The Prince’s Golf Club is continuing to invest in its golf courses. In 2009, the European Golf Design was requested to help remodel and introduce some new bunkers. This time, the Prince’s Golf Club has announced an extensive and ambitious plan to redevelop The Himalayas nine. The club has hired renowned international golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert (some of their famous works: changes at Turnberry, Royal Portrush, Royal Dornoch, Royal Porthcawl, Saunton, and Trevose etc.) to handle the reconstruction that is set to begin in August 2017.
There will be also changes in the management of Prince’s Golf Club. In 2009, Troon took over the management of golf club, but now it seems like they will not keep on managing the golf club.
Some of Mackenzie & Ebert recommendations are based on historic, pre-war and wartime RAF photography. These helped them to discover several interesting features. The golf course was used by the military in both WWI & II. The course was reopened in 1952.
These are the main changes:
- They will re-route the nine significantly. The current second and third holes will be combined to make a long par-5.
- The new second tee will be located to the right of the existing first fairway and will play to a maximum of 615 yds.
- A short, signature par-3 fifth hole will then be inserted playing towards the sea after the existing fifth (new fourth) hole. These changes will increase the par of the nine to 36.
- The new fifth hole will measure between 120 and 160 yards with a variety of tees to be designed.
- The current eighth, which will become a short, drivable par-4 with permanent wetlands either side that will be strategically and ecologically valuable. The strategy will also be dictated by the existing bunkers. A new set of tees for the hole, to be placed atop dune ridges present to the right of the existing hole will also allow the practice ground in front of the club house to be developed further.
This will be the work process:
- It will start with the construction of the new fifth hole.
- The new second fairway development and the construction of new teeing areas on the new second, third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth holes.
- Once this work is done the focus will turn to the fairway bunkers.
The planned completion date for construction is before the end of the year with the new holes opening in the late spring/early summer of 2018.
I am surprised that Prince’s Golf Club is not communicating their contribution to the Golf Environment Organization. They are even a GEO Certified golf club. The Prince’s Golf Club had been involved in numerous studies and consultations on their site. The sixth hole on the Himalayas course has been identified by the club as a good example of this collaboration between the club and Natural England.
By communicating their sustainability efforts they could impress the Millennials. This generation really cares about sustainability and environment friendliness. According to a Credit Suisse study, Millennials are more likely to buy from those companies that:
- “Products from brands they trust“
- “Product known for health/wellness benefits“
- “Product from fresh, natural, organic ingredients“
- “Product/service from a brand known as ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY” – 58% of the responders said they are ready to pay more for such product/service.
Your Turn!
How do you prepare your golf club/resort to be a sustainable one?