

One group will be assigned the responsibility for making a presentation containing the following elements:

A brief synopsis of the case description
A detailed analysis of the facts presented in the case description
A list of the issues emerging from the analysis
A broadly stated strategy for addressing the issues
A detailed action plan for implementing this strategy
This group should also prepare a report using the format that follows and submit hard copies along with appropriate attachments to on the date shown in the course schedule.

Download Format for Preparing Your Case Report