Residents at the Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate can look forward to a number of new recreational options after several improvements were made to the development on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth.
These include climbing structures and swings for young children, a dog park and refinements to the design of the golf course.
The jungle gym and swings have been constructed at the recreation centre and have proved an immediate hit with the younger set.
Cheryl Reed, a resident at the estate for 11 months, confirmed the popularity of the additions as she pushed her two grandchildren on the swings.
“Oh yes, they are definitely enjoying this because I have been here for quite a while already,” she says on a visit to the centre.
“This is so much nicer for us because it also has the pool, the tennis court and a place for us to sit while the children are having fun.”
Estate general maintenance supervisor Hugh Wiblin says it has become important to cater for all ages.
“We are finding that there are many families with children in the toddler category living on the estate and it is essential that we look after their needs as well.”
Adjacent to the recreation centre is a dog park, which is nearing completion.
This is a fenced-off area which covers a fairly large piece of ground in which dogs will have a chance to play without being on a leash.
“Many of our residents have dogs,” says Wiblin, “but when you take them for walks, because of the wildlife and for safety measures, they have to be on a leash.
“This led us to creating this area, which was just an unused part of the estate, where dogs can chase balls, be off the leash, and perhaps have fun with each other.
“There are benches for residents to sit and we think it will be a good capital improvement to the estate.”
After a barren period during the early levels of the Covid-19 lockdown, golfers have been streaming to the estate’s nine-hole course and they will appreciate some adjustments to the layout.
The chief alteration is the area between the fifth and sixth fairways, which are adjacent to each other but run in opposite directions.
While a pond did play a role in separating the fairways, Wiblin says it was felt it was not prominent enough.
“To make sure the space between the fairways was more clearly defined we have created a larger garden, with rockeries and plants, which now separates the two,” he says. “We’ve basically built a forest there.”
“This is more visible from tee boxes and in time we will extend the definition between the two holes with the planting of more trees extending from the garden area.”
In addition, the pond which guards the right front area of the third green has been refurbished, with newly laid rocks providing an improved look to the hole.
It remains, however, a real threat to any errant approach shots to the long par-four.