Archive
Quarterly Newsletter - October 2011
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Headlines
ScotAGCA Members’ Projects in Scotland
Longniddry Golf Club, East Lothian
http://www.longniddrygolfclub.co.uk/
Following the presentation of a detailed evolution document for the structured development of the course, work is underway to implement the first set of changes over this winter. In line with Kimber Golf’s proposal to improve the strategy and aesthetic appeal of the par 3 holes in the first phase of the project, work has commenced to transform the 6th green complex, renovating the tired bunkers into a series of well placed, gathering pot bunkers. In addition to this work, sea buckthorn that has encroached onto the golf course over a number of years is to be removed in some locations to allow other proposed improvements to follow. Cutting and bailing of the thick rough will take place over the winter period and once this work is completed Kimber Golf will return to the club to mark out some new fairway and semi-rough limits. This will be the first step in improving the strategic design of some holes and following this, the re-positioning of fairway bunkers will re-introduce exciting risk / reward opportunities back into the layout.
Golf Design Scotland has the following updates:
http://www.golfdesignscotland.com/
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society - GDS has finished design and shaping works on 15 bunkers around the course.
Aberdour Golf Club - Construction is nearing completion on the new 4th hole.
Mortonhall Golf Club - New tees are under construction.
Malcolm Clapperton at SAC Consulting is finalising the detailed designs for the final phase of remodelling at Baberton Golf Club with a view to a start in the spring of 2012 as the works to the new clubhouse begin.
Ronnie Lumsden continues to work with Harburn GC and Kirkintilloch GC on course re-modelling work involving new bunkering at a number of holes this year. The plans at Pitlochry GC have recently been approved by Planning , as announced in the Press, and work will begin soon on the first of a number of phases to introduce new facilities and enhance the existing course.
And, outside of Scotland…
Golf Design Scotland has been working in Bulgaria and they have released plans for a new course layout which the Client will be displaying soon in the new show home.
In Sicily, the Ronnie Lumsden designed Taormina Golf Course is nearing the final stages of completion. Plans for re-modelling the course at Golf des Iles Borromees, near Lake Maggiore, have been accepted by the owners and work should commence next year. Construction plans for a private course in Kuwait are also now being completed.
In Nottingham, Kimber Golf are working with the new owners of the Nottinghamshire Golf and Country Club to make structured improvements to the 36 hole complex. The initial focus is on the 18 Hole ‘Open Course’ where a series of improvements have been successfully presented to the owners to provide a more strategic and exciting challenge for the members. Renovation work is already underway and will continue throughout the winter to ensure that the new features are ready for play in early spring at this busy members club.
Architects Perspective
ScotAGCA members visit Machrihanish: by Ronnie Lumsden.
Six of our members tackled the old and new courses in classic links conditions with the wind making it a real test.
The famous opening hole on the Old Course is the backdrop to this photo.
This was an excellent field trip for us in allowing us to compare different aspects of the courses. The Dunes Course certainly has developed a very natural landscape in a short time. There are some exceptional holes with many excellent views. To single out one hole I was very impressed with the par 3 13th (see photo below) which I rate as one of the best I have played. While playing alongside Paul Kimber, who was also showing me how to play golf at the time, I commented… “This hole excels in every aspect. The view, aesthetics and the challenge made up by a combination of bunkering and green design all add up to an excellent hole”.
The excellent 13th hole which also highlights how the golf features fit well with the natural links landscape.
On the down side there are perhaps a few too many blind tee shots but the background to the design of this course does explain how the constraints imposed by the environmental elements meant that the designers could not extend the earthworks sufficiently enough to allow more views to be made available from tees. This does highlight how environmental constraints can overwhelm the desire to make a golf course more playable and enjoyable. One has to ask if we have to try and convince the Environmental bodies to try and embrace the idea of creating a more playable golf course rather than stamp the environmental constraints onto such a site with little flexibility. One looks across the site during play to be reminded how a good golf course development can fit well with the environment and indeed enhance it. For the sake of a few more acres of earthworks this could have helped to enhance the visibility for more holes and as a result assist in creating a special golf course.
On the Old Course one has to mention the quite spectacular opening hole, a legendary 1st hole in links golf. The serious golfer can only drool at the opportunity to hit the first drive. We have to however wonder how this hole would have been admired as the 18th. I could not help feeling, as I was slightly disappointed to walk the final two holes, how much better it would be to play the 1st hole as the final hole. What a memorable finish that would be to take to the clubhouse and discuss among fellow golfers, “how one got on at the last!”. On such a windy day as we had we certainly needed something to raise our spirits and take our mind off the weather as we ventured down the last hole aiming some 40 yards into the Out of Bounds area in the hope that the wind would return the ball to the centre of the fairway. Indeed those of us who did not manage the strong left to right wind found ourselves playing most of the way up the 1st hole in the wrong direction!
The dramatically contoured 2nd green of the Old Course offers a real challenge to putting and this is also a feature of many of the Dunes’ greens.
For me, I certainly found that being able to get more views of the sea made a difference to my enjoyment of the Dunes course. The Old Course was excellent, perhaps with the slightly disappointing finishing holes, but the Dunes had the edge in having more interesting holes and a bit more variety of play. The number of marker poles, due to there being too many blind tee shots, did gnaw away at my enjoyment levels a bit but overall it had the edge and the Course designers should be congratulated on the work.
ScotAGCA Response
ScotAGCA responds to Trevor Ledger’s article in Golf Inc magazine (Summer 2011 edition) on the subject “ARCHTECTS?…WHAT ARE THEY THEN?”
The main thrust of Trevor’s article deals with lack of knowledge and interest in golf course architects among Europe’s golfing public, especially when compared to the interest in The States. Trevor asks the question… “how can an uneducated golfing public be educated in the merits (or otherwise) of golf course architects and the effect that they have on the game that we all love?” And he hints that the EIGCA may have a role to play in improving the present situation.
One of many factors that encouraged the establishment of ScotAGCA was the lack of knowledge of Scottish golf course architects beyond Braid, Old Tom and perhaps Donald Ross. ScotAGCA represents Golf Course Design in Scotland and we have been making golf clubs aware of our Association and professionally qualified membership since 2009. We believe that we have been very successful in making clubs more aware of the Association, what GCAs do and how they can benefit golf clubs. The R&A are aware of ScotAGCA as are the SGU, the Club Managers Association in Scotland and the vast majority of Club officials in Scotland. This is a huge leap forward since the days prior to 2009 when even club officials would not have been aware of a GCA working in Scotland. However, this does not suggest that club members are any more enlightened or indeed any more interested in architects or what they do.
Certainly if the editors of our golf magazines are unwilling to publish articles on course designers due to lack of interest in the subject then they will not be mistaken. But it certainly seems to those of us who are passionate about course design that golfers should be interested and therefore there is a problem somewhere.
Our ScotAGCA members certainly notice an increase in awareness at the clubs we work with. Changing the design often stirs up the interest and it is not uncommon for golfers to want to question changes and find out more about the architects “qualifications”. Indeed the interest in design stretches to providing some of their own advice regarding the changes that should be made!
In Scotland, the trigger to provide information to members or the golfing public generally has to come from the clubs themselves. At the present time the vast majority of golf club members are focused on their game, their handicaps, how new technology can improve their game, fashion, what is happening at pro level and how the course condition affects their game. Many will have heard of James Braid and Old Tom but few will be able to name a current Scottish GCA. Whereas it is not our mission to make members more aware of the design heritage of their courses or indeed become more interested in course design we would like to think that getting club officials and owners more aware of their course design heritage and the professional help that is available in Scotland would be a reasonable starting point.
It is rare to find a club official who believes that the design of his/her course is as important as the condition. Clubs often have consultant agronomists who visit on an annual basis but relatively few have a consultant architect who they can call upon for advice.
At ScotAGCA we will continue to progress by encouraging clubs to find out more about what a Golf Course Architect can do to help the club. Once they are aware of the benefits we can work together to highlight how a more exciting course design can promote interest among the membership in what is happening on the course. This leads to more awareness of what an architect can do and in turn this can also be the catalyst to encouraging clubs to advise members of an architect’s involvement. If clubs then embrace the ideas about the positive aspects of design they will be more inclined to promote their ongoing developments in publications and this can lead to more awareness among our golfing public.
We believe that in our work with clubs we raise that awareness and the fact that our GCAs retain their association with clubs over a number of years does suggest that we are successful. However as long as the majority of clubs do not recognise the importance of improving their course designs and how this can benefit their club they will fail to encourage members to be interested in course design as a subject that should be of immense interest to serious golfers.
It would certainly be a sad day if golfers are only ever fed information on course design that leaves them believing that Colin Montgomerie or Sam Torrrance were the only course designers in Scotland and that European course design is dominated by Ernie Els or Nick Faldo!
Finally
This is the fourth of our 1/4ly newsletters and we would very much welcome feedback from you. Please email us by clicking here. We hope that in the years to come our members can help golf clubs to make the right improvements to their course designs.
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