Philosophy
The Seaside Links
The Inspiration for the Best Designs
The influence of seaside links is reflected clearly in all of our new
courses, with a strong emphasis on the design of greens and their surrounds that thoroughly test all aspects of the short
game. In the era of the lob wedge, our courses allow a far wider range
of shots to be played around the greens than is the norm in modern golf.
It is an approach that can work equally well in all climates and locations.
Golf Courses in the
Landscape
We are fervent believers that golf courses should fit into the landscape
and be in keeping with their setting. People who travel to Scotland, Sri
Lanka or The Bahamas should be able to enjoy something that is true to
their location.The most common criticism of golf courses
is that they appear alien in the landscape. That is certainly true of
many modern layouts with their vast areas of sand and artificial looking
ponds. Our common sense approach leaves as much
of the site unaltered as possible, retaining existing vegetation and limiting
the use of bunkers and water. Ecological and environmental issues are
taking ever increasing importance during the planning process and our
success in even the most sensitive environments shows what can be achieved
with care.
Fine Detail – Not Huge Earth
Movement
Too often these days, golf course architects concentrate on bulk
earth movement with huge machines, rather than the fine detail around
greens and bunkers. Look at the great old courses. It is not their longevity
alone that makes them great – they remain amongst the best courses
because the gifted architects of old, with their lack of modern tools,
had to concentrate on the fine detail. These courses serve as our model
for design.Our overriding philosophy is to keep earth movement to the
absolute minimum required to produce a high quality golf course. This
limits costs and makes it easier to gain permission to build in even the
most sensitive locations. Another advantage lies in keeping the contruction
process simpler, an important consideration in new markets. However, where
site characteristics dictate moving large quantities, we will always attempt
to do so in a way that leaves a natural appearance.
