GOLF COURSE RENOVATIONS

The project was to replace the two large bunkers with smaller, more manageable ones.  The main issue was the heavily used right hand bunker was at the bottom of a bank and was therefore squeezed between this bank and the green.  Sandsplash over many years had caused the top edge of the bunker to rise some 30cm above the original ground level.  This had a threefold adverse effect; the green surface had become obscured from view from the tee, balls would often hit the back edge of this slope and overshoot the green and the bunker had become much steeper faced than was originally designed.  The solution not only included removing all the sandsplash but the bank was also lowered to the right of the bunker to make room for two new more natural shaped bunkers. 

The left hand bunker was very large, although not much of it could be seen from the tee.  The main problem here was that it left only a single entrance and exit area at the front of the green making this very difficult to maintain.  By splitting this bunker into two and separating it with a wide walk off area this has doubled the walk on/walk off route and has meanwhile reduced the amount of sand to be maintained.  A new bunker was installed at the back left of the green as the putting surface is very wide in this area so there was little penalty for any shot that was pin-high but wayward.  A small mound was also built at the back of the green to improve the aesthetics in this area.

The main issue with the hole was the green surface which had slopes as severe as 1:4 in places.  The whole front section was severely sloped and four-putting was a common problem in the summer when the greens were at their fastest.  The green was lifted and reshaped raising the lowest area by 0.8 of a metre (just under 3 feet).  A compatible rootzone was sourced and the original turf, having been stored, was reinstated, this helped to speed up the recovery time and the hole was back in play by the following spring.  The bunker on the left of the green was rebuilt closer to the green to tighten the left hand approach and the front bunker was lifted by over a metre as it felt it would be too severe now the green immediately in front of it was nearly a metre higher; also it was virtually a blind hazard in its lower position.  The right hand bunker was split into two smaller ones.

One of the members at Broadstone commented afterwards; “That it didn’t seem any different after we had completed the work”.  That is a great compliment to how well it fits in with the rest of the course, but you only have to look at the photos to see how wrong he was!

Having built a new Driving Range alongside the 18th hole, Canterbury Golf Club wanted to create a shortgame academy which would sit between the new range building and the 18th green.  The safety margin would have been compromised by this new facility; especially being on the slice side of a par 5 second shot.  The only other solution was to move the centre line of the hole some 20 metres to the left which would also mean the removal of 11 trees (always contentious).  The new bunker short and left of the green was actually an original Colt bunker from a previous layout which had lain amongst these trees and this allowed us to reinstate it.  A bunker some 30 metres further back on the right of the fairway was removed as it was no longer appropriate to the modern game.  Some gorse was planted on the right side to affirm the play to the left.  Both the greenside bunkers were rebuilt and another was built alongside the right hand one to, once again, affirm the dogleg.

This project forms part of the renovation of the last three holes at Dummer Golf Club. The three holes are being transformed using inert waste infill to create a testing and visually exciting finish to the course.  The 17th green and tee have not been altered but there was a deep pit that players had to walk down into and then at the far end, back up a steep climb, to the green (never the most popular thing at the end of the round!).

This has now been filled so there is now just a gentle climb from tee to green.  The bunkers had been rebuilt by the greenstaff some years ago but really needed to be far more visual and exciting in order to make this very good hole become a truly great one.

The existing Driving Range was looking tired and lacked interest.  The proposal was to renovate the area using inert waste infill; when completed, rolling moundwork will create a topography that is commensurate with a typical golfing panorama. This includes the removal of most of the high fencing. The works are expected to be completed by summer 2012.