An everevolving landscape
As lockdown eased and I was able to travel slightly further afield, I revisited a couple of courses not far from home to see their recent changes. First up was a return to the lovely heathland tracts of the Old course at Royal Ashdown Forest. Here, the emphasis has been on clearing out dense undergrowth between holes, opening up views and creating more light and air to help with conditioning. There is also a new green at the 7th, which has made what was already the SI1 even tougher.
Over at West Byfleet, the members are also future-proofing with a long-term series of bunker improvements and new back tees by Tom Mackenzie. Holes that were already strong strategically, but perhaps less so visually, are now taking on a life of their own. Several are already complete and greatly improved, and as the club moves towards its centenary in 2022, it is also moving its course very much with the times. All of this is a reminder that golf courses are living, evolving entities and that all clubs need to think to the future. This is also excellent news for golfers as our playgrounds continue to get better and better.
Did you know?
West Byfleet, originally known as Bleakdown, now has almost 120 singlefigure handicappers in its membership.