Meland Golf Club

Meland Golf Club was the first experience for IDG (Formerly PGA Design Consulting) in working in very cold climates. The course involved cutting through a forest growing on very thin soil above rock. We examined the climatic data and the 10-year climate forecast to specify a new rootzone to be placed after the trees had been felled and the rootballs removed. The course was designed in accordance with a brief from the Client for training of Scandinavian Golfers and has a very high slope rating – it is believed to be the second most difficult course in the world.

As with all new courses the greens were specified and constructed to the USGA recommendations. However, from the climatic data it was obvious that even though the site could become cold the main problem was not the snow that we had initially expected but very heavy persistent rain. It was therefore vital that our specification dealt with the need for a rootzone which allowed for excellent drainage and avoided interstitial freezing of waterlogged ground. It was vital to keep the course open for play for as many months as possible. The grass specifications were thus made on the basis of species which would tolerate low temperatures and would suffer least damage when frost covered.