Were one to take an oblique view of golf courses, they have frequently been seen as an enemy of the environment. That, often, natural habitats are seen to make way for leisurely greens and fairways. What makes the Simbithi golf course unique, then, is that it does not follow this narrative. The thoughtful construction with the undulation of the land, and the inclusion of wildlife into the golfing experience undoubtedly sets us apart. We sit down with Head Greenkeeper, Amos Sibiya and Environmental Manager, Ayanda Duma to find out more about how balancing and maintaining a golf course in an eco-estate.
With a combined 15 years at Simbithi, Amos and Ayanda are equally passionate about their pieces of the Estate. As the man behind Simbithi’s enviable greens, Amos is as particular about his course’s condition as Ayanda is about the state of Simbithi’s natural areas woven into the course, including forested areas and wetlands.
“I became interested in nature during my schooling days, and I did a course in agriculture,” Amos shares. “Simbithi is my life, now, and my passion. With five long holes and 13 short, I can only imagine how interesting this course was to design and construct. It is definitely a challenge to maintain, one my team and I really enjoy.” Amos and his team, of course, have nurtured the course through several pivotal episodes, including the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and April 2022 floods. “Through all these moments, it is important for us to keep communication with Ayanda and her team, to make sure we care for the environment while we do remedial work and upgrades for golf.” The science, Amos explains, lies in understanding the grasses on the course and how the shade and sunlight affects each blade.
Before coming to Simbithi, Ayanda worked at an estate with a golf course which, she says, was maintained differently to Simbithi. “So, while the landscape of a course within an estate was familiar to me, Simbithi, as an eco-estate, opened my mind to explore innovative ways to collaborate between the golf and environmental departments.” Ayanda’s first port of call was poring through Simbithi’s Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP). “There were certain practices that may be standard elsewhere, which we would not permit on Simbithi to protect the environment.”
Picking up from Ayanda, Amos agrees that collaboration is key, and a well-rounded relationship has been cultivated between Maktovich Golf Course Maintenance, SEEHOA and our landscaping service provider, McWades Landscapes. Meetings are held often to discuss synergies, Amos says. “On the golf course’s side, our job is to ensure course usability, so when there are parts of the environment that may affect play, there are frameworks we work through with Ayanda to resolve it.” An example, Amos elaborates, is trimming trees along the golf cart paths. “In that case, I would let Ayanda know and her team would set a time to trim when it does not affect play.”
Environmentally-sensitive areas on the course are clearly marked out of bounds, protecting areas that require it. “We use blue stakes to mark these areas and our golfers know that even if a ball lands there, they should not go into these areas to retrieve it.”
The wetland near the 12th hole is also well-protected, Ayanda adds, as one of the homes of the critically endangered Pickersgill’s Reed Frog . “When my team is in the area, we alert the golf team, who in turn let the golfers know. Communication is key.”
Environmental legislation is also closely observed in the management of the course, and Ayanda clarifies that decisions regarding the environment are taken case by case. This was most recently seen when two Acacia trees were removed from the 15th hole earlier this year. “The golf team approached us with the request, as they believed removing the trees would improve the enhancements to the areas in the vicinity of the green,” Ayanda recalls. “We met and discussed how to do this without harming the environment. Restitution is non-negotiable when we talk about removing trees, and in this case it was possible. We also agreed that two replacement trees will be sourced and planted on the northern half of the Estate, so the environment was well-considered, as was the golf experience.”
For Amos, managing a team of 17 greenkeepers who are on duty from 05:30, and for Ayanda, co-ordinating the [x]-strong landscaping team, regular check-ins are vital. “We make sure not to miss each other. I do not play golf…yet,” Ayanda smiles. “But, I am often out on the course with Amos and our teams to view areas of concern. This means that when the team must make a decision, I have a proper understanding of the area in question and the habitats surrounding it.” An avid golfer, Amos does much the same, playing the course as often as he is able. “This helps me understand the seasons and changes with Simbithi’s course, and when we speak about how the course plays, I understand firsthand. If someone says something is blocking their line of sight, I want to see it from their point of view,” he looks over at Ayanda. “And, I think it’s time I teach Ayanda how to play!”
