Renovation and rejuvenation at Blackmoor Golf Club
The groundbreaking project at Blackmoor Golf Club encompassed an extensive three-year course improvement plan featuring enhancements to all 18 holes on the Harry Colt course.
The project (which cost circa £500,000) has been undertaken to upgrade bunkers, improve drainage, reshape fairways to enhance visibility and course aesthetics, plus ancillary work such as new pathways and heather planting throughout the course.
The work was implemented in three phases and designed by renowned golf course architects, Lobb & Partners, who were appointed to formalise a strategy to restore and enhance the course.
When discussing the project, Course Manager James Norris said: “The age of the bunkers meant they were not performing to the standard of the course and were not as cost-effectively as they could be. As part of the project, it’s been great to show members what is involved in maintaining the golf course to a good standard and the engineering that goes on underground.”
“We are fortunate that Blackmoor sits on sandy subsoil which helps alleviate flooding and support course drainage, however, over time, the bunkers had changed shape and the sand mix had become inconsistent. Upgrading was necessary and new liners and drainage were installed to every bunker as well as the addition of heather planting to improve course aesthetics.”
“We have continued with the same bunker sand as before, called Headon Washed. For the construction of the bunkers, we used resources from the current course and imported local heather.”
“Although the major works are now complete, the course will continue to improve with our programme of maintenance as the enhancements bed in. We have laid rubber pathways to six holes already and have plans to install further pathways to the remaining twelve holes over the next four years,” said James.
He suggested he wanted to do more: “We considered greater course enhancement, including greens and tee boxes etc., but that would have been a major project which would have taken much longer to complete. I trusted that the bunkers were enough to concentrate on and fundamental to achieving what was required on the course.”
Speaking on the project, Tim Lobb, Principal of Lobb & Partners, said: “As with virtually every course of this vintage, the bunker shapes have lost their artistry and the vegetation has changed. We have been advising the club for several years and spent a lot of time going through the club’s archive to understand the landscape and nature of the course. We jointly decided that it was time to put spades in the ground, so to speak.”
“Over the past three winters, we have worked at the club to implement our Colt-inspired bunker and heathland restoration project to the course. The club’s dedication to continual improvement of the course and environment is no more evident than in the final product that is seen today after these works.”
“We were thrilled to be part of this team and oversee the design elements with construction by contractors Profusion Environmental. Congratulations to the club and Course Manager James Norris (pitcured below) and all the greenkeeping team for delivering an exceptional course that will grow into the construction works and for first-class playing conditions.”
Tim concluded: “The club initially hired Lobb & Partners because of their experience working on heathland courses. This year, we are working on holes six, seven, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen - focusing on restoring the heathland environment and improving the bunkers which have become in need of some attention. The refurbishment and restoration will take inspiration from Colt’s design principles and be visually traditional but employ modern techniques that support ongoing course maintenance.”
Commenting on the project, Management Committee member at Blackmoor Golf Club, Michael Cave, said: “Over time, the golf course has evolved and some of Colt’s design philosophies have been diluted. The bunkers have gradually changed shape and, during heavy rainfall, a few were prone to flooding due to the lack of liners. By doing the work, Blackmoor will have bunkers in play all year round, much better drainage and the sand mix will be more consistent, as well as employing an aesthetically pleasing construction technique.”
About Blackmoor
Established in 1913, Blackmoor is a stunning par 69 heathland golf course designed by renowned golf architect, Harry Colt. Ranked within the top 100 golf courses in England, Blackmoor hosted the regional qualifying for the Open Championship between 1998 and 2003, is an England Golf Championship venue and is home to the Selborne Salver, one of Britain’s most prestigious amateur events, attracting both International and Walker Cup Players.
Noted for its quality greens and playable throughout the year, Blackmoor provides a superior golfing experience. Offering members and visitors access to a championship 18-hole golf course, extensive practice facilities, a well-stocked pro shop, a modern clubhouse with a restaurant and separate bar and terrace and a range of competitions and events throughout the year.