Blackmoor: A course transformed, one bunker at a time

Blackmoor Golf Club’s three-year improvement project was concluded in August, bringing upgrades to all 18 holes on the Harry Colt course.

Work to upgrade the bunkers and improve drainage had long been on Course Manager James Norris’ wish list, with the reshaping of fairways to enhance visibility and aesthetics having come as an added bonus along with new pathways and heather planting. The project, delivered in partnership with architects LOBB & Partners and contractors Profusion Environmental, represents an investment in the region of half a million pounds in the Hampshire venue, which was already ranked among the top 100 courses in England.

James has been at Blackmoor for 20 years and hopes the bunker refurbishment, which has yielded immediate results to the playing conditions and ease of maintenance, will futureproof the club and further bolster its reputation as one of the finest heathland courses in Britain.

Why did the bunkers need this work?

We are fortunate that Blackmoor sits on sandy subsoil which helps alleviate flooding and support course drainage, however, over time the bunkers had changed shape and the sand mix had become inconsistent. We would often find the bunkers would hold water and, particularly through winter, we’d have flooding issues. It was difficult to achieve the quality and consistency we wanted with things the way they were. Previous attempts to address the issues with drainage projects and different sand types were sticking plasters and we wanted long-term improvements.

When was the idea for this project first formulated?

We had been speaking to a few architects and other golf clubs who had done this type of work to get some insight on what’s involved. After we appointed LOBB & Partners, we did a presentation to members to get them on board with the idea of a whole refurb. They were fully behind it and it was just a case of finding the funding, but then Covid hit and I thought that would put a stop to it. As we know, Covid ended up providing a boost to golf and that allowed us to commit to the project.

How many bunkers did it involve?

As we decided to do the whole course rather than just the worst bunkers, there were 41 in total. There had been more in the past but some had been filled in over time. This project took the number up to 45 as a few more were added to enhance the strategic play on some holes.

Can you explain the role of the golf course architects?

They were critical in this and I must say Tim Lobb was excellent to work with, as were the contractors. We still had a lot of the original bunkers because there hadn’t been too much interference, but they assessed every bunker based on aspects such as its location, size and shape.

They looked at whether they were causing traffic issues in walk-off areas around greens and other pinch points, and they determined whether they were adding anything to the playing experience.

The underpinning philosophy was that the bunkers should be smaller, in the right position to enhance the playing experience, and also they should be visible. That was not the case with all of them, particularly if you were stood on the tee, so with those the face was raised up so it could be seen and not there as a hidden hazard.

What were the practical steps involved in upgrading each bunker?

Once those assessments had been made, the contractor came in with the digger to do the shaping work according to the architect’s ideas and there was a concerted effort to ensure there was a style and visual impact that was consistent across the course. That process sometimes involved some little tweaks before the final look was rubberstamped by the architect.

The shape of the bunker was covered in a Type 1 scalping stone, with the drainage system installed into that, and then 50mm Blinder rubber liner was laid on top to create the pre-sand finish. We then addressed the edges before adding the sand.

Were the results immediately apparent?

We cut from our heather turf areas and transplanted it to the edges and that had an instant effect of naturalising the bunkers, so from a visual point of view it was very apparent. We had beautiful, manicured nursery turf brought in but put that in the areas that we were going to keep tidy and short, and then used turf from a site where there was native longer grass and had a mix between that and the heather to achieve a more rustic look.

And how about from a maintenance perspective?

That was the biggest thing – the difference was massive. The sand areas have been reduced which means there’s less labour involved in maintaining it and we can offer a better standard in presentation with the raking and the edging, which itself requires less management. When you include the improved drainage, the project has allowed us to present higher quality bunkers with less labour input.

What was the level of disruption while the work was ongoing?

From starting work in November on six holes, the bunkers would be out of play until the April of the next year. We did six holes each year and the contractors did not have any work going on at weekends to minimise disruption. On those six holes we’d obviously have the bunkers as ground-under-repair through that time, but by April we’d bring them into play for that season.

They did away with the winter competitions to allow us to get all of that done and the members were really understanding with it all.

Did it all go to plan?

It pretty much did actually, even the weather didn’t prove too much of an issue. Nothing really came up that surprised us or set us back. We had maybe a couple of small drainage issues where we had to redo what we thought was a good drain to tap into, but nothing more than that.

How involved were your team?

I wanted to make sure everyone had the opportunity to be involved with this. This work meant our list of winter projects was reduced as the bunkers were our priority. The team all contributed to the cutting off turf and doing the edges around the bunkers as well as filling in the sand. It was important to have everyone involved in this and working with the contractors on a project as significant as this one was.

There must be pride at being involved in something that will leave a lasting legacy at Blackmoor?

Definitely. As with any project like this, you don’t want to be accused of spending money on something that doesn’t have any benefits, so you do put your neck on the line a bit. But you also understand that you’re delivering a project that’s been designed and approved by experts who know what they’re talking about, so you have trust that it will be worthwhile. We’ve had some great feedback from members and visitors and the work has definitely raised the profile of Blackmoor. It was a big step for the club to go ahead with this, but we’re already seeing that it’s been money well spent.

What other plans are in the pipeline?

There’s lots more to do! The tee complexes are next on the list and we only have a small putting green so there’s another project on the horizon to create a bigger one. We’ll be continuing our upgrade to rubber-top pathways around the course as well. GI