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> News from Pete |
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> Selborne - Repair work |
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> Meet Dave Meyer |
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> King Shaka Airport - Landscaping |
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> Pinnacle Point - 9th hole construction sequence |
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Hi there Colleagues, Clients and Friends In this quiet period we are still getting a lot of positive enquiries about projects and are doing a lot of preparatory design. We therefore have a lot of time to dedicate to design and if I were to say what is the most important aspect in golf design I would say time. One of the enquiries is to revisit Leopard Rock with the new owners LonZim in early September (read more at http://allafrica.com/stories/200907060121.html ). This is so exciting for me with the possibility of upgrading Leopard Rock which we originally designed and built for the late Tony Taberer. For Sabine and myself these were our happiest times, working “back at home” for a man who I really admired and loved. Diarise that next year in May if all goes well we will have a Designer’s Trophy Tournament at Leopard Rock. Pinnacle Point has been in the news and the good news is that Absa have committed their support and the new CEO Stephan Brown is already making positive decisions. One was an invite to us to be involved in the Lagos/Nigeria development. They also received great reports on the new 9th green at Pinnacle Point. Other projects still progressing are Namibia and one of the most exciting is a development with Willie Joubert and the Mjejane Trust on the Crocodile River which will in fact be part of the Kruger National Park. What a fantastic project this could be with game and golf especially as this area needs a decent golf course……sorry for that all you main manne at Leopard Creek (I actually enjoy Leopard Creek). Also we continue to wait on other projects including a possible call to Hungary, Sao Tome and The Bay. In the meantime keep practicing because I am looking for games and need the money. Cheers, Pete |
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Matkovich & Hayes visited a number of courses on the Natal South Coast last year to see if we could assist any of them with repairs following extensive flooding in June 2008. Selborne responded to our offer and after we assessed the extent of the damage, we were able to compile a claim for insurance purposes. Work commenced during September 2008 and while repairs on the 3rd and 4th holes were under way in November a second flood took place . M&H has a policy of insuring own works in cases like this and we were able to claim and start the process again. The major works were completed during May 2009 and the job is being handed over progressively. The Project Manager on behalf of Selborne Country Club was Mr. Elmar Fahr Becker who ensured the smooth running of the works and handled the finances with exceptional efficiency. Dave Meyer and his team were invaluable as were our shapers Klaas Noge and Living Gabela. Of course the “old faithful” Robbie Mnyandu acting as site foreman proved his worth throughout. It has been a pleasure working with Selborne and while general opinion is that the course has benefitted, it can be concluded that areas worked in will be more flood tolerant in the future. |
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I was brought up in an environment where camping trips with my father were the norm. From the ocean to the bush, being outdoors is by far the most exciting place for me to be. After completing my diploma in Horticulture I realized that doing retail horticulture was not for me so in 2001 decided to look into golf course construction and landscaping. The five years that I have spent in the golf industry have been amazing. From living in a tent on a tropical island to running around the bushveld armed with a plastic bag collecting seeds, these have really been the best times of my life. With experience came responsibilities and promotions that has brought me to where I am today at Matkovich & Hayes, project manager. I have worked on a number of courses including Umhlali, Hermanus, Steenberg, San Lameer, Dunblane and Kranspoort. I believe that working with and incorporating nature is the most logical, practical and responsible way of designing and building a golf course. I have gained so much respect for Peter and what he has done because of his approach to the environment. It would be very easy to design a course off a topographical map and send in the dozers, but to take time almost daily to ensure the course fits in perfectly to its surrounds is where the true art comes in. Of all the things I have done and things I may achieve in the future nothing will come close to the love I have for my wife Tam. We were married earlier this year and it has been a ‘jol’ ever since. She is my best friend and someone to who I owe much of my happiness. |
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King Shaka Airport is the new airport being built between Durban and Ballito on the KZN north coast. Matkovich & Hayes/WBHO Golf have been contracted to install the landscape of the public spaces leading to the Terminal buildings. The design is a mix of both formal and informal indigenous plantings. The informal, outlying areas have been shaped into large mounds to represent the rolling hills of KZN. The first plant is scheduled to go in the ground in the first week of September and we are due to be complete by the end of January, when the entire airport moves into a three month maintenance period before opening in early May 2010. Industrial landscaping is a departure from our traditional work on golf courses but while the golf industry is quiet we are grateful to keep our teams busy until the economy picks up. |
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Tel: 27 (0) 32 0946 0200 Fax: 27 (0) 32 0946 0197 |
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