Prince’s Golf Club in Kent has unveiled its newly-redeveloped Himalayas nine.
Designed by golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert, work began at the 27-hole Sandwich Bay venue in August last year to transform the Himalayas into one of the finest stretches of links golf in the country.
Officially opened on May 1, the new nine features two new holes – the par-3 fifth, which plays out towards the sea, and the par-5 second, which combines the second and third holes of the old layout and can be stretched to 615 yards.
Rob McGuirk, Prince’s general manager, said: “We’re committed to continuous improvement at Prince’s, and this is certainly the most ambitious phase of development the club has seen for decades. We are thrilled with the new-look Himalayas nine, and thank Mackenzie & Ebert for their hard work, skill and expertise in turning the vision into a reality.”
Martin Ebert and Mike Howard, of Mackenzie and Ebert Ltd, visited the links on multiple occasions to assess the land and scope for the project prior to undertaking the work.
The company subsequently produced a report which analysed historic, pre-war and wartime RAF photography, and unveiled a variety of interesting features which helped to frame the narrative of the new nine and restore some of the traditional elements of the course.
To recognise the historical significance of the site, a replica Spitfire propeller has been installed by the third tee, paying tribute to the heroics of fighter pilot PB ‘Laddie’ Lucas. A former Walker Cup captain and son of one of the founders of Prince’s, Lucase made a forced landing on the site in July 1943, after his aircraft was badly damaged by enemy fire as he returned to RAF Manston from a mission over northern France.
Another nod to the site’s historical importance sees the new fifth hole named ‘Bloody Point’ in reference to the great naval battle that took place in Sandwich in AD851 on the land where Prince’s now sits.
This short par-3, with the backdrop of the English Channel, is one of several notable changes that have increased the par of the nine to 36, while extensive changes to the bunkering, water hazards, green surrounds, out-of-play areas, tees and clearance of trees are all included in the complete works.