Golf has enjoyed a significant boost over the summer months between lockdowns. Tee time bookings were high and membership sales soared for many clubs. After several years of declining interest, as soon as the opportunity to play was taken away, paradoxically that’s what many wanted to do. The future is bright. Or is it?
Disclaimer: I am not a golf club Secretary, General Manager, Chief Executive or Director of Golf, but I see many clubs in the course of my professional life, and I am a golfer (second disclaimer – I am not a member of a golf club).
When courses have been open this summer, they have been busy – as busy as they’ve been for years (maybe ever?). Members are playing more golf than before; golfers who’ve not played in years are returning to the game in droves. Demand is high…for now. But, once society slowly starts to return to normal, what’s to stop those old demands on time and attention returning, meaning those new-found enthusiasts lose their new-found enthusiasm? What caused these people to walk away from the game in the first place and what has to change to stop them walking away again (only this time they will be gone for good)? I see lots of busy courses; I see lots of optimism based around tee times currently being full. I see very little in the way of addressing, or eliminating, the core issues that challenged golf in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The issues golf had before the pandemic are still there and will be there long after the pandemic is over, unless we do something about it now.
Who is asking the questions as to why many golfers have come back to the sport? And, more importantly, who is asking what needs to happen to keep them involved in the long term? These are fundamental questions, and ones we should all be asking.
As the saying goes: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result’.
Since getting underway in April Golftek have been surging ahead with the construction of first phase of the Titanic Golf Club redevelopment. Work commenced on the holes close to the beach and thanks to the naturally sandy site the first 9 holes have been shaped already with grassing due to commence in September. As the first phase nears completion preparations for phase 2, another nine hole loop, have started and European Golf Design were on site over the summer to refine the hole locations and mark out the minimal amount of tree clearance that’s required.
Above – Rough Shaping of new hole along the river
Above – Selective tree clearance for phase 2
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
Following the devastation caused when a nearby river burst its banks in 2018 14 of the 36 holes at Verdura Golf & Spa are being completely rebuilt. European Golf Design have been assisting the client team during the construction process which is now nearing completion. Originally planned to take 12 months the construction was impacted by an enforced shutdown due to covid-19 and strict safety measure put in place since work recommenced. Following a busy summer the revamped golf holes have been largely shaped and the grassing finally got underway in July. The construction work is due to be complete at the end of October and it is hoped that nine of the new holes will be open for play in the spring 2021 with the remainder opening later in the summer.
As this season’s winter works draw to a close at, we reflect on what has been one of the more challenging and restrictive builds over the past few years. This season’s work has involved the following:
A new putting green, (twice the size of the previous one)
New tee complex for Hole 1,
Redesigned green complex for hole 2, as well as
A new green and tee complex for hole 3.
The actual scope of work itself was smaller in size and complexity to the previous season, however, an extremely wet late autumn meant that some of the main earthworks and drainage were unable to be completed, and would need to be finished off this spring. Which, considering the amount of the works, shouldn’t have been too much of an issue.
Then, along comes Covid-19, and the everything and everyone gets shaken to the core. The uncertainty of if, and when, works could recommence was unknown. Travel restrictions throughout Europe, hotels and restaurants all closed – it was all making things extremely difficult for both the Contractor and ourselves to get back to site.
Fortunately however, in the Canton the course is situated in, construction works were able to continue. And, thanks to client assistance in helping everyone obtain the necessary local and national authorizations for entry back into the country, we were all able to return safely to site.
Flights however, had been few and far between – some had to drive to different countries to catch a plane, some had to spend 24 hours in an airport. But, with one hotel still being open, and a restaurant able to deliver meals, at the beginning of April, works were able to tentatively get off the ground again.
Yes, works were slow initially, but as time went on and more of the workforce were able to get back into full swing, works progressed well, and we are now looking to be finished in the next two weeks. Considering all the challenges (and trying to get turf deliveries in from the UK), to only be a week or so behind schedule, is testament to all the hard work, dedication and commitment from the Client, the Contractors (SOL Golf and Arrosage Concept) and the head superintendent, Richard Barnes, and all his team. The changes are really starting to come together nicely, and, as the club continually aspire to keep getting better, this season’s work should prove to be another great step forward.
Reflecting back over the past 6 weeks, I do have to remind myself that this is Switzerland after all, and like a fine made Swiss watch, everything really does just work like clockwork.
The European Tour’s 3 Hole Design competition has been won by Dylan Emms after the 11 year old’s final three hole submission was judged the best of more than 500 entries by European Golf Design, the European Tour’s golf course design company.
The challenge was to design three holes on an actual site plan being worked on by European Golf Design, to conjure up a dramatic stretch of three strategic and creative golf holes, where the total par for these three holes must be 11 or more. The routing could start from any one of three greens already on the plan, with the 18th finishing in front of the clubhouse.
Various different judging criteria were used. Had the design matched the brief, how well did the scheme fit within the landscape, did it continue the design style outlined on other holes and where the 18th green was located, were all important elements, as were golf strategy, scale and playability.
Dylan, who plays off a handicap of 28 at Styal Golf Club in Cheshire, England, designed the closing stretch featuring a risk-reward par 5, a tough par three and challenging final hole to a three-tiered green.
“I’m very passionate about designing courses and this was a great opportunity to show everybody what I could do,” explained Dylan.
“There were three points we could start from so I did one design from each and then chose the best route and worked on that design. I like holes that are very challenging but still give an opportunity for a good score.
“The 16th is a risk and reward par five, the 17th a par three with trouble up around the green and the 18th climbs up the hill to a dramatic three-tier green.”
The Winning Design
Dylan has been playing since the age of five, already has two holes-in-one to his name and regularly sketches and designs golf holes when he is not playing. Among the submissions he beat was one from his own Dad!
The 3 Hole design competition was supported by European Tour Destinations with the winning prize a game at a European Tour Destination of his choice. While he earned the bragging rights over his Dad on the design, he has agreed to take him to play the iconic Le Golf National in France, host venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
“I watched the Ryder Cup on TV and really liked the tough finishing holes with all the water and island greens so it will be great to play there,” said Dylan.
The competition brief was to design a ‘final three hole stretch’, using any one of the three green locations for the 15th green and finishing in front of a clubhouse located on the eastern side of the site. The three holes needed to present an exciting and dramatic conclusion to a tournament course but while the holes needed to challenge the best players they also needed to be playable for the average golfer.
Jeremy Slessor, European Golf Design’s Managing Director commented: “We were blown away by the number of entries and the quality. Many entrants clearly put a huge amount of time and effort into their submissions and I want to thank everyone who took part. I would particularly like to highlight the submissions we received from Rob McLean, Christopher Jordan, Trevor Hansen and Emmet O’Sullivan, all of whom clearly put in a massive effort. It’s been an incredibly tough task to select a winner.”
The judging panel finally agreed on a top three of Rob McLean, Dylan Emms and David Minogue and it was interesting that all three submissions treated the routing and strategy of their golf holes in a similar way.
Jeremy continued: “It was a real toss-up between these final three but, in the end, we felt there was one person who just stood out a little more when we took all the factors into consideration. I am delighted to say that our winner is Dylan Emms. What marks Dylan out is that he is only 11 years old. We were going through the entries and Dylan’s kept going through to the next round and we were thinking, this guy’s so young but he’s here competing against all these other entries, even some from experienced golf course designers. We felt we needed to keep that in mind when he reached the top three and I hope everyone is as impressed as we were with his design submission”.
“Our congratulations go to our three finalists, but especially to Dylan. I know from the reaction we received just how many people have enjoyed having the chance to create their own golf hole designs and hopefully we can do it again sometime soon.”
With only hours left until we announce the winner of the Design-3-Holes competition we have been running for the past month or so in association with The European Tour and European Tour Destinations, our thoughts cast back to the last time we did something similar.
Back in 2002, Golf World magazine asked us to run a Design A Hole competition. The site chosen was on an actual project and the prize was that the winning entry would be built as part of that project. The winner was a young Englishman, living at the time in South Africa. So impressed we were with his design, and the time we subsequently spent with him during the construction of the hole (which, by the way, became the 15th hole at Linna Golf in Finland), that eventually we offered him a job. Sixteen years later, he’s still with us – and still producing outstanding designs.
Above: The hundreds of entries to the Golf World Design A Hole competition.
Above: The completed 15th Hole at Linna Golf in Finland.
Meet Dave Sampson.
Where were you when you saw the competition in Golf World?
I was over in the UK from South Africa to see my family. I had a friend in London and stayed with him the night before my flight back home. He had a copy of the magazine – in the few hours I had between seeing the magazine and getting on my flight to Johannesburg, I sketched out six different designs, posting them from the departure lounge at Heathrow. A few weeks later, I got a call to say I’d won the competition!
What happened then?
Well, I’d already decided to come back to the UK as soon as my studies were completed. At the time, I was studying for a degree in architecture and just had my thesis to complete. Shortly after that was presented, I travelled back to the UK and got a job as a cricket analyst with Surrey County Cricket Club.
My dad introduced my brother and I to all sports. Winter was golf season, cricket was in the summer. In between we played and watched everything else. I was a pretty handy cricketer (although it has been said that I was the less talented brother at that) but golf was my real passion. I started playing at about the age of nine, and almost from the first moment was drawing golf holes on anything I could find around the house. I pretty much knew from twelve years old that I wanted to design golf courses for a living – almost any car journey in South Africa is a long one given the vastness of the country and my time sat in a car would be spent looking at the landscape we were driving through, imagining holes here and there.
Although I ended up studying building architecture, I started my university career in landscape architecture and only changed when, mid-course, I moved between universities to be nearer to my at-the-time girlfriend. That relationship didn’t last, and nor did my relationship with building architecture, but I did meet my wife, Stacey, there so it was ultimately a great decision to relocate. We’ve now been married thirteen years and have a seven year old son, Michael.
What drives you to continue to excel at what you do?
I love the process. I love the thinking that goes behind unlocking the routing on a particular bit of ground – if you get the routing right, you’re half-way there. I love thinking at both micro and macro levels and how one element of design relates to another. I love the transition from design into construction. I love coming up with something new, something unique.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I play as much golf as I can, which is not very much unfortunately. I run and I watch sport on TV fanatically. What I have enjoyed the most about the lockdown over the past couple of months is spending time with Stacey and Michael. The traveling that we do means I am away from home for much of the time, so to be able to spend uninterrupted time with them has been an amazing experience.
What three things that you own say the most about you as a person?
1. My golf clubs – golf and sport are my passions
2. I have this small ‘wooden’ trophy of the 15th hole at Linna. Everyone asks what it is and so I get to tell my story
3. I asked Stacey if I should say my wedding ring, but she said my iPad (go figure…haha)- in her words, it’s pretty much an extension of me (nearly all of the time with sport on it)
Above: Dave with his wife Stacey and son Michael at the Evian Royal Resort, Dave undertook the redesign and renovation of the existing course in preparation for the 5th Major on the LPGA tour, The Evian Championship, in 2013.
Think golf course design is easy? Now here’s your chance to prove it!
With no European Tour tournaments taking place at this time as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, why not take out those golf frustrations by designing some holes in our 3 Hole Design Competition, sponsored by European Tour Destinations.
THE SITE
The Site – This is a real site and forms part of an 18 hole European Golf Design project, however the Clubhouse location given is fictitious.
1. There are approximately 12 hectares (30 acres) of ‘usable’ space.
2. The site is generally undulating, with some steeper slopes and softer valleys, and you are to assume that it also free draining. The survey shows contours in one metre intervals.
3. It has numerous mature trees which need to be retained; these are shown in green on the plan.
THE BRIEF
1. Design three strategic and creative golf holes, where the total par for these three holes must be 11 or more. The holes can be of whatever length you like.
2. You are to use any ONE of the three green locations labelled A / B / C , as ‘your’ 15th green. The challenge is to design your ‘final three hole stretch’, with the 18th green to be located in front of a clubhouse located on the eastern side of the site. The three holes should present an exciting and dramatic conclusion to a tournament course, but remember, while the holes will need to challenge the best players they should also be playable for the average golfer.
3. Design plans can be submitted as either computer drawn or freehand, and you can show as much detail as you would like.
THE DETAILS
All entries are to be submitted by email in either pdf or jpeg format.
Entries are to be submitted to enquiries@egd.com
The closing date for entries is 1700 BST on Monday 18 May.
Entries will be judged by European Golf Design, the Design Company of The European Tour and IMG.
A winner will be announced across European Tour social media platforms.
The winner will receive a four-ball tee time of his or her choice at any European Tour Destination venue.
While many of us are still getting used to the new normal of having to work from home it was a bit of sweet relief to hear that the major overhaul of Titanic Golf Club in Belek, Turkey commenced last week. Originally planned to start in September to minimise disruption during the main tourist season the temporary closure of the surrounding hotels and golf courses has allowed the construction to be brought forward.
The driving force behind the work was the construction of a new resort hotel which impacted several of the existing golf holes but the addition of some extra land along the coast and the re-routing of a portion of the existing golf course enabled the golf resort to be extended from 27 to 36 holes.
The two 18 hole layouts will vary slightly in length with a 6,000y academy course and a more challenging 6,600y golf course, however, the four nine-hole loops, that all return to the clubhouse, will be interchangeable to help ease golf course operations during the busier months.
The new golf will retain many of the lakes and water features of the original layout but wider fairways and new bunkering should significantly improve the playability.
The construction work is being carried out by Turkish Construction company Golf Tek and will be the fifth project that they have built with us. Construction is due to take 18 months but a phased opening will see the first new golf holes being open for play in late 2020.
