How the GEO Foundation makes the game of golf more sustainable
Every time folks think they’ve wrapped their heads around the scope of transformation here at municipally owned Corica Park Golf Course (in Alameda, Calif.), there’s another spasm of revitalization and innovation—all of it sustainable, none of it a burden to taxpayers.
In March, the 45-hole facility rechristened the North Course, the subject of a renovation from Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The architect, based in nearby Palo Alto, equipped this 98-year-old track with drought-tolerant Santa Ana Bermudagrass—a hybrid that goes dormant in winter—minimizing water usage, while creating superior year-round playability. Reconstruction of the bunkers included harvesting and deploying artificial turf from the old Oakland Raiders practice facility. The course repurposed sand and soil from excavations at nearby building sites, “capping” all 18 holes with 6-12 inches of sand (40,000 tons) for better water retention and drainage capability.
