Normally this work is carried out during the summer months; however, with the closure of our courses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to take advantage of the time when our courses are not being used to accomplish this necessary maintenance.

The fairways and roughs on all golf courses suffer from soil compaction, and at Atalaya we are especially burdened by the problem as a result of the fine-textured, clayed soils that underlay our courses. Atalaya’s issue is further provoked by the heavily concentrated traffic patterns and extensive use of golf buggies experienced by our courses.

When soil is compacted the level of water percolation and infiltration into the soil is decreased and water loss by runoff is increased. Root systems become restricted because of a lack of aeration, and the health, vigour and density of the turfgrass declines. The combination of all of these factors causes a decrease in the quality of the playing surface.

Once a soil compaction problem is diagnosed, turf cultivation is required to alleviate it. The process involves coring, the use of solid tines, and, occasionally, slicing.

At Atalaya we initiate the process by using our mechanically powered, vertical-action coring machine to create deep-action, solid punching tines. This machine produces a relatively high density of hole openings while progressing at a reasonable forward speed.

No soil is removed with these solid tines, and the work is best accomplished during periods when the soil is moist, yet not water saturated. With the damp spring we are experiencing, our current weather conditions are proving optimal for executing this work.

The solid tines that we use are 25 mm in diameter and 200 mm in length. They are pushed deeply into our fairways and roughs, allowing the opening of holes in soil layers and dense, clay-ridden soil to depths which cannot be achieved with other coring, slicing and spiking devices.

Special attention is, of course, given to all of the areas of the fairways and roughs where golf buggy traffic is more highly concentrated.

The project is another illustration of Atalaya’s continual committent to maintaining its two championship golf courses in the best possible condition during the pandemic.

La entrada Atalaya Cultivates Fairways And Roughs se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

A great deal of planning has gone into incorporating the buggy path into the design of the tee box. An important consideration has been to accurately project the volume of traffic that the area receives. These factors are vital to the attainment of an efficient and functional facility area – one that is uncomplicated in design and offers a distinct flow pattern from the green of Hole N°9 to the tee box of Hole N°10.

The new area will provide adequate space for trolley and buggy circulation and parking while golfers access the tee box on Hole N°10, as well as the restrooms located nearby. Space for the erection of temporary tents and comfort stations during larger tournaments is also being created.

These changes are critical in helping to eliminate the bottleneck that golfers often experience when making the turn between the ninth and tenth holes, especially during larger competitions.

The project’s first step was to level to the appropriate surface grade for proper drainage and install subsurface drain outlets to ensure that the area never stays damp, even after heavy rain. Additionally, the old cart path has been integrated into the new paving scheme, and new concrete has been poured as a base.

As the project continues the entire area will be dressed with colourful, paving stones exactly like those that have previously been installed on the walkways/cart paths located near the clubhouse, kiosk and Tee N°1. Our brick layers Luis and Ezequiel will spend approximately three weeks of hand labour carrying out this work. Their task is intricate and demanding.

As a final touch the entire area will be enhanced with flowerbeds strategically placed to embellish the natural beauty of the course.

This project is just one example of many that demonstrates Atalaya’s continual committent to providing the best golfing experience possible on the Costa del Sol.

La entrada Tee N°10 Old Course staging area renovation se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Surprisingly, soil compaction is more of a problem on tees than it is on putting greens. The primary reason is that on tees fewer root zones have been modified to prevent the compaction. Another factor is that many tees are too small for the intensity of play they receive which accentuates soil compaction problems even more.

Tee box size is particularly important on par-3 holes where many deep divots are formed during play and the tee boxes are not large enough to allow adequate rotations of the tee locations. Such rotations facilitate regrowth of the grass before the tee zone is needed to be used again.

Coring and spiking are the main turf cultivation approaches that we use for the tees. We routinely employ these processes twice a year, once during the summer and again in the autumn. This year we are taking advantage of the time when our courses are closed to core and spike, carrying out this work now, since we have already completed the hollow tining of our greens.

The same high quality, silica sand that we used on the greens is being applied as a topdressing and for levelling the tee surfaces. Topdressing of divot damage improves the turf recovery rate and smooths the surface area to allow a level stance for the player. The quantity of topdressing used on tee boxes is in general higher than the quantity typically used on putting greens.

Because the creation of large divot damage areas is commonplace on tees, weed problems also increase. First, divot craters provide ideal sites for the invasion of weeds – blue grass, crabgrass, grama catalana and the like – as these weeds require sunlight for seed germination. Second, extensive deep divot damage on par-3 tees may also disrupt a protective surface zone of pre-emergence herbicide, which also increases the potential for weed development. To solve these problems, we at Atalaya employ the effective and proper agricultural practices to enhance turf recovery in the areas that suffer from this damage. These best practices go a long way in reducing potential maintenance problems.

When play resumes, we encourage all members and guests to participate in a divot damage and repair programme by restoring divots with replacement sand. This sand is available in containers conveniently located near the tee markers. Simply use the small shovel provided to fill and level the divots with the material provided. This important campaign will go a long way to positively maintain our tee boxes.

La entrada Spiking and Topdressing of Old Course Tees se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

An important upgrade is the replacement of the ceiling in the employees’ dining room. A new, removable ceiling has been installed. The new ceiling is easily replaceable, facilitating future changes and updates. Should the eventual addition or replacement of water pipes or lights be required, workmen will be able to pop out the portion of the ceiling providing access to the areas where repairs are required. No longer will it be necessary to demolish the ceiling.

In addition to the updated ceiling, the employees’ dining room now touts a sparkling new sink, as well as a new fridge, toaster and microwave!

To top off everything new flooring has been installed not only in the dining room but also in all personnel areas.

Certainly, these improvements will bring many smiles to the faces of Atalaya’s most capable and valued staff members when they return to work in the not too distant future.

La entrada Atalaya improves facilities for employees se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

A hidden problem in maintaining high functionality of our irrigation system is the expansion and contraction of its pipes. Usually, such expansion and contraction happens in the longer sections of the pipelines. When pipes expand and contract, leakage or sometimes even the complete failure of the system results. In tandem, course damage and water wastage are caused. Since failures usually occur at the system’s joints, Atalaya’s maintenance crews, as a precautionary measure, are in the process of replacing old joints with modern, moveable ones that expand and contract. These new joints will help to eliminate the problem altogether.

The system’s sprinkler heads are another problem area that require regular upkeep. (We have 2,146 sprinkler units between the Old and New Course.) To make our courses more playable and provide for drainage after rains, Atalaya uses large quantities of sand for topdressing all fairways, greens, tees and roughs. This topdressing coupled with the natural movement of clay within the soil causes the sprinkler heads to become recessed deeply into the ground. When sprinkler heads are beneath the surface, their functionality is impaired. To alleviate this problem, Atalaya’s grounds’ staff steps in and raises them back to their optimal operating height to yield proper performance.

Our irrigation system is essential to the sustainability of both of our courses, and we are proactively developing solutions to maintain the system with minimal staff while our courses are closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new reforms not only allow maintenance work to be carried out more easily but also insure that our facilities are better sustained.

La entrada Irrigation Infrastructure Updates se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Bunkers are integral to both golf strategy and aesthetics, and maintaining them is high on Atalaya’s checklist of regular course care. Director General Andreś Sánchez points out that during this “low maintenance situation with no play” keeping the edges of our bunkers well-defined is challenging. The fact is that bermuda grass regularly sends lateral stem growth from a bunker’s lip into the bunker itself. Under normal conditions this growth is periodically trimmed. However, carrying out this hands-on maintenance is time-consuming and, thereby, expensive. As an alternative during the current “no play” period, Atalaya is using a selective herbicide to prevent this growth. When the lockdown is lifted and play is resumed, bunker maintenance will return in a seamless fashion to normal maintenance.

Bunker washouts are also a problem, especially during this rainy month of April. When washouts occur repeatedly, bunker sand sometimes becomes contaminated. If so, replacement is necessary in part or in its entirety. Atalaya’s maintenance personnel regularly monitor and stay abreast of this issue. The goal is for our bunkers to be properly playable when our courses reopen and normal play resumes.

La entrada Bunker Maintenance During the COVID-19 Lockdown se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Many thanks to the health authorities of Benahavís for providing our club with the necessary products to carry out this important work.

La entrada Atalaya Sanitises its Facilities se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

To date, the hot and cold water pipes in both the men’s and the ladies’ locker rooms have been replaced. After more than 50 years of usage and experiencing chronic leaks, this work was more than overdue.

The plaster ceilings in these areas have also been refurbished, and high-quality, demountable ceilings have been installed.

These upgrades not only allow maintenance work to be carried out more easily but also insure that our facilities are better sustained.

Many thanks to Fontaplus SL, owned by one of our partners, for the great work!

La entrada Locker Room Pumbing Renovation and Ceiling Replacement se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Recently, service access to maintenance equipment has been improved by the expansion of the Maintenance building, located between the Old Course “first-hole-green” and the Old Course “ninth-hole-tee-box”.

The new addition was constructed “in-house” by Atalaya’s greenkeepers. Although additions to maintenance structures are not necessarily considered glamorous, the expansion has freed up considerable staff time, as equipment no longer has to be moved in and out of the building for access or storage. The result is more time for the greenkeepers to do the actual work necessary for both courses to remain in superior condition.

Additionally, Atalaya’s management recently approved the rebuilding of the greens on the Old Course. It has been fifty years since the original greens were built. Over this time these original greens have experienced much wear and tear and many advances have been made in the science of green construction. Today modern technology allows greens to last much longer with less upkeep than was the case five decades ago.

The time is now at hand to reconstruct the greens to modern standards and playability. The reconstruction project will evolve over the coming years, with the greens in most need of attention being replaced first. Atalaya’s very knowledgable “in-house” greenkeeping staff will carry out all of the work, allowing Atalaya’s management team the ability to obtain the superb quality control necessary to maintain Atalaya’s reputation as “The Courses To Play”.

Work on Green 13 has already been completed. This green was plagued with inadequate drainage and invasion by a plethora of nasty, wild grasses so aggressive that they could not be controlled, even through the use of industrial, chemical treatments.

The “Green 13” project is proving to be an ambitious and exciting event, striving to maintain the character of the original von Limburger design and at the same time incorporating modern golf concepts to increase playability and challenges. With proper drainage and modern foundations, the new green will feature smooth and true surfaces on two tiers and the addition of more thought-provoking pin positions.

The prediction is for new Green 13 to be ready to play by mid-August, of course, dependent upon the weather and growth of the new surface. Until its inauguration the temporary green will remain in play for all of Atalaya’s golfers.

During your next round at Atalaya, take a moment or two to peek at the the expanded maintenance facility and the “all new” Green 13. You may, also, SEE BELOW some recent photos.

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La entrada Recent Improvements at Atalaya se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

To allow Atalaya’s grounds’ staff to do their job to the very best of their ability, the Old Course is currently closed for annual maintenance. The two-week closure is from Monday, the 27th of May – Sunday, the 9th of June, with reopening on Monday, the 10th of June.

One of the important tasks that the grounds crew will carry out while the Old Course is closed is hollow tining, often called “aeration of the greens”. This proven technique is recognised as essential to proper golf course maintenance.

Every day the greens on all golf courses suffer stress. They are continually walked over, regularly mowed using heavy machinery and habitually compressed as a result of golf balls hitting and crossing over them time and time again. The end result is a very compacted surface that does not allow air and water to seep down deeply into the soil reaching the roots of the grass. The process of hollow tining, through which cores of turf are removed from the putting surface, eliminates this problem.

Hollow tining also removes thatch, “a layer of grass stems, roots and debris” that grows over time and yields soft and slow greens. Further, microorganisms which are necessary for the healthy growing of grass are stimulated as a result of the process.

After hollow tining the greens are dressed with special sand, seed and gypsum, a soft sulfate mineral fertiliser used to create the proper pH balance of the soil with the purpose of inducing optimal growing conditions.

Time is then required, about two weeks or a little more, for the sand to seep down through the holes deeply into the ground and for the grass to grow properly to yield fast and smooth rolling greens for all to enjoy.

We at Atalaya look forward to welcoming both our members and green fee guests back to the Old Course when it reopens on June 10th to greens that will roll true and smooth.

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La entrada Hollow tining on the Old Course se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.