Snow and marmots: the unusual challenges behind the preparation of the Tignes golf course!
An 18-hole golf course at an altitude of 2100 m? A slightly crazy challenge set in the late 1960s (creation of the course’s first 9 holes), which became a reality in the early 1990s (the addition of 9 further holes), and which has continued to be met with flying colours every summer since. While the players’ smiles say it all at the end of the course, it’s thanks to a team of enthusiasts who roll up their sleeves every spring to breathe life into the highest 18-hole course in Europe after a snowy winter! A huge challenge, quite different to the everyday life of golf courses in the valley.
Under the snowflakes… the greens!
Every winter, the Tignes golf course disappears under several meters of snow, making way for the Chartreux cross-country ski loop and the dogsled circuit. To protect the greens, special markers are put in place in autumn to indicate to the groomers the fragile areas to be avoided during their daily preparation of the slopes.
Don’t worry
The cold and the weight of the snow are not really a cause for concern, contrary to what one might imagine. We use a mixture of three seeds adapted to cold climates for the greens and a native mountain grass for the fairways. In autumn, the grass naturally goes into hibernation and stops growing, only to pick up again in spring as soon as the snow melts.
From groomers… to lawnmowers!
Spring is the start of a race against time worthy of Jack Bauer, the hero of the legendary series “24 heures chrono”! Whereas golf courses in the valleys or by the sea are maintained year-round, the team of five gardeners at the Tignes golf course have just one short month to get ready to welcome golfers at the start of summer. And the challenges can vary from one extreme to another depending on the year: snow that “won’t” melt following a winter marked by heavy rainfall, or on the contrary grass that grows “too” fast in the event of a mild spring. Adaptability is the watchword.
Anecdote
One year, an avalanche preemptively triggered in winter swept down to the golf course, rendering one of the holes inaccessible in early summer. The volume of snow was too great to be removed, even mechanically! Patience was called for…
From great white to flamboyant green
Overlaying, aeration by scarification, mowing, cleaning the surrounding area, repairing bridges that had collapsed under the weight of snow, installing fencing nets… In just a few weeks, the great white gave way to flamboyant green greens, and all this without the use of phytosanitary products (no herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc.).
A few explanations
The Tignes golf course is located on the shores of Lake Tignes. We therefore pay particular attention to the products used on the greens. Only fertilizers are used, which are essential to nourish the turf weakened by daily mowing.
Did you know?
In summer, the greens are mowed every 2 days, and the fairways continuously (a full round of fairways takes 2 to 3 days). As the season progresses, the grass tends to felt. So, in autumn, before the first snowflakes fall, a major aeration operation is carried out on the greens using a ladle. Cores of earth are evacuated and filled in with a mixture of sand and ceramics to help retain water.
And the marmots?
Spectators sometimes too greedy…
They’re a delight to children… but a source of despair to gardeners! Marmots are such a common sight on the Tignes golf course that it has naturally been renamed “Le Parcours des Marmottes”. An unusual sight for the players, and a real challenge for the team in charge of maintaining the greens, since these charming animals can cause considerable damage on the course… but also underground when they confuse “watering system” with “well-deserved snack”!
From the end of June to the beginning of September, discover the Tignes golf course and visit the marmots that call it home! Practice, mid golf, 18-hole, beginners’ and advanced courses… golfers of all levels will find something to satisfy their desire to get out in the fresh air for a few hours.
Activities in bad weather
What can you do in Tignes in a day?
