Palheiro Golf has completed a €90,000 bunker refurbishment project to further enhance the golf experience at Madeira Resort.
The club's own greens maintenance team spent 20 months revamping the 18-hole layout, switching to silica sand and restoring drainage to each bunker.
In line with Palheiro’s commitment to sustainability, the total number of bunkers has also been reduced from 103 to 83 – a total of 1,000m2 – Dramatically reduce the resources required to maintain them.
Known for its fine texture and rich color, silica is a popular choice on leading golf courses around the world. Silica is considered easy to cut and highly compatible with healthy turf, giving the bunkers a pristine white appearance reminiscent of Augusta National Park, home of the Masters.
This aesthetic appeal makes silica particularly suitable for Palheiro, which, like most courses designed by Cabell B. Robinson, is critically acclaimed for its beauty and playability. The venue's clubhouse, which offers stunning views over the capital Funchal and the surrounding area, was named “World's Best Panoramic Clubhouse” at last year's World Golf Awards.
Fast, hassle-free drainage is another benefit of silica, ensuring that Palero's bunkers continue to perform even during Madeira's rare rainy periods.
Alfredo Cunha, director of golf at Palheiro Golf, said: “The sand on our main island of Madeira is black sand and highly compacted, so our bunkers are always very hard for players. Sometimes, good shots from the bunkers The ball is nearly impossible, which is undoubtedly the reason for most of the negative feedback we receive.
“Another issue we addressed was poor drainage – over the years our bunkers lost much of their drainage capacity, so if we had heavy rain we would often be without a bunker for a week.
“The completion of this project represents the solution to our biggest problem and we are excited to begin a new era of providing all players with a great course in excellent condition to play year-round.”
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