Peter Harradine, a third generation golf course architect, has once again selected Western Pozzolan’s Lassenite ATS as the preferred soil amendment for his new golf course located the Al Hamra Village in the United Arab Emirates. The Al Hamra Golf Resort is attached to the Al Hamra Hotel and includes a large driving range, pitch and putt and a full 18 hole course. The first 9 holes of the golf course are scheduled to open later this year.
Harradine has designed over 160 golf courses including the Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi and Doha facilities home to the EPGA “Abu Dhabi Championship” and Qatar Masters.” Harradine is the former President of both the European Society and European Institute of Golf Course Architects.
The "Harradine" concept relies on the natural preservation and enhancement of existing sites so that the characteristic attributes are improved or enhanced in order to create a unique course for that particular location and not just a copy of one of their courses built elsewhere. Concept demands were a strong factor in the selection of Lassenite ATS.
Harradine chose Lassenite ATS, trade named AquaFeed by Western’s exclusive Middle East distributor Techno-Green Corporation, primarily due to its ecological qualities and proven water-saving effectiveness in harsh environments.
"They design their courses to be as ‘maintenance friendly’ as possible without unnecessary complications," says Western Pozzolan Consultant and Hall of Fame Groundskeeper George Toma. "They work hard not to disturb the natural attributes of any particular site and try to be as ‘Ecological’ as possible. They also keep the needs of the Greenskeeper in mind at each step along the way.”
Techno-Green has been utilizing Aqua-Feed combined with humates in the Middle East for many years. "Building golf courses in the Middle East is a mammoth task," says Techno-Green President Ralph Wonnacutt. "Costs associated with irrigation in this part of the world are significant. The quantity of water required to establish and maintain turf is reduced dramatically by using Aqua-Feed.”