The owners of the Buckinghamshire Golf Club are to invest £2 million to develop and improve the championship course at the Denham-based venue.
Asahi Group Holdings Ltd has agreed to finance the improvements, following a major survey conducted by golf course architects Thomson Perret and Lobb, whose chairman is five-time Open champion Peter Thomson.
The project will include building a reservoir, adding buggy paths, and installing a new irrigation system. The lakes on the 7th and 8th holes are also to be redesigned, with a large number of bunkers relocated and lined.
The course improvement work will be spread over the next two winters to minimise disruption to play, with an anticipated project completion date of March 2017.
“We are delighted to announce our owner, the Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., has agreed a major seven-figure investment, which can do nothing but enhance our reputation as one of the finest inland golf facilities in the south east of England,” said Buckinghamshire’s course and grounds manager, Andy Ewence.
“These are exciting times for all of us here at the club. Building a large reservoir will help us to save money and improve our sustainability and means we won’t be reliant on using mains water,” continued Ewence. “Installing a new irrigation system will help us to produce tournament standard conditions throughout the year, while our advanced new sprinkler system will also reduce wastage. We will be able to target only the greens, surrounds, approaches, fairways and tees where water is required.”
Thomson Perret and Lobb have been responsible for course improvements at Burhill, The Berkshire, St George’s Hill, Woking, and numerous other prestigious clubs around the world.
“We have been working with the Buckinghamshire Golf Club to develop a plan which will refresh its impressive lay-out by implementing a strategic review of the bunker positioning and style among other planned upgrades,” confirmed the company’s principal course architect, Tim Lobb. “At the forefront of all our design proposals is to create a strategic, interesting and fair golfing challenge for club members, visitors and tournament golfers alike. We look forward to commencing work on site this winter.”
The original course at the Buckinghamshire was designed by John Jacobs and is set in 226 acres of parkland. The course was opened in 1992 and has since hosted several Tour events, including the ISPS Handa Ladies’ European Masters and European Sectional Qualifier for the US Women’s Open. The club has also hosted Regional Open Qualifying, six European Senior Tour events, and is the headquarters of the Ladies European Tour.