Golf
Gordon Irvine MG “
the 16th - stunning views everywhere you look
With no plans of the course in existence, their first task was to try and identify eighteen possible locations for the greens. So, using their combined knowledge of Old Tom's design principles, they walked through the machair plotting possible options
inspect the links. At this time, the nine-hole course had a few dozen members and the greens were mowed with rusting gang mowers and an old tractor. Gordon visited the course in December 2005 and, although the weather conditions were atrocious, he immediately commented on the superb quality of the turf and, when he saw the dune system from where the original course started, he exclaimed that he had found ‘The Holy Grail’. Now, Gordon is something of a links specialist, having worked at Turnberry throughout the 1980s and returning in 1994 to help prepare the course for The Open. He has also undertaken consultancy work at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, Hunstanton Golf Club and Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, both in Norfolk. What he saw has now passed into folklore;
at the top of the dune he gazed down on what was obviously a stretch of rolling links running alongside the beach. Although there was little or no sign of the position of the former greens, it was obvious that the spectacular piece of land could have been the site of Old Tom’s creation. Convinced he had stumbled on a lost masterpiece he suggested that, if the club could muster a
group of volunteers, he would donate his time and expertise to help resurrect Askernish. So, in March 2006, he returned to the island having assembled a small group of like-minded enthusiasts - golf course architect, Mike Ebert; a greenkeeping colleague, Chris Haspall, and Adam Lawrence, the editor Golf Course Architecture magazine. With no plans of the course in existence,
their first task was to try and identify eighteen possible locations for the greens. So, using their combined knowledge of Old Tom’s design principles, they walked through the machair plotting possible options. That evening, Ebert produced a plan on his laptop, and this provided the basis for the restoration work. This original plan has been slightly modified since, but the basic area and layout remains much the same as plotted that day. All the necessary planning permissions
were in place by December 2007, although not without some resistance from a few local crofters who believed the club were trying to eliminate livestock from the machair. Over time, this has been proved not to be true, as the course has remained as authentic to its
The 11th - as Old Tom intended? 14 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015
Bunker work is ongoing ...
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140