Turf management at Finca Cortesin ahead of the 2023 Solheim Cup

Finca Cortesin in southern Spain hosted the 2023 Solheim Cup following several years of preparation by Golf Course Manager Ignacio Soto and his agronomy team.

ICL Senior Technical Manager Lorenzo Elorduy García worked closely with the team during this period, supporting the development of turf management programmes for different areas of the course.

The programme combined mechanical maintenance with targeted applications of wetting agents, nutrition and biostimulants.

Fairways and surrounds

The Bermudagrass fairways and surrounds underwent a structured programme of mechanical maintenance through the summer.

Initial work included mowing or scalping, scarification and topdressing with a sand and organic matter mixture. Solid-tine aeration was then carried out after 21 days, followed by a second treatment 21 days later.

During July and August, verticutting was carried out approximately every 15 days to help manage the turf canopy and maintain the required surface characteristics.

Water management formed another important part of the programme.

H2Pro AquaSmart and H2Pro FlowSmart were applied every 15 days, while H2Pro Granular was used in areas beyond effective sprinkler coverage.

Gorgeous views on Finca Cortesin’s golf course.

Here’s a summary of some of the work and (ICL) product applications used at Finca Cortesin.

Greens

The greens programme focused on moisture management, salinity and regular foliar nutrition.

Syngenta’s Qualibra wetting agent was applied every 21 days to support consistent soil moisture management.

H2Pro SaltSmart was used when soil conductivity increased, helping manage salt accumulation within the rootzone.

Foliar applications were made weekly, alternating between Vitalnova AminoBoost with Greenmaster Liquid Step and Vitalnova SiLK with Greenmaster Liquid Step.

The programme also included regular granular nutrition, with Sportsmaster High K applied according to turf requirements.

A great example of partnership: ICL Senior Technical Manager Lorenzo Elorduy introduces Ignacio Soto, Golf Course Manager at Finca Cortesin, on stage during an ICL event in Malaga, Spain.

Matching the programme to the site

Finca Cortesin presents a particular set of management challenges, including warm conditions, Bermudagrass surfaces and irrigation with recycled water.

The programme was therefore built around the requirements of individual turf areas rather than applying the same approach across the entire course.

Mechanical maintenance, moisture management, salinity management and nutrition were combined to support turf condition during the final preparation period ahead of the Solheim Cup.