Before we start preparing for the weekend or the summer holiday, here is great news from the Swedish Stockholms Golfklubb. Stockholms Golfklubb was founded in 1904. Thus became Scandinavia’s 3rd oldest golf club. It is also Sweden’s second oldest golf club.
Their 18-hole golf course was developed in 1932. It was created under the supervision of Harry Colt and his company Colt, Alison & Morrison.
The club has decided to restore Colt and Morrison’s design and has enlisted golf architect Christian Lundin of (re)Golf to lead the project.
The course’s bunkers, one of the key aspects of the restoration, are being built using the Capillary Bunkers liner product to ensure the best performance and to lock in the new/old look.
As I read the history of Stockholms Golfklubb, it seems strongly worth the renovation. It is a special curiosity that Lundin was called to help resolve a problem caused by a local authority plan to build a major electric cable – to supply Stockholm with power – right across the property.
The cable would have disturbed the club’s practice green.
The golf architect recommended true restoration. Fortunately, the members approved his recommendations. Lundin and the Stockholms Golfklubb chose to use Capillary Bunkers to secure the design’s long-term future.
Lundin says
“We’re not trying to restore 1932 maintenance standards. We want to give them a playing experience that matches what they had back then, but with modern standards.”
The course’s 92 bunkers will be restored to match early photographs – of which research has revealed a very good bank.
He added
“The new bunkers will be more consistent and easier to maintain. If I’m not worrying about drainage then I can give more attention to maintaining a complex bunker edge.”
The first phase of the project, involving 40-45 bunkers, will be completed by the end of July. The course will then reopen for eight weeks, before closing in late September to allow the construction team – including shapers Marcus Terry and Simon Broadley of British contractor 1st Golf Construction – to finish the project.
The restored course will then open completely in spring 2022.
