Any changes planned for your course?

Beezerk

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After reading the Bearwood Lakes thread, are any of your courses planning changes?
We've had Creative Golf Designs carrying out an assessment and plan at our place, the presentation the other night was excellent with some great ideas to change the course. A long term project though, they reckon about 10 years to implement all the changes.
 
complete overhaul of the bunkers, two being removed, the rest re-shaped to their original design, the mound at the rear of our 2nd is being used to fill in the bunker on the 4th which will become a raised mound making the entrance to the green smaller, second bunker on our 6th is being grassed over. we also have a ditch that runs in font of the 2nd and 4th green and just ahead of the 3rd tee, this is being dug out to make a water hazard, also work being done on the bridges that cross the river and bag drop areas are being laid in some areas.
 
Due to a land sale we've been having some changes, which should all have been completed by now.

The par 5 first hole will be shortened to a par 4 and the second hole will disappear as it's being built. A new second is being built on part of the old first hole.
Despite the difficulty of the current first I'll be sad to see it go, can't say the same for the second though which has never suited my eye, the planned new second looks much better. Both of these should have been built according to the original projection but due to newts the scheme has been delayed and work will now commence at the end of the coming season to hopefully have them ready for April 2017.

We also have an extended 15th, going from a par 4 to a par 5, so that the course par stays at 72. Work on this is now complete and it looks great, the hole will come into play at the start of the season, first Sunday in April. This means that we'll be a par 73 for the coming season.
 
we had Martin Hawtree stick in two extra bunkers about 10 years ago. One is on the 10th and it collects good drives most of the time, hit the middle of the fairway and the ball kicks off into it, but it a bad drive straight at it and it bounces over or goes left into safety.

Someone has decided to take away the bump in front and left of it so those balls now go in the bunker.

also opened up the burn that ran under the 4th tee and made the teeing area bigger, mostly cosmetic.
 
We have Tom Doak doing some changes later on in the year on the hotchkin. Work starts in November I think.

Will be very interesting to see what changes he will make to the course.
 
We've continued the programme of removing non-native trees i.e. the conifers, and have started removing any steps up to tees. All for the first one, not convinced about the second.

Edit; forgot to add they are removing the only water hazard; they're putting in a soak away for the third tee…….
 
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they changed our 18th last year from a nothing par 4 to a testy finish especially if the flag is tucked on the left hand side beside the new pond.
 
They've planned changes to the whole 18 at ours, some just adding/removing bunkers, removing the majority of trees and generally tidying it up, other holes are much more extensive.
It was funny listening to some of the clique in the bar (you know the ones, those who think they own the place) moaning on about some of the proposed changes, despite the fact it should make the place 100% more attractive to play.
 
So much going on at my place I can not keep up with it ! All for the greater good and within 5 years will be a very good golf course. Last thing is to build up on the clubhouse. So far this year they have put in a par3 course,new putting green loads of drainage and more new tees further back . Bunkers are being done slowly but surely . Have to agree with you on steps up to the tees BIM , they add character to them for me.
 
We're getting 'enviro bunkers' (I think that's what they're called) on the 18th - so the hole has been shut for weeks. It should make a vast improvement when complete and maybe we'll get them on other holes if they work. Some of our bunkers are not maintained well.

There's a continuing tree-felling programme as I'm told they planted over 30,000 trees in the 70s (this probably seemed a good idea at the time but nobody ever thought to thin them out in the subsequent years). This should improve drainage.

We have a members meeting next week about us selling off the practice ground / building a new clubhouse / clearing a new practice area - exciting times as they seem to be making a good job of it.
 
There's been a rebuild of the ladies 3rd tee after a water pipe burst underneath it, requiring diggers and a hole the size of a bus to replace the pipe.
17th tee has been relaid as well - it used too resemble the flight deck of the Ark Royal butnhas now been flattened.
Only other potential change is a 14 metre high viaduct cutting through the course carrying a train every few minutes...😠
 
We're looking to relocate the course. We are right next to the M20 and a prime housing/industrial 90 acres. I reckon it could happen in the next 10 years
 
Ken Moodie from Creative will be back to our new nine hole in the spring/summer to do final adjustments, place bunkers etc. These holes will then be ready to be open in the autumn.

We then move onto redevelopment of the front nine (design workshop done this week). This will be planned with Ken, again being architect. This will involve, new tees, bunker positioning and new greens, plus moving a couple of holes around. Hope to start end of the year, and be a few years.
 
Ken Moodie from Creative will be back to our new nine hole in the spring/summer to do final adjustments, place bunkers etc. These holes will then be ready to be open in the autumn.

We then move onto redevelopment of the front nine (design workshop done this week). This will be planned with Ken, again being architect. This will involve, new tees, bunker positioning and new greens, plus moving a couple of holes around. Hope to start end of the year, and be a few years.

Yes that's the fella, came across really well at the presentation the other day.
 
The place where ive played the last 23 years The Suffolk near Bury St Edmunds Suffolk is undergoing a massive refurb.The place had got tired in recent years but was bought a few months back and the tidying up of the course has been impressive, theres also a golf lodge due to be built on the site later this year and all this with just a slight increase in the membership fee's.Rare nowdays for this sort of investment at a golf club.
 
They are making a new tee on the second at Aintree. So instead off a 200yrd par 3, its going to be a shortish par 4. I heard this is for members only, normal general play it will stay as a par 3.

All subject to the race course putting their hands in their pockets. We'll see....
 
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