Below you see the projects Infinite Variety Golf Design currently is working on:
New Zealand
New Zealand is a wonderful classic course in the heathlands of Surrey near London. First laid out in 1895 by Samuel Mure Fergusson, the course was redesigned in 1931 by Tom Simpson, with the assistance of Philip Mackenzie Ross. We have been working with New Zealand GC for the last few years, dilligently restoring the typical Simpson style bunkers that had been lost to entropy over the years. Bunkers are being renovated in a style in keeping with Simpson’s work, with diagonal ‘fingers’ of heather being reintroduced into several of them.
For this long-term project, IVGD has been using sketches by Simpson and historic aerial photography to ensure its work is sympathetic to the original design. Last winter we have focussed on holes 7,8,12 and 13, and have also rrestored the famous ‘doughnut’ bunker in between the seventh and thirteenth greens. Awaiting the outcome of the Covid-19 crisis, no plans have been made yet for the winter of 2020-21.
Blackwell
Blackwell’s layout was designed by Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson in 1923 and includes what we would describe as “an abundance of lacy bunkers in random shapes”. They are being restored to their original design, restoring the strategic intent of those holes where it had been lost over time. We are also bringing back original mowing lines, creating more short grass approaches and runoffs, and restoring the original width of the fairways and playing corridors through the revised mowing lines and woodland management. The most recent phase, completed this winter and spring, has seen involved work on two par threes, the ninth and eleventh.
On the ninth, a bunker has been restored to the rear of the green. Old aerial and lateral images were used to confirm its position and size. It is now back in play, to catch shots that run off the back of the green. A Simpson sketch of the eleventh provided insight into how the hole’s asymmetric bunkering was originally positioned. The project has seen the recreation of landforms that had been lost over time and were required to house some of the lost bunkers. Another key element was the rebuilding of the teeing ground, which had previously interfered with the tenth hole’s green complex.
The Addington
Founded in 1913, The Addington Golf Club near London, was originally designed by John Abercromby, with Harry Colt as a consultant. Their original design remains largely intact and has spectacular views over the city of London. We have been madated, as part of Clayton, DeVries & Pont, to write a long term course plan to restore this iconic golf course.
The project will include a research study, analysing how the course’s layout has changed over time. The firm will refer to historic imagery from the club’s archives to highlight elements of the original design which have been lost and assess the merit of their reintroduction. We will also work with the club’s woodland management advisor and agronomist making sure all disciplines are in sync. Once completed, the long term course plan will form the framework for future renovation works.
Royal Dublin
We are undertaking a detailed bunker study for The Royal Dublin Golf Club in Ireland (as part of Clayton, DeVries & Pont) .In the study we are focusing on the club's heritage of Harry Colt, who in 1920 redesigned the course that had originally been laid out in 1889. Key element of of work will be to make recommendations about the number of bunkers, their positioning, their playability and contribution to the overall aesthetic.
The current plan is that following the study,the bunkers will be restored to a style more in keeping with their heritage. The design team will also seek to reintroduce elements of Colt’s asymmetrical design which have been lost over time.
Falkenstein
For several years we now have been working with the Hamburg Golf Club Falkenstein on the restoration of this excellent golf course, which has repeatedly been named Germany's best course and was designed in 1930 by the world-famous golf architect Harry Colt. At the start we created a long-term space development plan that focussed on the return to the original Colt design. Our first step then was work on the mowing lines, specifically by expanding the greens, so that various interesting flag positions have become possible again. In addition, we have reintroduced short-cut green surround areas, so that the run-offs next to and behind the greens again defend the course much more effectively.
Since 2018 we have moved our focus to the gradual restoration of all the bunkers. The aim of the bunker renovation is to restore the original Colt style and quality of the bunker. Our goal is also to improve the playability and maintenance of the bunkers by returning to the old design and installing a bunker liner.
Real Club Puerta de Hierro
Real Club Puerta de Hierro is truly an amazing club located right in the heart of the city of Madrid. From an architectural perspective, its two beautiful courses have very compelling and historic pedigrees. Over the last few years we have been focussing on slowly restoring Colt’s Upper course, , most of which was originally designed by Harry Colt. The intention is to bring back important features of his design and, in the process, make the course more fun to play by reinstating some strategic options which had been lost over time.
Last winter we completely restored the tenth hole, by bringing back the assymetry of defence of the bunkers around the green, renovating all the bunkers and making them more Colt style and completely reshaping the green surrounds to bring back the more classic design of short mown run offs.
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