Golf


Magnificent wide‐open setting.The North Downs in the distance


among the membership,” he says. “We are mindful, however, that we have to take the many regulars who are unable to achieve big distances into consideration. We make sure the course is not so challenging it drives away the less able golfer. Knole is a delight, whatever your score, I venture to say.”


Gavin has five full‐time assistants, plus a couple of regular part‐time helpers. When he joined the club, he was the youngest. Now he’s the oldest.


“It’s a great course to learn the profession, enjoy the pressures, and get huge satisfaction,” he says.


Aerial shot of the10th hole bunkers in 1940 courtesy of Google Earth


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Single starting point from the clubhouse means Gavin and his team can always work ahead of the golf. He says they are able to get the course presented in a three and a half hour period without the disrupting and time consuming need to jump backwards and forwards.


There is a lot of development work in progress right now, a bunker revamping


programme in particular, which started this winter with specialist contractor Profusion. Consultant architect Jonathan Gaunt was called in about eighteen months ago to give an appraisal of how changes could be made to improve playing conditions. “He made proposals and we are now putting some of these into action,” says Gavin.


The club has itself taken in‐house short‐ term action regarding bunker drainage. Although the course is free‐draining, the highly undulating nature of the terrain has caused drainage issues with some of them and Gavin decided to re‐drain those most affected to nearby soakaways. The idea has been to intercept run‐off water before it reaches a bunker by doing some re‐shaping of surrounds and adding soil to lift levels where necessary. This does seem to be working satisfactorily. Jonathan Gaunt’s ideas were mainly aimed at longer‐term improvements. The decision was taken to start


We make sure the course is not so challenging it drives away the less able golfer. Knole is a delight, whatever your score


Scuffing by deer is a common feature of fine turf areas 20 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018


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