First Full Size Golf Course in Australia with Synthetic Greens
19th October, 2007
Preston Beach Golf Club in Western Australia holds the official re-opening of its revolutionary golf course on Saturday, October 20, in the process becoming the first full size golf course in Australia with synthetic greens.
Apart from improved playability, the world-first putting surfaces developed by Ozgolf Technologies and Sports Technology International has the added benefit of allowing the club to dramatically reduce its annual fresh water consumption.
Sports Technology International, a member of the APTA manufacturing group, are at the forefront of synthetic sporting surface development and innovation and recently supplied and installed five new generation hockey pitches for the Beijing Olympic Games. The same technological advancements have been employed in the development of golf surfaces.
As a result of unprecedented water savings brought about by the installation of synthetic greens, Preston Beach Golf Club benefits from a grant received under the Australian Government's $2 billion Australian Water Fund that supports community projects viewed as water-wise.
OzGolf Technologies is also motoring ahead to complete the first nine holes at Zilzie Bay in Queensland, a world-first par 70 course featuring 18 synthetic greens and surrounding fringes, and a network of synthetic tees.
The 21st century synthetic greens at Preston Beach Golf Club are also providing a circuit breaker to tackle golf's slow play issue head-on.
In a side step from the Rules of Golf, Preston Beach has planned a series of trials where players must putt out without being allowed to mark their ball.
Ozgolf Technologies predicts this "fast play" innovation will cut down an 18-hole round time for four players by more than 30 minutes.
That's because players enjoying the new putting surfaces at the nine-hole course south of Perth can stand around the hole without leaving any marks.
Synthetic golf greens eliminate any fear of upsetting a playing partner by standing on his or her putting line, with problems caused by foot traffic around hole being eliminated.
This antiquated etiquette practice is a without doubt the biggest contributing factor in slowing down the game.
But these modern greens go even a step further in speeding up a round of golf.
There is now no need to repair "pitch" marks caused when a golf ball lands on the green.
And there is no need to repair spike marks and other blemishes.
Official guests attending the re-opening of Preston Beach Golf Club include Don Randall MP, Federal Member for Canning, and Ian Curley, the CEO of Waroona Shire.
Preston Beach Golf Club secretary Bill McLellan said the synthetic solution was not taken lightly, but after completing due diligence was without doubt the best option.
"We were having great difficulty maintaining our sand greens to a decent level," Mr McLellan said.
"It was costing us plenty of time and money to keep them in good shape.
"But once we saw the putting systems and products that Ozgolf Technologies and Sports Technology International offered and the installation expertise available, the choice was quite simple."
 |  |  |
 |  |  |