Category Archives: Blog

Unique Golf facility in Hong Kong to be built by Southwest Greens

Posted by on February 16, 2015 Comments Off on Unique Golf facility in Hong Kong to be built by Southwest Greens

Game, Set & Match in Hong Kong

A unique golf facility, designed by Nicklaus Design, and built by Southwest Greens Construction, is set to open this year in Hong Kong. Article by Scott MacCallum

 

image of course small

Masterplan for the Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy

We’d all like to see into the future, right? Twenty five years ago, standing outside a telephone booth in the rain waiting for someone to finish a call, wouldn’t it have been comforting to know that not too much later we’d all be walking around with mobile phones in our pockets? Not only that, we’d also have access to every single piece of information in the world in that little phone. Mind blowing!

Well, those who want to know what golf might be like in the future may have the luxury of seeing it in action now… if they can get themselves to a soon-to-be- opened facility in Hong Kong, set to open before the end of 2015.

The Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy, designed by Nicklaus Design and built by Southwest Greens Construction, will boast a state-of-the art three story driving range and six hole course, including magnificent water features and a short game area all aimed at opening the wonderful game of golf up to the young and keen adult beginners.

The facility is located in the Sai Kung area which is known for its stunning natural countryside and in addition to its unique golf facilities it will also have overnight accommodation, dining, a fitness centre and other leisure pursuits.

But the game changer at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy is that it will be built entirely with market-leading synthetic turf systems thus ensuring stunning playing conditions 24/7, 12 months of the year.

“We have a complete product range of synthetic turf systems covering every conceivable area on a golf course, whether it be fairways, rough, tees, bunker areas, cart paths, lake bank stabilization and, of course, the core product being our golf green surfaces,” explained Kevin Holinaty, president of Southwest Greens Construction.

Golf has not been as quick to embrace the synthetic surface as some other sports, and much of that was down to the quality of the product at the time, coupled with the natural conservative nature of golfers, but Holinaty is seeing the rate of progress increasing, particularly over the last five years.

“In the early days the quality products were just not there, and golfers are so much more demanding about the surface on which they play than sportsmen and women in other sports.

“But we have evolved and developed products which perform exceptionally well. Coupled with that we have worked hard to educate the market, demonstrating what is possible,” explained Holinaty. The Southwest Greens’ alliance with Nicklaus Design brings together two of the premier players in the golf development arena, delivering the vision of the developer – New World Development – whose goal was to produce the ideal the finest training facilities, in one of the most iconic venues in the world.

“With the variety of synthetic turf surfaces from Southwest Greens, the Nicklaus Academy will be able to simulate the finest conditions possible – without the potential of damaging the environment with fertilizers and pesticides,” said Ted Simons, chief operating officer for Nicklaus Academies, who will be operating their Academy Program at the facility.

Southwest Greens International has worked with Nicklaus Design for several years in a marketing alliance for the Southwest Greens residential product channel, but the Hong Kong project is the first whereby Nicklaus Design is providing the design, with Southwest Greens Construction building the facility.

Founded in 1996 in the USA, Southwest Greens International is considered to be the global leader in designing and installing synthetic turf for both residential and commercial use, and it now boasts over 75 franchisees in more than 20 countries.

Over 35 top PGA golfers, including Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, and Annika Sorenstam have improved their short games thanks to a Southwest Green putting surface in their gardens, while there are many, as yet unknown, would-be golfing superstars practicing hard on home-based greens, trying to reach the same heights.

Southwest Greens Construction is the global construction arm for Southwest Greens International, responsible for executing all major commercial projects for the Southwest Greens brand.
“We see it as a very exciting time for both of our companies, and another example of how perceptions are changing to the extent that clients are willing to look at synthetic solutions as real and truly viable options,” said Holinaty.

The beauty of the new facility will be its ability to change from driving range to six hole pitch and putt course depending on the need at the time, and it ensures that the needs of the Hong Kong golfers to hone their driving skills at key times in the day can be combined with the new breed of young golfer learning the intricacies of the game under the tutelage of high quality Nicklaus Academy coaches on perfect surfaces.

Designed by golf course architect Jim Wagner of Nicklaus Design, the development ensures that the very most is made out of the space available, while at the same time ensuring that new golfers as well as those more experienced are fulfilled by their experience.

“Our client has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the relationships that Mr Nicklaus has forged over the years between Nicklaus Design, Nicklaus Academies and Southwest Greens,” said Wagner. “From early on in the project we had a vision to create a product that was not only unique, but pioneering in the development of golf.

“The partnerships and relationships that exist within the NicklausCompanies, as well as our client’s trust in our recommendations, have allowed us to create that product in an innovative and exciting fashion, incorporating a high level of teaching and operations with state of the art synthetic surfaces that eliminate fertilizers and pesticides and preserve an ideal ball reaction.”

In addition to its unique golf facilities, the Hong Kong Golf andTennis Academy, which is due to open before the end of the year, will also have overnight accommodation, dining, a fitness centre and other leisure pursuits.

hong kong tennis academy

Construction work in progress for for Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy

“It is going to be a truly great place for sports lovers to gather, be trained and excel,” said Jay Liu, Kai Wai, of Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy.

So the future of golf… stunning facilities in pristine condition, and not a mower in sight. Mind blowing!

MacCallum, Scott. “GMé | Issuu 100.” Issuu. 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2015. <http://issuu.com/portman/docs/gme_february_2015>.

What are the best ways to maintain my synthetic turf and putting greens?

Posted by on January 31, 2013 Comments Off on What are the best ways to maintain my synthetic turf and putting greens?

With winter upon us here in the desert southwest, leaves and other debris falls on our synthetic turf lawns and putting greens.  That means a bit of easy maintenance.

To clean your putting green or lawn of any debris, take a blower and hold about knee high to blow the debris off your surfaces.  Don’t hold the blower close to the turf or it will blow out the infill which is very important for your turf.

Your putting green contains approximately seven pounds of round ball bearing silica sand per square foot, lawns and fringe about one to two pounds per square foot.  This sand is what gives your putting green a smooth and fast roll.  Any sand that is blown out  will cause a nick or depression in your putting green surface, causing a untrue roll.  Also, it is very important not to stick the blower into the cups to rid debris, as it will blow sand out of the edges of the turf. When cleaning your Ultimate Tee Box turf also do not use a broom because this product is nylon and you do not want to disturb the fibers.

A few other putting green tips:

  •  If your putting green or fringe/lawn are dirty or dusty take a hose and spray gently the whole area for a new look.
  •  If you have sprinklers that run periodically on your green or lawn you might notice a white residue on the grass, that is a calcium buildup from the hard water in Arizona, just take the product CLR and spray on white areas and let sit for 5-10 minutes and wash off gently with a hose.

Lastly, some debris will settle into the bottom of your lawn turf. This is why we recommend once or twice a year for Southwest Greens of the Valley to do a full maintenance on your putting green and lawn. Our power brooms are great at pulling out all of the debris that has settled to the bottom, leaving a clean and brand new looking lawn and fringe!

A few good reasons to call Southwest Greens of the Valley to do your putting green maintenance:

  1. We have the power brooms to clean debris that falls to the bottom of your fringe or lawn turf.
  2. We never use these brooms to clean debris off your putting green because it will disturb the fibers and your ball will not roll as smooth as it should.

To learn more about synthetic grass, artificial turf and custom synthetic turf putting greens call Southwest Greens of the Valley at 480-664-9417 or contact us today by clicking here.

What to do when your lawn or golf green gets soaked with heavy rains

Posted by on July 20, 2012 Comments Off on What to do when your lawn or golf green gets soaked with heavy rains

Our weather can bring some heavy rains at times especially when it’s a monsoon. Yes, those monsoons can be a nuisance, but the majority of the time any damage to your synthetic lawn or putting green can be fixed to its original design by Southwest Greens of the Valley here in Phoenix, Arizona.

How will your lawn or golf green hold up when you get heavy rains? 

If an unusual amount of rain falls (2-5 inches) in a quick period of time. a few things can happen to your turf, but nothing to permanently damage it.

Southwest Greens turf drains 126 inches of water per hour, but that doesn’t mean your base will drain at that rate.  Water flow could lift your turf and damage the base area. That can easily be fixed by having a Southwest Greens’ installer roll back your turf, fix the base area, re-compact and then re-attach the turf. It will look just like it did before the storm!

Heavy water flow can also wash out the infill of silica sand and crumb rubber.  That shouldn’t be a problem. Southwest Greens can come out and re-infill your turf and power broom it to make it look brand new.

Your golf green infill, which has approximately seven pounds per square feet of a combination of round ball-bearing silica sand and a top dressing of black and green round ball-bearing silica sand, could partially be washed out. Just call Southwest Greens of the Valley and we will come out and re-infill your golf green with the same silica sand and we will then re-roll your golf green to give it the same roll and speed it had before.

Southwest Putting Greens International, Inc. and Southwest Greens of the Valley began installing synthetic turf grasses, play area, putting greens, tee boxes, tee lines and more here in the Valley of the Sun in 1996.  As one of the first companies to offer this product to Phoenicians and Northern Arizonans, Southwest Greens of the Valley slowly began spreading the word about synthetic turf throughout the greater Phoenix area.   If you would like to learn more about a synthetic lawn or custom golf green for your home or office, please call us today at 480-664-9417 or contact us now. 

Southwest Greens of the Valley putting green

Take your golf game to new heights!

 

Dogs love turf lawns. So will you!

Dogs love turf lawns. So will you!

 

 

 

 

What type of sand in-fill is right for a putting green?

Posted by on June 12, 2012 Comments Off on What type of sand in-fill is right for a putting green?

Southwest Greens of the Valley can build you a putting green, but that’s just half the battle!

What about your short game?

We offer many different types and styles of lawns that make for great chipping practice.

Those include: 1” Fairway, 1 ¾” Second Cut,  2” Deep Rough and Ultimate Tee Box Turf –Tight Lie.

We can also build grass bunkers or sand bunkers.  Our recommendation is to build sand bunkers 6-8 feet away from the putting green, so the sand does not splash on the putting green which is in-filled  #20 sieve round ball bearing sand which is a different sand than bunker sand.

putting green with bunker

Get out your sand wedge!

We use only the best sand for our putting greens. The #20 sieve round ball bearing silica sand is meant specifically for putting greens. Round ball bearing sand does not cut at the blades like a sub-angular sand, and will add years to your golf green.

Southwest Greens of the Valley also uses a mix of black and green round ball bearing sand for top dressing your putting green to give it a beautiful color and a long life.

Be aware: our Southwest Greens of the Valley round ball bearing sand does not have sharp edges, which will cut at the blades while you are walking on your putting green.  This will also give your putting green a longer lifespan. Sand trap sand, or bunker sand, are angular sands that contain a little silt and clay.  This will affect the roll of the ball when putting.  It will also clump up if it gets wet.

To learn more about installing a custom putting green at your home, office or resort, call Southwest Greens of the Valley at 480-664-9417.  View our putting green gallery at: https://www.arizonaputtinggreen.com/putting_greens_gallery.php

How to install a putting green in your backyard from Southwest Greens of the Valley

Posted by on April 30, 2012 Comments Off on How to install a putting green in your backyard from Southwest Greens of the Valley
Are you looking to take your golf game to the next level?  Why not start with your very own custom putting green in your backyard?  Besides taking strokes off your game, you’ll be the envy of your friends, but just let them look.  You don’t want them to get that same edge, right?!
Southwest Greens of the Valley in Scottsdale, Arizona is the most experienced and knowledgeable designer and installer of custom putting greens for your home, office, resort or community area.  For a complete view of our work, check-out our gallery of work at https://www.arizonaputtinggreen.com/photo_gallery.php

Southwest Putting Greens International, Inc. and Southwest Greens of the Valley began installing synthetic turf grasses, play area, putting greens, tee boxes, tee lines and more here in the Valley of the Sun in 1996.  As one of the first companies to offer this product to Phoenicians and Northern Arizonans, Southwest Greens of the Valley slowly began spreading the word about synthetic turf throughout the greater Phoenix area. At first, artificial grass was not widely accepted due to the stigma that it looked “fake”. Ten years later, Southwest Greens has evolved into the largest synthetic turf installation company in the valley by providing our clients the highest quality product and customer service to meet every need.

Please contact us for more information or consultation at 480-664-9417 or click here to email us.

Here are a few examples of our custom work:

Custom residential putting green with bunker

Custom residential putting green with bunker

Multiple holes in one green with mat

Multiple holes in one green with mat

Multiple putting greens

Multiple putting greens with stone pathways and water features

 

 

How Southwest Greens of the Valley Designs Your Custom Putting Green

Posted by on February 24, 2012 Comments Off on How Southwest Greens of the Valley Designs Your Custom Putting Green

At Southwest Greens of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, we realize that there are many ways to design a putting green.

To better your putting skill, we try to design a putting green that will give you many rolls and breaks like you would find on a real golf course putting green such as:

  • Right to left putts
  • Left to right putts
  • Uphill and downhill putts
  • Most importantly, the long straight putt

We can build your putting green anyway you want it.  Yes, your very own customized putting green at your home!

Surrounding the putting green, our Southwest Greens of the Valley team, which serves the greater Phoenix area and suburbs, can install an apron consisting of our ELRT-Rec Turf, which is our one inch fairway turf, and we can use this for the entrance of your putting green just as you would see at country clubs in your area.  Outside of the ELRT-Rec Turf, we can install a longer turf 1 ¾” 0r 2” that would simulate tour rough.

How about making it even more realistic?

  • We can build grass or sand bunkers around the perimeter of your putting green.
  • We can build tee boxes with our ULTE-ultimate tee box turf that you see on driving ranges.
  • We can surround the tee box turf (ULTE) with our 1” fairway turf and 1 ¾” rough to give you three separate lies to chip from: tight lie, fairway lie, and rough lie.

Invite us over to your home or office to discuss the possibilities of your custom putting greens from Southwest Greens of the Valley.  Just use your imagination and we can build it!

For your complimentary consultation please call us today at 480-664-9414 or through our “contact us”.

View our putting green photo gallery now at https://www.arizonaputtinggreen.com/putting_greens_gallery.php

Phoenix putting green designed and installed by Southwest Greens of the Valley

Southwest Greens of the Valley – Getting you a good roll on your winter putting greens

Posted by on December 28, 2011 Comments Off on Southwest Greens of the Valley – Getting you a good roll on your winter putting greens

The science behind how Southwest Greens of the Valley can get you the roll you desire on your putting green.

The cool weather of the Arizona winter makes it hard to get a good roll on your putting green, so at Southwest Greens of the Valley in the greater Phoenix area, we always like to put a stimpmeter on your putting green to get the speed of your green to your specifications that you work for you.

The stimpmeter is like a yard stick where you put the ball in a slot at one end, with the other
end touching the green. As you slowly lift the stimpmeter up the ball will
roll off it. You then measure the distance that the ball rolled, (do it
in the flattest part of the green, no uphill or downhills). Repeat this 2-3 times
and average the distance. Repeat using the stimpmeter in the other
direction 2-3 times and take the average distance of all rolls.  You will then have
your stimp speed!

For example: One way 8ft—9ft—9.5ft = 8.83ft—–Opposite direction 7ft—8ft—8.5ft = 7.83ft
8.83ft + 7.83ft /2 = 8.33 stimp speed

Average stimp speed for Country Clubs in the Phoenix Metro area is around 9.5-10.5, The Masters in
Augusta Georgia probably has the highest of all tournaments, along with
the US Open. They stimp out around 12-13.

Southwest Greens of the Valley rolls your putting green like real golf courses. We use a 600lb Brutus
roller. After installing your green, we put an initial roll on it to get it to a 7.5-8.5 stimp. In the winter it’s harder to get it fast on the first roll, that’s why we ask you to let the putting green settle for a month after the first roll, and we’ll then come back out in about 3-4 weeks to put a final roll on
it to get it to a 9.5-10.5 stimp, or whatever speed you desire.

In the middle of the summer it’s easier to get it rolled to a 9-10 on the first roll
because of the sun and heat, which allows the blades to bend over and
stay that way.

Now you know the story behind green speeds and the knowledge behind every putting green that’s designed and installed by the professionals at Southwest Greens of the Valley, serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and the entire metro and suburban areas.  Call us today at 480-664-9417 for your complimentary consultation and estimate.

Southwest Greens of the Valley custom putting green with bunker

 

 

Welcome to Arizona Putting Greens

Posted by on August 26, 2011 Comments Off on Welcome to Arizona Putting Greens

Arizona Putting Greens is excited to unveil our new website. Please look around and contact us for any service questions: www.arizonaputtinggreen.com.