Charting a new course
Many new courses opened to great fanfare in the 1990s, and one of the most eagerly awaited round my way was Chart Hills, near Biddenden in Kent. This was primarily because it was the first European design project for Nick Faldo, still at the height of his powers.
The course opened in 1993 early into my career in golf, and I was fortunate enough to play it that year. It was magnificent and quite unlike any inland course I’d played before, with vast acres of sand adorning fairways and greens. Sadly, on my most recent visit in 2013, it was a shadow of its former self – in poor condition with several bunkers seemingly abandoned and gradually grassing over.
Now, though, it is set to rescale the heights following its acquisition last December by Ramac Holdings Ltd, the owners of Prince’s on the Kent coast. The company has invested heavily to upgrade its 27-hole links club in recent years and is taking that same philosophy into its new acquisition, opting to close the course from July 2020 until next year to allow work to continue apace.
The first steps have been to overhaul the irrigation system and sand-cap the fairways with four inches of sand (over 20,000 tonnes) to improve drainage and playability. There will also be a purposebuilt driving range, upgraded shortgame area, additional practice putting green and refurbished clubhouse.
The goal is to unveil the restored Chart Hills at the start of the 2021 season, or sooner if the weather is kind. I’m hoping to pop over in the next few weeks to see how things are progressing and I look forward to then playing the course again next year.