Courtesy of The Buckinghamshire / Angus Murray
The Buckinghamshire is investing £3 million (approximately $4 million) to upgrade its major championship qualifying course and enhance year-round playing conditions.
The private members’ club is home to the Ladies European Tour and has previously hosted qualifying for The Open and the U.S. Women’s Open. It completed a renovation of all its 68 riveted bunkers this spring. The Club is now adding more than 100,000 linear meters of piped and secondary drainage, and is looking to increase its water capture capabilities.
A new championship tee has been built for the picturesque par-3 finishing hole, which runs alongside the River Colne, with a complete upgrade of the practice range now planned.
The investment by owners Arora Group follows a £10 million ($13.34 million) renovation of the historic 17th century clubhouse.
The club is just 10 miles from London Heathrow Airport.
“Our members’ playing experience is paramount, which is why this is an important investment,” managing director Gerry Ivers said. “The frequency of wetter winters is increasing due to climate change, so we are taking steps to ensure playing conditions remain at a very high standard all year round.”
The Buckinghamshire opened in 1992 and was designed by the late John Jacobs, a PGA Professional and coach, and also a highly regarded golf course designer.
“The renovation of the bunkers and the return to shorter, native rye caps around their edges, replacing longer fescues, is something we are especially pleased with,” Ivers said. “Our greenkeeping team played an important role in this work and it has significantly improved definition and playability.”
The full schedule of course works includes:
- Bunkers: Full renovation of 68 riveted bunkers; sand exchange, with 750 tonnes of new China clay sand added by hand (jagged sand particles to better hold bunker faces); longer fescue grasses replaced by native rye caps around bunker edges
- Drainage: Upgrading of piped drainage to more than 20,000 linear meters and 91,000 linear meters of secondary drainage; enhanced water capture capabilities, increasing sustainability
- First tee: Repurposing of the first tee environs to now include a compact warm-up putting green allowing space for a fourball to practice putting before teeing off
- 18th tee: Back tees now extending to 220 yards on the par-3 finishing hole running alongside the River Colne
- Practice range: a full upgrade to the range is planned, with the introduction of new state-of-the-art performance technology, reshaped target areas and great new hitting surfaces.
