Celtic Manor Project Profile
The Celtic Manor Resort near Newport in South Wales is the direct result of the remarkable vision of a remarkable Welshman - and the skill and determination of the multi-national team he built to create one of the world’s finest golf and convention resorts.
Sir Terence Matthews OBE, who had emigrated from Wales to Canada and made a fortune in telecommunications, saw the potential in an unused 19th Century mansion which had once been the home of a coal magnate. Restoring the building as a hotel, he and his team went on to create a facility which boasts not one but three courses, Roman Road, Coldra Woods and Wentwood Hills, this last one built to United States Golf Association standards. The resort is now the home of the Wales Open and is building up to hosting the Ryder Cup in 2010. The challenge for Director of Golf Jim McKenzie is clear; to keep the courses at peak condition month in, month out.
The Inturf Connection
Celtic Manor’s association with Inturf goes back to the mid 90s when the Wentwood Hills course was being constructed to international standard. “We worked closely with British Seed Houses and Inturf to develop mixes and root zones which matched the standard sought and which would cope with the high rainfall and particular ground conditions here,” says Jim McKenzie. “It was clear from the outset that Inturf had a great deal of technical expertise to offer.”
The Client’s View
Inturf’s association with Celtic Manor has now developed into what Jim McKenzie describes as a ‘strong partnership’. “We are very keen here to build up long term relationships with our suppliers,” says Jim. “Inturf now custom grow for us in excess of 2000m2 of Providence (Agrostis stolonifera SR1019). We have used this to re-turf the green collars to stop the march of annual meadow grass. As well as using them as suppliers of turf, we are now regular customers of their landscape supplies outlet in Bridgend.”
The continuing excellence of the playing facilities at The Celtic Manor Resort are testament to the power of the partnership approach it champions. As Jim McKenzie puts it, “Inturf understand our business and work very closely with us to make sure that we get things right for our customers.”
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Celtic Manor Resort