expats expats
Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf Club was used as host venue at the recent 2nd Youth Olympic Games
Let the
One of the many interesting consultancy jobs that Gavin Reid has been involved with during his time in Asia was overseeing preparations at Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf Club for the recent 2nd Youth Olympic Games.
Games begin W
ith much industry focus on golf re-entering the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after a 112 year absence, in particular the new Gil Hanse-designed Olympic course, the honour of golf being played at an ‘Olympic’ event actually went to golfers competing in the 2nd Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which were held in Nanjing, China, during August 2014. Australian-born course superintendent and project manager Gavin Reid was approached by the International Golf Federation (IGF) to consult and advise host venue Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf Club during preparations for the YOG, an appointment that followed on from his successful consulting role to the 2013 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships held at Nanshan International Golf Club in Qingdao, China. The Swiss-based IGF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the world governing body for golf and the YOG was a great showcase for the IGF and their commitment to world’s best golf practice and the return of golf to the Olympic Games movement.
Hired gun
Gavin Reid was approached by the International Golf Federation to provide agronomic advice and strategies to the host venue in the lead-up to and during the Games 38
After the Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf Club hosted a test event during August 2013, substantial turf loss was experienced on many of its bentgrass greens, with some having as little as 20 per cent turf coverage when the event concluded. This significant turf loss highlighted the need for additional expertise to assist the Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) to prepare an international standard course that would withstand the rigors of an Olympic Games tournament. Having successfully worked in various roles within China and other parts of Asia and the Middle East, the YOGOC appointed Reid to ensure the quality of the course and to minimise the previously
Australian Turfgrass Management 16.6
experienced turf loss. Reid’s expertise, experience and understanding of the complex and sensitive nature of achieving success in the Asia region was vital to ensure that the YOGOC could successfully achieve a world class product. A significant challenge for Reid and the YOGOC was the Nanjing climate and the August timing of the Games. Situated 300 kilometres west of Shanghai, Nanjing is known as one of China’s ‘inland ovens’ with August being one of the hottest months of the year. With maximum temperatures expected to exceed 38oC, minimum temperatures of 24oC and average humidity of 76 per cent, the potential weather impact posed a significant issue in the planning and execution of the course. Another significant element affecting the turf health in Nanjing was light intensity with most days hazy at best. “I have experienced light intensity issues throughout most of China and combined with the heat and humidity it certainly wasn’t ideal bentgrass conditions at the height of the Nanjing summer,” says Reid. The Gary Player-designed course was constructed in 2006-2007 and opened for play in 2008. Greens were constructed to USGA specifications with a blend of A1 and A4 bentgrass. Tees, fairways and all roughs were sand capped with locally sourced sand to a depth of 150mm and Tifsport couchgrass used for all grassed areas outside greens. Reid visited the course for the first time in late February 2014, at which time it was under light snow and all greens had regained a full cover due to them being reseeded in September 2013. During this visit, Reid met with delegates from various stakeholders including the YOGOC, IOC, IGF, USGA, Asian Tour and the China Golf Association to formulate a robust strategy to ensure the quality and readiness of the course for the Games. Reid’s Chinese golf construction and operations experience was called upon in order for him to work effectively and harmoniously with his Chinese colleagues. “A common challenge in China is working with a lack of science with regards to implementation and a general lack of education and expertise among the course workers and their level of flexibility to change the way they have always done things,” says Reid. “I worked hard to encourage my Chinese colleagues to be open to new methods and adopt a more scientific approach rather than following the same practices year after year.” Following this first visit, soil and water testing was conducted and Reid spent time with the superintendent to ascertain as much information as possible with regards to his previous practices and nutritional and pesticide prevention programmes. “The local superintendent had always followed the same greens programme year on year which included overseeding greens twice per year, only using granular products for all nutritional needs and