News

The Centurion club opened its door for business in June of this year,after many years “in the making”. It has certainly fulfilled expectations with Golf World featuring the course in their August edition as part of their “ world’s best places to play” series.

The European Institute of Golf Course Architects now encourages those students wishing to develop a career in golf course architecture to be mentored by an existing member. Simon Gidman has agreed to mentor Neil White  from student to Associate standard. He started work in May and comes to the office regularly to meet the demands […]

SGGCA have recently obtained planning permission for an extensive Academy facility on land adjacent to the existing golf course. It will include practice ground, practice putting and chipping greens and raised tee with artificial turf. The works will commence in Feb.2014

Final plans are being prepared for the planning application for an extensive housing and other integrated services on land to the south of the front nine of the golf course. David Lock Assoc. are heading up the application on behalf of Bovis Ltd. SGGCA are preparing the golf course proposals.

The company have recently been awarded the contract to prepare the layout and details for the new 9 hole golf course which will replace the existing 9 hole course at the Ferrybridge Power station. It is hoped to start work on the new course in 2014.

– Blue Course – The Blue Course ,now nearly 20 years old has recently hosted the Buildbase Open on the Europro Tour and also this year the English Amateur stroke play event.

The company have recently been involved with introducing the  Bunker Blinder concept to some of the bunkers at the Burford G.C., with a view to extending this to many more of their existing bunkers  over the forthcoming years.

The company designed the course in 1996 as part of a development which saw the renovation of the Vale Royal mansion and the construction of some 50 – 60houses. Since then the company have been involved with the general tightening and lengthening of the course so that now, at 6463 yds., the course represents a […]

Longcliffe G.C. is a testing and challenging golf course of 6625 yds. par 71. However as with many golf courses these days many of the fairway bunkers are irrelevant and only come into play for the mid/high handicap golfer. For the low handicap golfer a majority of the bunkers have become redundant. Some of the […]

After much discussion with the local authorities the Club have eventually been granted permission to re-house their 18th green through former orchard back to the clubhouse. This has also enabled the 1st tees on both the South and North Course to be re-sited closer to the clubhouse. In order to compensate for the loss of […]

The company have recently been awarded the review of the Haan-Düsseltal G.C. The course is a relatively recent design but there are a number of design issues which the Club have recognised need to be corrected. The company have prepared a report which is currently being assessed by the Board of Directors

This is a highly respected golf course in Norfolk and has been subject to changes over the years by the noteable architect and professional golfer, J.H. Taylor, and also by Arthur Havers. Like many a golf course the Club were concerned that recent improvements to golf equipment and the general shortness of the course had […]

The company have been asked to prepare a Masterplan for a major golf course proposal in Dubai. The project will consist of three 18 hole golf courses, one 9 hole executive course and a 9 hole par 3 course, Academy facilities and two practice ground areas.  The project is part of a major urban development prepared by […]

Proposals have been formulated to reconfigurate the Collingtree golf course, Northampton and for some holes on the front nine to be resited to make way for mixed use urban extension. The course has held a number of major championships over the years and the aim will be not only to extend the course over 7000 […]

The company have recently been instructed to prepare a masterplan of an 18 hole golf course and practice facilities for the new City Centre sustainable development in Ajman. This massive development was recently unveiled at Cityscape 2008 by his Royal Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Noaimi. Covering an area of some 12 sq. Km […]

Golf is fast expanding in Nigeria and despite the current recession golf courses are being proposed for a number of new towns. Abuja itself is the legislative capital of Nigeria and a private developer is keen to provide facilities for those new to the game. The company have prepared detailed plans for a 6 hole […]

Restoration – act or process of restoring – not very helpful- let’s try “to restore” Restore – to repair: to bring, put, or give back: to make good: to reinstate: to bring back to a former state Renovate – to renew or make new again: to make as if new: to regenerate Restoration – to […]

One of my early memories of college is that of the lecturer in historic landscapes repeatedly referring to gardens as palimpsests, knowing full well that us first years had no idea what he was talking about. Of course after the lecture we all scuttled off to the nearest dictionary to find the following explanation – […]

One of the interesting side effects of the golf course boom of the 80’s and 90’s has been the response of many of our older golf clubs. Recent and rapid developments in golf equipment have highlighted many of the weaknesses of these courses. This, coupled with what I believe to be a greater awareness of golf course architecture and its principles, […]

As architects we spend a lot of our time visiting older golf clubs, keen to renovate and upgrade their courses. More often than not these courses have been designed by some well known architect from the 20’s and 30’s. An architect that would have had their own very specific style.   After many years of play and change this […]

Many readers will remember the R and A publication, “The Demand for Golf” which, along with other factors, helped spark a huge upsurge in golf development in this country. Based on American/Scottish quotas of courses per population it was estimated that Britain needed to produce a further 700 courses by 2000 to meet demand. Cue massive development.   Some […]

One of the principle issues involved with renovation is the actual construction work involved. Golf club members are not used to heavy machinery parading around their golf course and now with Health and Safety issues very much to the fore quite often golf holes are closed for the simplest remedial tasks. In the past small works, […]