Wellingborough Golf Club completes bunker renovation project

By Alistair December 2, 2017 15:17

Wellingborough Golf Club has completed a comprehensive bunker renovation project under the supervision of Swan Golf Designs (SGD).

The project, designed and overseen by William Swan, saw the construction of 40 bunkers to add to the two that were built as part of a trial project in 2015. The single-phase construction, carried out by FJ Lovell Landscapes, started in mid-September and was completed less than two months later – two weeks ahead of schedule.

Wellingborough’s members are no strangers to change, with the club having moved out of the town centre to a new course in the grounds of grade one listed Harrowden Hall in the 1970s. Since then the club has made substantial investment to improve the course’s design and condition, including the installation of a modern, sand-based construction profile into the greens as well as enlarging and redeveloping several tees. The bunker project is the latest of such improvements and will help reestablish the layout as one of Northamptonshire’s finest.

William Swan adds: “The bunker renovation at Wellingborough has been a text book example of how such a project can and should be executed. The club identified what they felt was a relative weakness in their course, set out clear objectives of what they wanted to achieve and then allowed sufficient time to find the correct solutions and plan for their execution.

“In the three years since my first visit to Wellingborough in December 2014 we have thoroughly analysed the layout, designed a new bunker strategy, developed a site-specific construction specification and carried out a competitive tender process to ensure best possible value for the club.

“Most importantly, the construction was then completed in just eight weeks with minimal disruption to play. The project has now been passed into the capable hands of head greenkeeper Steve Mackie and his team to grow-in the works and ready them for play by spring 2018.”

The work at Wellingborough is one of several renovation projects being led by SGD throughout the UK this autumn, with construction taking place at Aberdour, Barton-on-Sea, Holywood, Huddersfield, Moray, Saffron Walden and Stirling golf clubs.