After the organizers have marked out the course or marked it with blue paint, the first step is for a snow grooming machine to flatten the course. This is followed by the preparation of the “whites”. Years ago, Alfi created a “circle” out of sticks and string to make them as circular as possible.
“The most time-consuming part is the preparation of the whites, as they are polished to a mirror-smooth finish by hand using wood and shovels,” explains Alfi. The holes are also dug by hand with an ice auger and then lined with a metal cup. However, in contrast to the maintenance of the Engadine Golf Club's normal golf courses, the effort involved is limited: “If everything goes well, the winter course is ready in a day.”
