“It is not an individual hole that makes a golf course but all eighteen”
golf academy and new 9-hole executive course. We began construction in April 2007. I also enjoy reconstruction
projects on existing courses that are not ‘classically’ designed, because the client will, invariably, give me licence to be a bit more comprehensive in design terms, so I can show them just what can be made of it.
WHEN it comes to working outside of the UK I find very little difference in the actual design process, but the bureaucracy in some countries is more complicated. Thankfully, we have had few problems achieving permits and consents for our overseas projects. In arid climates the big issue is water sourcing and supply, which is now becoming just as big a problem in UK. In Spain, when I was working at La Zagaleta (originally a G&M Ltd project) we had a challenging time convincing the local Marbella environmental authorities that the design we were proposing was respectful of the protected river valleys (arroyos). The masterplan we created for the new Los Barrancos course was one of the most complicated we have worked on mainly because of the mountainous scenery - with numerous updates and revisions to get to a point of agreement between the client and the authorities.
I do think that UK planning laws do make the cost of getting permission for a golf course prohibitive, though. Nowadays you have to provide so much detail and documentation that the golf course has to be virtually
designed before making the planning application. This is often an unreasonably big risk for any investor or developer.
TECHNOLOGY in golf equipment has had a major bearing on how new courses are designed and existing ones modified. We are now designing golf courses that are longer than any we have previously designed. But we need to be aware that our clients still aim to attract as wide a range of clientele as possible, in order to make their project a commercial success. In general, we aim to design new 18-hole courses between 6200 and 6600 metres in length. I certainly consider this to be acceptable. Let’s say that about 5% of golfers have the ability to hit drives 250 metres or more. As they are in minority, although we need to consider their abilities and capabilities, we still don’t need to prioritise them. We design golf courses with numerous teeing platforms per hole (4, 5 or 6 depending upon hole length, location, steepness of slope, prevailing wind, etc.) and this provides multiple flexibility to accommodate all levels of golfer. This doesn’t counteract advances in golf club technology, but it takes it into account.
I am also of the opinion that most courses that decide to embark on hole-lengthening schemes do not necessarily need to do so. Many courses, in the UK in particular, are badly bunkered. By this I mean that fairway bunkers no longer come into play because they are too near the tees, mid-point between landing area and green, or too far removed
The Par 3 11th at Castleknock
The 16th at Kaskada, Czech Republic
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