gmé | issuu 3

EAGLENATIONAL GRID

GolfGolfManagementE u r o p e

KING DE SAVARY

JANUARY 1998£2.50 25FFR 7.5DM 625PTAS

The definitive business magazine for the European golfing industry

EAGLE PROMOTIONSTHE SCORECARD COMPANY

Recovering from major surgery,Peter de Savary remains thechief driving force behindthe Carnegie Club, with

golf high on the agenda

TheTheEAGLENATIONAL GRID

Are you on it?

EDITORJohn VinicombeEXECUTIVE EDITORAlister MarshallFEATURES EDITORAndy FordNEWS EDITORDavid BowersSTAFF WRITERSColin Cameron, Peter Simm Pat Symes, Duncan Wright

PUBLISHERMichael LenihanPUBLISHING EXECUTIVEAngus DayADVERTISING CONSULTANTMichael DeasyADMINISTRATIONSharon O’ConnellPRINT & REPROColourspeed, Segensworth

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPEIS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BYPORTMAN PUBLISHING &COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPEPO BOX 76, WATERLOOVILLEHAMPSHIRE PO7 8TTUNITED KINGDOM

TELEPHONE(01705) 425000INTERNATIONAL+44 1705 425000FACSIMILE(01705) 426060INTERNATIONAL+44 1705 [email protected]

ISSN1368-7727

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK (6 issues) £15Europe (6 issues) £30Rest of World (6 issues) £40BACK ISSUES/SINGLE COPIESUK & Europe £4Rest of World £7

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATIONMAY BE REPRODUCED ORTRANSMITTED IN ANY FORMWITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSIONFROM THE PUBLISHER.WHILE DUE CARE IS TAKEN TOENSURE THAT THE CONTENT OF

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPEIS ACCURATE, THE PUBLISHERCANNOT ACCEPT LIABILITYFOR ERRORS AND OMISSIONS. CONTRIBUTORS OPINIONS MAYNOT NECESSARILY REFLECTTHOSE HELD BY THE PUBLISHER.

' PORTMAN PUBLISHING & COMMUNICATIONS LTD 1998


JANUARY 1998 ! GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 3

ContentsContentsGOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE

Future TrendsRecently published,

the Golf FuturesReport looks set to

become the yard-stickby which we measure

the performance ofthe UK golf industry

Page 4

JANUARY 1998Issue Three

The San Roque golf club in southern Spain this monthonce again played host to the PGA European Tour’sTraining Week, now sponsored by MacGregor Golf

Full story on page 8

inside

GolfGolfManagementE u ro p e

Cover StoryEagle Promotions

have establishedthemselves as one ofthe leading suppliers

of scorecards andyardage booklets

Page 14

The Old HeadWords simply can

not do justice to anIrish course which is

set to take the golfingworld by storm

Page 23

Design ValuesIn the modern age,

what constitutessound and practicalgolf course design?

Colin Cameron goesin search of the

definitive Holy Grail

Page 26

4 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! JANUARY 1998

newsnews

MCEVOY�S NEW ROLEPeter McEvoy, whose term of

captaincy ended after guiding Englandto a record fifth successive HomeInternationals triumph, is maintaininglinks with the English Golf Union asmarketing consultant for its headquar-ters at Woodhall Spa.

England’s most successful amateurwill be responsiblke for promoting theNational Golf Centre’s excellent facili-ties, to launch the new Clubless Golfer

Scheme and to source spon-sorship for the EGU.McEvoy (44), who hasbeen involved with theEGU for more than 25years, explained: “Wehave to project amateurgolf much more and one

of the pivotal parts ofmy new appointmentis to bring to people’sattention everythingthat is available tothem at WoodhallSpa.”

Over the next ten years, thenumber of golfers in Britain willincrease by a third, mushroom-

ing from the current 3.5 million to astaggering 4.7 million.

And there could be millions more ifthe golf industry can gear itself up tocope with them all, according to thefirst scientific forecast on the future ofgolf in the UK conducted by theHenley Centre on behalf of EMAPPursuit - publishers of Golf World,Today’s Golfer and Golf Weekly.

The report states six to sevenmillion men and women, of all agesand from all walks of life, haveexpressed an interest in taking up golf- but to cope with the minimumexpected influx of 1.2 million newplayers alone, the UK will need 300more golf courses and 300 moredriving ranges.

The report also illustrates howwomen’s and junior golf are set toexpand, with the women’s game grow-ing at twice the speed of the men’s.

Golf tuition and tourism will be thefastest-growing sectors in terms ofrevenue, and overall the UK marketwill be worth 28 per cent more -around £580 million - by 2007.

The 132-page full-colour report -released on December 5 - suggestsfast, friendly, family golf clubs are thefuture of golf in the UK.

EMAP associate publisher, AndyHiseman, said: “Many more family-friendly clubs will be needed to satisfythe new breed of golfer. Stuffy, tradi-tional clubs will need to relax theirrules and some will reinvent them-selves as country clubs suitable for allages and both sexes.

“In addition, Britain needs to buildfewer expensive premium golf coursesand more entry-level courses instead.”

He also feels that with Lee West-wood set to go head-to-head withTiger Woods over the coming years,the game in Britain will receive amajor boost.

The report suggests more than50,000 extra new golfers will visit UKgolf clubs on the back of the RyderCup victory - which works out at 20new golfers for every club!

It predicts the number of peoplewho will play golf in the next tenyears, what they will buy, what theywill wear, where they want to play andhow the industry will have to adapt tothe changing face of British golf.

Golf Futures report predicts28 per cent growth in the UK

a new solution foran age-old problem

Enfield-based Anglo AquariumPlant has developed a pre-planted coir(coconut fibre) mat which provides asolution to the eternal problem ofriverbank erosion.

Natural wear and tear, flooding,erosion and subsidence caused bygolfers retrieving wayward drives, havealways been a problem for landscapers.

Temporary solutions have in thepast included sand bags, sheet metal,concrete, timber, and other unnaturalproducts which could cause pollution.

The mats and rolls have been pro-duced in association with the Phi Groupwho have developed the use of organicmaterials such as coir, straw and willowas a method of redeveloping riversideembankments and lake edgings.

The coir system is already beingused and is proving to be a successfulmethod of lakeside protection.

The Golf Foundation - the national body for the development of junior golf -has appointed Michael Round B.Sc., as its new development officer. The newposition, which 31-year-old Round took up on January 1, has been created tofocus on the foundation’s starter centre initiative which aims to open 350 centresthroughout Great Britain and Ireland during the next five years.

golf foundation turns to round

All the fun of the Fairway ’98

The MOC Sports and FashionCentre in Munich hosts theFairway ’98 golf course congress

exhibition on March 5 and 6.The exhibition, now into its fourth

year, covers all aspects of Europeangolf management, including golf course

planning, operation, investment, devel-opment and greenkeeping.There isalso a concurrent congress and variousseminars.

An entry ticket automatically enti-tles the holder to free travel on allMunich’s tube trains, buses and trains.

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We manufacture the following range of dressings, either to ourown high specifications or to our customer’s specification:

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The newly-competed Ring of KerryGolf and Country Club at Templenoenear Kenmare, Co. Kerry, has startedto invite membership enquiries.

The new 18-hole, 6,800-yardcourse offers breathtaking views overKenmare Bay from every hole. It hasUSGA specification greens seededwith providence creeping bentgrass,and fairways and teeing areasconstructed from sand.

The clubhouse construction is dueto start early in 1998 with an openingdate scheduled for summer 1998.

Managing director Dominic Reidbelieves the course will prove one ofIreland’s most sought after golfingvenues.

He said: “Most people don’t realisejust what a spectacular piece of land itis and because so little publicity wasundertaken during construction theyare surprised to see what has beenachieved.

“Although there’s still a lot of workto be done, we believe we haveproduced something really exciting.”

RING OF KERRY CLUBINVITES NEW MEMBERS

Littlewoods offers new gaming range

One of the leading players in thefootball pools’ market is tointroduce a range of popular

gaming products to golf clubs.Littlewoods, famous for its involve-

ment in the pools’ industry for over 70years, launched some already well-known - and some new - products atthe tail-end of last year.

Littlewoods is the number onecharity operator, managing lotteries

for major national charities and morerecently numerous leading British foot-ball clubs.

The managing director ofLittlewoods Lotteries, Jeremy Collis,said: “It’s very exciting to be movinginto the golf club market.

“We aim to provide a wide rangeof products that appeal to golf clubmembers, all backed up with Little-woods’ experience and reliability.”

The long drive competition atEurogolf ’97 , held on the

DeadSolid® Indoor Golf Simulator,was won by Paul Barrington of

Bristol. Paul’s drive of just over 326yards, was enough to secure the

grand prize of a four day break atthe La Manga Club resort in Spain.

Suffolk-based Levington Horticulture - which includes the Fisons and Shamrockbrand names in its product portfolio - has been acquired by the Scotts Company of

Marysville, Ohio, USA. The new business, which will continue to trade underexisting company names and trading conditions, will become part of ScottsInternational which operates in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America.

LEVINGTON NOW UNDER SCOTTS� UMBRELLA

Comment


CommentLEAD EDITORIAL

The tobacco industry has never been the biggestsponsor of the PGA European Tour, but theanticipated continent-wide sponsorship banwill undoubtedly have an effect on the golf

industry as a whole. Sports, such as Formula 1, which traditionally relied

upon the cigarette companies to sponsor their majorevents will now be in the market for new sponsors andmost will hit the ground running, with top qualitypeople out there searching for corporate saviours.

These sports have been actively competing againsteach other in this market for the best part of twodecades and are well-versed with what is required, notjust in corporate entertainment, but in media and pr.

They are thoroughly modern industries, geared-upfor the inevitable change. Golf however, is in danger offalling behind in certain areas. The recently-publishedGolf Futures Report has highlighted some of thechanges golf will have to come to terms with, andthere are others.

For many years, some areas of the UK golf industryhave relied upon the history and heritage inherent inthe birthplace of the sport, to maintain interest andattract support. As the millennium approaches this willno longer suffice.

In the short time Golf Management Europe hasbeen in the market, there has been an increasingnumber of people complaining to us that the sportremains aloof - that it is not receptive to the demandsof the media or corporate interest.

Indeed as specialists in the sports’ publishing indus-try, we were ourselves surprised at how many officialbodies there were in the sport that lacked an availablespokesperson or media contact.

In our experience, no other major sport makes itselfthis inaccessible - and that should be a worry to allinvolved in the industry.

As alien as it may be to some people within thesport, it is time to take a leaf out of the US golfing

manufacturers’ book andpromote, push and cajole.

Nobody ever complainsabout too much informa-tion, just too little.

If golf is to remain at thehead of the sporting leader-board, it needs to movewith the times before itfinds itself taking a prover-bial double-bogey.

Tobacco ban toforce new agenda

T


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For the 15 leaders of the 1997PGA European ChallengeTour, and the leading 40players who survived the six-round horrors of the Tour

Qualifying School finals, the dreamthey have nurtured, many since theyfirst picked up a golf club, has beenrealised.

For those fortunate few, the dawnof 1998 heralds the start or a newcareer as fully fledged members of themulti-million pound PGA EuropeanTour. For many it will mean heart-break. For a select number it willbring fame and wealth they couldonly imagine in their wildest dreams.

For those who were wise, theirnew career in a sport that offers somuch, will not start when they rubshoulders for the first time with themasters of the game in a Europeantournament.

Instead it began at the San RogueClub near Sotogrande on the Costadel Sol between January 3 and 10,where those who accepted theexpenses-paid invitation to attend thePGA European Tour TrainingSchool�s MacGregor Week discoveredjust how much there is to absorb inbecoming members of an elite band.

Sponsored by Apollo SportsTechnologies since 1988, the Mac-Gregor Golf Company have steppedin with a three-year agreement tobecome the new title sponsors of thetraining school.

William Marsh, president ofMacGregor Golf hailed the agreementwith the European Tour as indicativeof the strategic plans for the club andgolf equipment company.

�This is a unique event and we aredelighted to be involved in its spon-sorship in partnership with theEuropean Tour,� he said.

The first Training Week was heldat La Manga. Since then, after twoyears at Penina in Portugal, it has beenstaged at San Roque, the Andalucianheadquarters of the European Tour.

More than 200 graduates havepassed through the Training Schoolsince its introduction, and betweenthem they have earned more than£12 million.

For the rookie tournament profes-sionals the Training School is not aweek�s holiday in the winter sunshineto recover from the excesses of aChristmas and New Year spent cele-brating their new status.

In years to come when they lookback, what they learned at San Roquecould be absolutely invaluable.

For seven days from dawn to duskthey discovered there is a great dealmore to being a member of the Tourthan just simply playing golf for hugerewards.

Expert coaches are on hand to finetune the rookies game and to instructthem on the intricacies of knowingexactly what the rules mean. What forinstance is a movable obstruction or aloose impediment? In the heat of aEuropean Tournament knowing theanswer instantly could be vital.

But MacGregor Week is not justhow to play golf well. Those whohave succeeded in gaining member-ship of the European Tour obviouslyknow how to play already to the highstandard required.

But how much did they knowabout course management; sportspsychology, fitness, nutrition, and ifthey are fortunate enough to lead atournament - how to handle the pres-sure of a press interview?

The pitfalls of selecting a manager;dealing with finance; sponsorship andhandling ponsors. Those aspects oflife on the Tour are also covered inseven hectic days of practice andlectures that extend into each evening.

A typical day during MacGregorWeek for the rookies started afterbreakfast at 8.30am with a lecturepossibly on the importance of sportspsychology.

The second lecture of the daycould deal with the physical prepara-tion for the demands of four-daychampionship golf for at least sevenmonths of the year as far as the firstseason tournament professionals areconcerned.

The remainder of the day is spenton the driving range, putting greenor out on the course with play inter-rupted by talks and practical explana-

MacGregor WeekMacGregor WeekPGA TRAINING ACADEMY


As the PGA European Tour’s training week celebrates its tenthanniversary, can new sponsors, MacGregor Golf, give the young

hopefuls much more than a taste for a professional career?

This is a unique event and we aredelighted to be involved”“

ALISTER MARSHALLexecutive editor

The making of...

Champions

Assorted views of the San Roque club,host to the MacGregor Training Week

tions of the most complex of rules,then early in the evening the finallecture could cover dealing with thepress; finance and management, orrelationship with sponsors. And it allstarts over again the next day, the dayafter that, and for the next four days.

It is hard work and incrediblytiring, but the top golf coaches andexpert lecturers in attendance all hadone thing going for them aboveeverything else - they were dealingwith a group of young men on thethreshold of a great adventure, desper-ate to learn all they could about thethrilling career they are about toembark upon.

MacGregor Week gives the play-ers an insight into what they canexpect on the Tour.

It gives them the opportunity tofine tune their game for the demandsit will face in what can be a cruelworld of professional tournamentgolf.

It gives them perhaps the one andonly chance they will ever get to learnfrom experts in their field just what itmeans to be a tournament player andthe responsibilities and problemsassociated with their new role.

It does not mean it will guaranteethem success. That can only beachieved by their own skill, but atleast it gives them a firm groundingon what to expect.

Training Week celebrated its tenthanniversary this year. It can look backwith pride on what it has achievedover the last decade.

All those over the last ten yearswho accepted an invitation to expandthe knowledge of their trade during aweek in San Roque have benefitedfrom the experience.

The majority have yet to becomehousehold names on the EuropeanTour, but the week spent inAndalucia does a great deal of goodin launching the careers of the youngrookies. No one knows what willhappen to them over the comingseven or eight months.

It goes without saying that forsome the dream will turn into a night-mare when the only prospect awaitingthem in November is returning to theTour School in a desperate attempt tosalvage a career that was so full ofpromise in the winter sunshine at SanRoque only for it to flounder longbefore the end of the summer.

For others who spent their weekat the Spanish complex absorbing thetuition and the lectures on subjectsthey never imagined would be partand parcel of their careers, 1998 willindeed be the great beginning.

It happened to a young mancalled Lee Westwood, a MacGregorWeek graduate of the class of �94.Three years hence, and Westwood, amember of the victorious Ryder Cupteam at Valderrama, finished third inthe 1997 Volvo European Rankingwith earnings of £588,718.

Will such rewards happen to agraduate of the class of �98? Onlytime will tell.

MacGregor WeekMacGregor Week


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newsnewsSchofield to launch Golf Asiawith keynote speech

Ken Schofield, executive directorof the PGA European Tour, willpresent the opening address at

the eighth Asia Pacific Golf Confer-ence to be held in Singapore in March.

He will deliver the keynote speechon March 10, to set the stage for thethree days of the most comprehensivegolf course development and manage-ment conference in Asia.

Held in conjunction with theAPGC, the eighth annual Golf Asia’98 exhibition on March 12 to 14continues to attract trade professionalsfrom all over the world who take partin both the exhibition and conference.

The 1997 show attracted a record225 exhibitors and more than 23,000trade visitors from 35 countries.

Don Roberts, managing director ofWoerner Sports Turf International, hasseen his company’s business expandyear on year after attending Golf Asia.

He explained: “Golf Asia hasprovided an ‘office’ for the companyin Asia, where we have developed ourbusiness in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Since 1991, our business hasincreased by some 25 per cent eachyear. Through our participation inGolf Asia and our increased invest-ment in expanding Asian markets weexpect no less in growth.”

The APGC is being held at thePan Pacific Hotel, Singapore, onMarch 10-12, and the Golf Asia ’98Exhibition, on March 12-14, 1998, atthe Suntec Centre, Singapore.

Recently, the Jacobsen Division of Textron Ltd has becomeincreasingly involved in the sales of golf course equip-ment to large companies owning more than one golf

course. In recognition of the huge potential growth in this area,

Jacobsen has recently appointed Matt Gough to the positionof sales support executive reporting to national accountsmanager David Withers.

Gough (right), who has been with Jacobsen for fiveyears, brings a wealth of product knowledge and demon-stration skills to the position. He is well-respected amongthe dealer network and has recently been providingincreasing support in this vital area of the business.

Jacobsen look to attract conglomerates

PRINGLE LAUNCHES SPRING/SUMMER RANGEPringle of Scotland has launched its

Spring/Summer 1998 collection tocoincide with Nick Faldo’s record 11thsuccessive Ryder Cup appearance.

Pringle confirmed: “The FaldoCollection places the emphasis onclean lines and bold graphics, creatinga refreshing hi-tech look for spring.”

Ram Golf has created a level play-ing field for left-handed golfers. Thecompany launched the new FX NickelOversize irons at the 1997 PGAMerchandise Show and there has beenan increasing demand for a left-handedversion.

These are now available - for men,women and seniors - to ensure thatleft-handers have the same playingadvantages that nickel provides right-handers.

A company spokesman confirmed:“In the past, left-handers have beenslighted in both quantity and qualityplaying options by the golf industry.

“Ram Golf recognises the ‘lefties’’need for a set of high performanceirons and believes the best way to closethe gap in club quality is by offeringthe FX Nickel Oversize - the topperforming irons in the game.”

The FX Nickel Oversizefollows very closely inthe design footstepsof Ram Golf’ssuccessful FX Stain-

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news


newsEmirates Clubsignaturecentrepiece

A27-hole signature golf course isto be the centrepiece of thedevelopment of the Emirates

Club Hills complex overlooking theEmirates Golf Club, off Sheikh ZayedRd, in Dubai.

The first phase of the Dhs 700million project, spread over a sprawl-ing 325 hectares around and behindthe Emirates GC, will comprise 300exclusive, ultra-modern villas.

The 27-hole golf course completewith golf academy, large clubhouse,family recreation centre, swimmingpool, six tennis courts and a host ofcentral facilities will compliment thefirst phase.

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman ofEmaar Properties PJSC, the companybehind the development, said: “This isa prime real estate project in the UAEwhich is being developed under theguidance and direct supervision of hishighness General Sheikh MohammedBin Rashid Al Maktoum, CrownPrince of Dubai and UAE defenceminister.

“General Sheikh Mohammed hasreviewed the finer details of the projectwhich has been developed by EDAW,an international firm of landscapearchitects based in Irvine, California.

“The project will play an importantrole in changing and upgrading thelifestyle of UAE and Gulf citizens andstrengthen Dubai’s position as aninternational class golfing capital.”

There is huge, increasing demandfor golfing facilities in the Emirate,much of it from the influx of touristswho visit Dubai for a round of golf,and the traffic at existing courses isgrowing at an annual rate of 15 percent.

The Emirates Club Hills project willbe ready in the next 18 to 24 monthsand construction work is scheduled tobegin shortly.

“Golf is the fastest-growing gamein the world and has attratced a presti-gious following in the Gulf.

“The popularity of the game isevident in Dubai, with the increasingmembership of the UAE GolfAssociation now crossing the 4,000figure,” added Alabbar, who is alsochairman of the association.

Golf clubs can now offermembers and visiting patrons

branded spring water whenthey relax in the clubhouse, as

Shropshire-based HoulstonManor is offering to person-

alise labels on its range ofpure spring water. The exclu-

sively labelled HoulstonManor Pure Spring Water canbe supplied in any one of fivebottle styles, still or sparkling,

with a minimum purchasequantity of just one case.

Claire and Rhodritake up new posts

Claire Thomas has beenappointed the Royal andAncient Golf Club’s assistant

secretary (I&B).Thomas (27) joined the R&A

staff in May 1993 and has beenworking since then as the technicalassistant to the implements and ballcommittee.

She is also a member of the StRule and St Regulus Golf Clubs in StAndrews.Welsh internationalamateur golfer Rhodri Price has alsojoined the R&A staff as a secondrules assistant.

Price (23) is a graduate of LeedsUniversity where he gained a degreein physical education and recreationwith business management andadministration.

The leading money winner on thePGA senior tour, Tommy Horton, hasrecently been travelling the British Isleson behalf of the Mizuno Golf Schools.

His clinics at Chichester, Oak Park,Colchester and Seckford, which includ-ed both short and long game lessons,entertained an array of local golferswith a combination of golfing know-how and anecdotes from the tour.

horton becomesfriendly face ofmizuno

full house seems guaranteed at thisyear�s clubhouse exhibition

Visitors to the Clubhouse Exhibit-ion at Stoneleigh Park in March seemguaranteed to find a packed hall overboth days.

The majority of stands have alreadybeen sold to companies covering theentire golfing spectrum, from financehouses to scorecard designers, golfcourse architects to kitchen equipmentsuppliers.

In addition to the exhibition stands,there is a series of seminars to begiven by leading industry figures andrepresentative associations, which willprovide an opportunity for delegates tohear the latest developments, currentpolicy and thinking behind the majorinfluential bodies in golf and give golf

club decision-makers the chance todiscuss relevant issues.

Included in the programme areseminars on raising standards of golfclub management, clubhouse catering,and a golf union forum.

Organisers claim the exhibition isan opportunity not to be missed byclub’s decision-makers. It is, theyclaim, “the exhibition created by theindustry for the industry.”

The exhibition is on March 30 and31 at the National Agricultural Centre,Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry.

Free within the March edition ofGolf Management Europe will be acomplimentary pre-registration ticketfor one person.


Former European tour pro Chris Moody has slammed the PGA decision to takethe 2001 Ryder Cup to The Belfry, describing it as “little more than a mediocremunicipal course.” He added: “We have many fine courses, from Muirfield and

Birkdale to newer venues such as Loch Lomond (right) and East Sussex National. As golf’s shop window, the Ryder Cup deserves a venue to match its stature.”

PGA DECISION ATTACKED BY FORMER TOUR PRO

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Bowring further PGA association

Anew range of insurance products for PGA members has been launchedby Bowring Sport and Leisure Insurance Services. Available under thetitle ‘PGA Golflinks’, it covers annual travel, personal accident, personal

golf equipment, and shop equipment in addition to financial services from sistercompany J & H Marsh & McLennan (Financial Services) Ltd, which generatesapproximately $3 billion annually in revenues.

Sandy Jones, executive director of the PGA, said: “We are delighted at thisfurther commitment from Bowring Sport and Leisure, which extends further thewide range of insurance products available to PGA members.”

The deadline for regis-tration for the WorldScientific Congress

of Golf, at the Universityof St Andrews, on July20-24 is less than amonth away if you arepresenting material for consideration.

February 1 is the date by which allsuch attendees must register.All otherdelegates and accompanying personsmust register by June 8.

World ScientificCongress deadlinelooms

hev acquires bluegreen

HEV, part of the Hambro Group,has acquired 29 golf courses as a resultof its purchase of the Blue GreenGroup, Europe’s largest golf courseowner and operator.

The management team signed adeal which also rewards them with withseven hotels in addition to the coursesthroughout France and Belgium.

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Cover Story


Cover StoryEAGLE PROMOTIONS

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The company are currently gearingup for the 1998 exhibitions whichstart at Ingliston and Harrogate, thenMunich and finish in March with thenew Clubhouse Exhibition atthe NAC Stoneleigh Park.

A new event boardproduced in hardwoodtogether with a revo-lutionary range ofmoulded rock asshown here will bethe main attrac-tions on show.

FOR FURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACT PHILIP McINLEY ON +44 (0)1883 344244

Covering the Country...


ProfileProfilePETER DE SAVARY

he experience of playing 18 holes of golf is still amystery to one of the biggest players in thegame. Peter de Savary has the bug right enough,but has only progressed to the putting green atfairytale Skibo Castle, the showpiece of hisfamous Carnegie Club on the Dornoch Firth.

Mastering the shortest stroke is part of a carefullythought out learning curve before de Savary next attemptsto unravel the technique of the drive. Then, after the longand short of it, this re-invigorated action man will takeinstruction in the fine art of chipping and bunker play.

Having reached 53, and recently recovering from majorsurgery, de Savary seeks to unlock the door to the secrets ofgolf. But he steadfastly maintains that if he cannot play towhat he calls a, �reasonable� standard, it will be time tostick the clubs in the attic and go in search of fresh worldsto conquer.

Coming to golf relatively late in life bristling withachievements, de Savary has missed the heady romance offalling in love with the game at an impressionable age.

That may prove to be an advantage for there are nostars in his eyes and only a desire to expand an alreadypowerful empire based on giving those who can afford itjust what they want.

The Carnegie Club, for instance, that de Savary createdin 1994, provides for 500 members quite unrivalled luxury.The founder and chairman, de Savary has developed theformer home of American millionaire Andrew Carnegie intoone of the world�s premier members� clubs.

In addition to Donald Steel�s links that has drawnrave notices from some of the world�s best players, anew nine-hole course, also by Steel, will be openthis summer.

This is the Parkland Course anddesigned to suit members who might findthe championship links too long andoverpowering.

Here is a good example of de Savary�sthinking; he takes into account all sortsand not just members like Greg Normanor fans such as Ronan Rafferty. Bothreadily testify to the challenge of Skibo. ➧

Tde Savary

King of the Castle

ARTICLE BY JOHN VINICOMBE

The interior ofSkibo Castle, thelatest de Savary

development

Profile


ProfilePETER DE SAVARY

�There is nothing better in lifethan a dream come true. Skibo Castleis definitely that dream,� saidNorman. And Rafferty, who lists it inhis top ten, affirmed: �I�d be hardpressed to think of a more sceniccourse anywhere in the British Isles.�

Such deserved testimonials, forwhich Steel should take much of thecredit, also confirms that de Savary isforever in the pursuit of excellence.That is his raison d�etre, an innerdriving force that places him amongBritain�s entrepreneurial figureheads.

Yet he started to make his way inthe world with a solitary O level (inscripture) having left Charterhouseearly.

Some say it was for a breach ofdiscipline involving the au pair of ateacher, but that was nearly 40 yearsago and de Savary must have lostcount by now of all the twists andturns of a remarkable career.

His father was a furniture manu-facturer in Bridport and de Savary hasretained his fondness for the WestCountry and has a country house onExmoor.

He is half French on his father�sside and can trace his ancestry back toone of Napoleon�s marshals who laterserved as a minister of finance andchief of secret police.

It is no surprise that de Savary ispro-European and stood as a Refer-endum candidate in Cornwall. Forover 25 years de Savary has had busi-ness connections in Europe, anddeclared in the best hustings manner:

�Ultimate power and authorityshould rest with Westminster and notBrussels. I believe firmly in a Com-mon Market and an association ofsovereign states, but I don�t believe incommon currency.�

Fittingly, as a man with closemaritime associations, de Savary nailshis colours to the mast. A keen sailorsince a child, he entered in 1983 theAmerica�s Cup with �Victory �83.�

During a thrilling final in theChallenger�s series he was narrowlybeaten into second place by AlanBond�s, �Australia.� And that is whytoday, outside of golfing circles, deSavary is best remembered as afamous yachtsman.

Before he was 20, de Savaryworked in the tourist business inCanada for five years. Then hereturned home for a spell in the fami-ly�s furniture enterprise and� still withitchy feet, took off for West Africaand the Middle East.

Along the route opportunitiespresented themselves for trade anddealing in commodities includingsteel and oil, plus getting a hang ofthe way of the world.

On his travels de Savary spotted aniche in the hotel industry for some-thing new. It would be small enoughto be personal, but with all the facili-ties of all the traditional grand hotels.

And so, in 1979, the concept ofthe St James�s Club was born, cater-ing for guests with a public imagewho wanted to relax out of the spot-light.

The first St James�s Club inLondon was an immediate success.Others followed... in Antigua, Parisand Los Angeles.

Satisfied that he was on the righttrack, de Savary bought LittlecoteHouse in Berkshire some 12 yearsago. The beauty of the house provedirresistible and it was lovinglyrestored and opened to the public.

Other tourism projects followedincluding a scheme to rejuvenate thearea around Land�s End and buyingthe John O�Groats Hotel two yearslater in 1989. Not everything turnedout as planned.

Some property interests didn�t gode Savary�s way, but on the basis of,win some; lose some, de Savaryremained buoyant and could never bedescribed as a failure.

On the contrary, his creation ofThe Carnegie Club hit exactly theright spot with a blue chip clientele.The membership is drawn from atleast 30 countries.

Charges are pretty well whatmight be expected, but those withthat kind of money don�t need to ask.For the record, however, an individ-ual membership is £2,500 and corpo-rate (up to five nominees) £12,500.

Such an outlay entitles access toother stems of The Carnegie Club. AtStapleford Park, Leicestershire, thereis a golf academy and 51 room hotel,also an 11 room hotel in Knights-bridge.

The mixes are fine tuned. Theoriginal St James concept focused onlovers of city life. The Carnegie Clubis all about the great outdoors butboth thrive on an essence of graciousliving clubdom.

“There is nothingbetter in life than adream come true.Skibo Castle isdefinitely thatdream”

While golden roads lead toInverness and Skibo, the favouritepath is aerial where only the sound ofwhirring helicopter blades comingand going disturb the serenity.

If all goes well, de Savary willlaunch a City flotation underpinnedby the success of the Carnegie Cluband attendant ventures.

This year will prove vital as heseeks fresh sites in Italy, Ireland andthe US. It is just possible that, whileat Charterhouse, de Savary read DrJohnson. If he did, then the followingmight have left an impression:

“A man who has notbeen in Italy, isalways conscious ofan inferiority.”

Talking about future plans in hisuniquely furnished pied-a-terre just offthe Fulham Road, de Savary said:

�We have acquired a turn of thecentury mansion and 300 acres onthe ocean in Newport, Rhode Islandand have spent a lot of time, researchand evaluations concerning severalproperties in the Tuscany region.

�In Tuscany we want to establisha fine mansion or castle somethingcomparable to Skibo but the locationmust be within an hour or so ofFlorence.

�We have got a short list of twoproperties and so far as the golf isconcerned, our concept is not shiftinga lot of earth but staying in harmonywith the environment so that it looksas though God earmarked it for golf.

We believe that golf is a combina-tion of a wonderful and enjoyablewalk in the country with the naturalchallenge of the game.

�In Ireland we have made two orthree visits and identified three prop-erties all with the Skibo theme inmind. But that doesn�t preclude uslooking at other European locations.�

By the flotation date de Savaryexpects to have half a dozen proper-ties with an anticipated turnover inthe region of £40 million and worthover £100 million in capital terms.With such a programme en train, it isa wonder that he is starting to playgolf, albeit by degrees.

Here is the latest progress report:�Many great golfers blow it on theputt. I am taking the game upprogressively beginning with putting.

�Putting seems to me to be prettyimportant, and while I have not yetplayed 18 holes on a course, I havemanaged to average two putts a holeon the putting green at Skibo.

�In Spring, I�ll start on drivingand do nothing but driving until I�mreasonable and then I�ll move to chip-ping and bunker play. I am not goodat being bad at things so, if I don�tplay well, I shan�t play golf.

�I am 53 and I hope, by the age of55, I shall have perfected the sectionsof the game to a point when I canplay a reasonable game.

�Having been involved in thedesign and building of golf courses Ihave some idea of what it is all about,but I am prepared for it being a veryfrustrating experience.�

My hunch is that de Savary, likemost things he has taken up, will turnout to be a fair golfer. He is a dabhand at snooker and plays a cannygame of chess. And, of course, he�s nostranger to handling a racing yacht.

Despite managing a businessempire, de Savary has all the time inthe world for his family. Shortlybefore the general election he took

Lana, his third wife, and their threedaughters, on holiday to the Carib-bean.

There are also two adult daughtersby his first marriage and de Savary,recalling his school days, said thatNicola had recently taken a degree intheology at Oxford.

�Scripture was the only subjectthat interested me although I was alsointerested in history. The importantdifference was that I had a scriptureteacher who made the subject inter-esting. The man who took historywas very low grade.�

Therein should lie the future of deSavary as a handicap golfer. If theteacher is right then he may expect abonus. If not, there may be the oddvacancy on the payroll.


PETER DE SAVARYProfileProfile

Opposite page (top): Skibo Castle as viewed from

the gardens.Opposite page (bottom): Quite simply, a majestic

setting, fit for a King.Above: de Savary officially

breaking the ground to signalthe start of construction work

on the new Parkland Course

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La Manga Club


La Manga ClubADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

If I was allowed just one last wish,it would be to play the SouthCourse at La Manga.” So saidLord Deedes, a former Member of

Parliament and editor of The DailyTelegraph.

It would be fair to assume he is afairly cosmopolitan man and as suchhas an opinion to be valued.

Golf is the reason the La MangaClub Resort was originally built, andthe resort has a heritage that suits.The South Course, modified in 1992by Arnold Palmer, has been the venuefor a series of Spanish Opens andother PGA and celebrity events.

Palmer won the title himself, at the1975 La Manga Spanish Open, byshooting an eagle at the par-five 18thin dramatic fashion - an achievementthat is marked by a plaque on the18th tee.

The La MangaExperience

“

Situated in south-east Spain, La Manga is arguably one of thebest sporting complexes in Europe, if not the World. Boastingthree championship standard courses, plus tennis and football,La Manga is without doubt any golfer’s dream location.

BY DAVID BOWERS

From left to right: The five-star Hyatt Regency La Manga hotel set amid the North and South courses; The west-wing of the hotel overlooking the swimming pool;The Hyatt courtyard including Lorca’s piano bar; Los Lomas apartments situated on the resort has their own swimming facilities.


La Manga ClubLa Manga ClubADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The course is even in the GuinnessBook of World Records after OttoBucher became the oldest man - at 99years and 244 days - ever to hit a hole-in-one. He performed the enviable featat the par-three, 110-metre 12th,where a plaque recording the feat canbe seen by the golfer on the tee.

The resort features three courses -South, West and North - and is setamid rolling hills and lush greenery,providing luxury and relaxation in addi-tion to challenging golf.

Often cited as the finest leisurefacility in Europe, the accommodationat La Manga is also second-to-none,with the magnificent five-star HyattRegency La Manga the centrepiece.

Its 192 bedrooms and superbrestaurants fully reflect its pre-eminentstatus, matched by a level of dignifiedand unparalleled service. The service iswhat really sets the hotel apart, andmakes it the perfect choice for golferswho not only want to play top-qualitycourses, but want to relax in privilegedsurroundings.

The resort provides an ideal venuefor clubs and societies to hold annualevents, or simply to visit for a break. Itis a popular venue for corporate tour-naments and is often the short-breakdestination for many of the continent’stop football clubs.

The region enjoys a superbMediterranean climate with over 320days of sunshine a year.

The West Course - previouslyknown as La Princesa - has recentlyundergone a remodelling programmeto make the course more forgivingthan in previous years.

Many parts of the course have anAmerican-style layout and there are anumber of ‘barrancas’ cutting throughthe course as it swings down a valley.The need for accurate driving is para-mount, and smaller, undulating greenscreate quite different tests for thegolfer than either the North or SouthCourses.

The recent work on the course hastaken place on the back nine holes inparticular. The fairways and semi-rough have been replanted with ahighly acclaimed variety of Bermudagrass, and some of the bunkers havebeen removed or repositioned to makethe course more strategically sound.

All three of La Manga ClubResort’s courses are situated withinclose proximity of the clubhouse, andwith the West Course now fully opera-

tional, the resort offers golfers adiverse and truly unique golfing experi-ence.

The resort’s managing directorTony Coles first visited in 1986, andhe was a devotee before he becameinvolved with the resort’s managementteam.

He said: “I believe La Manga ClubResort is the greatest sports andleisure resort in Europe. No othervenue can match the three diverse 18-hole championship golf courses - butthere is so much more to enjoy here.

“People come down to La MangaResort with many different objectives -some will opt for the sport, whileothers may sit in the sand an soak upthe sunshine. Whichever activities arepreferred, everyone comes here torelax and enjoy themselves, howeverold or young, whatever the time of dayor night.”

He added: “La Manga Club Resortdoes not follow the crowd - we takethe initiative. And that is why ourresort is unique.

“We pride ourselves on exceedingcustomer expectations and that is whypeople keep coming back again andagain.”

To describe La Manga Club Resortas an unrivaled sports and leisurehaven is not stretching a point too far.It radiates a glorious sense of bothenergy and tranquillity.

When a resort’s staff and guestsare genuinely contented with theirsurroundings, it tends to generate agreat sense of cordiality.

At La Manga there is a culture anda way of life that acts as a magnet -when people are there they do notwant to leave, but if they do chancesare they will return time and timeagain.

Specialists to La Manga since 1970

For further details on La Manga,and all it has to offer, contact

Barwell Leisure‘The Coach House’, Elm Road

Chessington KT9 1AW

Tel: +44 (0)181 397 4411Fax: +44 (0)181 974 1442

Case Study


Case StudyMODERN SOCIETY

Laurence Ross, general man-ager and PGA Professional atFareham Woods Golf Clubhas no doubts whatsoeverthat despite all the fierce

competition around him, the recent-ly-opened new club will succeedbeyond all expectations.

For those who know this tranquilarea of rural Hampshire, it wouldappear the last thing it needed wasyet one more golf club.

When the golf boom hit its peakin the early 1980�s, it was not unusualfor long established clubs to adviseprospective new members that if theywould be prepared to join a waitinglist there was the possibility, and itwas no more than just a possibility,that in four or five years hence theymay be fortunate enough to securemembership.

Times have changed. Over the lastdecade in particular, a proliferation ofnew courses has virtually wiped outthe waiting lists of many of the olderclubs, so much so that there appearedto be just too many courses chasingtoo few players.

Officially opened in October lastyear, Fareham Woods is surroundedby new or comparatively new courses.Whack a drive of John Daly propor-tions and the ball could end up atWickham Park, opened two years ago.Give the drive just a little more beefand it could find a resting place atCams Hall, now only four years old...

So what makes the proprietorsand management of Fareham Woodsso confident of what the future willhold? The answer is simple, butintriguing - because its concept isentirely different from its near neigh-bours.

In what is a radical approach toattracting a membership sufficiently

strong in numbers not only to makethe massive outlay a viable proposi-tion, but also progress towardbecoming a profit-making concern,Fareham Woods has totally buckedthe trend of its modern counterparts.

By committing itself from theoutset to provide true exclusivity forits members 365 days of the year byspurning the advances of casualgreen-fee players and Golf Societies.

It goes without saying that bothof those sources of income are vitalavenues of revenue that help in nosmall measure in keeping many clubsafloat. Yet in the case of FarehamWoods they are being totally disre-garded.

Fareham Woods has the benefit ofa financial cushion provided frombeing part of the Bridport-based GolfCentres Group, who have 30 yearsexperience in designing, building andoperating golf courses.

With 24 successful projects totheir name to date, the Group, with athriving and firm financial base areable to make use of their resourcesusing their own �in house� team ofexperts.

Ross was one of the first PGAprofessionals in England to take overthe combined roles of club profes-sional, secretary and general manager.Positions he occupied for ten years atMarlborough Golf Club in Wiltshire.

Now having brought his expertiseto Fareham Woods, he admits thatwhile his new club�s structure is revo-lutionary, it is not in any way a reck-less gamble.

�This is not something that acompany even with such an excellentreputation as GCG who know thebusiness inside out, plunge into with-out an awful lot of thought,� he said.

SocietyRoss’s

Part of the Golf Centres Group,

Fareham Woods GC in Hampshire is

disregarding societies and green-

feeing visitors by limiting itself to a

very strictly controlled membership

ARTICLE BY

ALISTER MARSHALL


Case StudyCase StudyMODERN SOCIETY

�Extensive market researchshowed a very firm demand from thelocal catchment population for what istruly a club belonging to its members.

�Additionally those members havea real interest in its operation, as wellas ultimately benefiting from anydividends declared out of the profitsof the business.

�With the parent company havingcalculated exactly what everythingwould cost and just how manymembers we would need to turn anexpected initial operating loss intoprofit, we made no false promises toprospective members.

What we did stress from theoutset was that our aims would notchange.Fareham Woods would alwaysbe very strictly a members only club.

�Although we have what I consid-er to be a magnificent golf course, itwasn�t expected to be easy to attractmembers, especially when they werealso made aware from the start thatuntil we reached a target of 500 workwould not start on the clubhouse.

However, we stressed thatmembers would be made as comfort-able as possible with temporary chang-ing rooms, bar and lounge facilities.

�Yet within weeks of the coursebeing opened for play, we had over400 members on board, and thefigure is now fast approaching thetarget to set the wheels in motion tostart work on the new clubhouse.

�It certainly appears that ourconcept of a truly members club, hascaptured the imagination. Undoubt-edly it is this aspect that has inspiredmany more players to join the clubvery much earlier than we had antici-pated.

�There is competition out there,but we believe we have found anentirely new market that was justwaiting to be tapped.�

Fareham Woods expected to hearrecently that the club had been affili-ated to the Hampshire, Isle of Wightand Channel Islands� Golf Union.

�Although always retaining ourexclusivity as promised to ourmembers, I would certainly like tothink, and I�m sure the memberswould agree, that in the futureFareham Woods would play an activepart in the activities of the HampshireGolf Union and the Hampshire PGA.

�It would give us great pleasure tohave important Hampshire amateur

and professional events played on ourcourse. �We would welcome theopportunity of displaying to ourfriends in those organisations thegenuinely warm atmosphere that insuch a comparatively short time, isalready in place,� added Ross.

Apart from its unusual concept,Fareham Woods has another distinc-tion. The club�s inaugural captain isformer West Indies Test cricketerDesmond Haynes, now an avid golferplaying off an eight handicap.

In an unusual step, David WilsonHomes have joined forces withFareham Woods to offer a free

one year’s membership to allhousebuyers on the adjacent

new Oakcrest housing estate.

Creating the vision to manage

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Club InsightClub InsightTHE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE

SSpectacular is an adjective which tends to be overused inthese days of marketing overkill. It is applied to thewhiteness of washing, any half-baked laser show, allpackage holidays and practically any goal scored from

outside the 18-yard box in the Premiership.But there are no apologies from this correspondent for the

extensive use of the word in this feature, as it is the one adjec-tive, in the truest sense of its usage, which comes close todescribing the majesty of the Old Head golf links, at Kinsale,Co. Cork, Ireland.

If a picture paints a 1,000 words, just glance at the photo-graphs accompanying this feature, and save me the trouble ofdescribing it in detail.

Ray Cawley, general manager of the course, does notmince his words when asked to describe the course - and heshould know, for he has been involved with the launch ofmany of Ireland�s major new clubs.

He said: �Old Head is unique in the world of golf. Youwill never see anything like it in all the years you play thesport. Since we opened in June we have had 8,500 visitors,and that�s just in the first four months. We have closedduring January and February to ensure that the course is inpeak condition for March.

�It is a wonderful venue. You can see the sea fromevery hole with nine of the holes actually on thecliff top.�The par-three seventh Legal Eagle sits proudly 220ftabove sea level, while the par-four fourth Razor�sEdge is a mere 90ft above sea level. Yet despite nature having designed the shape of thecourse over thousands of years, its transition fromfarmland to beautiful sporting arena did not happen overnight. ➧

the Old Head of KinsaleKinsaleOld Head maybe a new face in the golfingmarketplace, but the course is sure to makemore than simply Irish eyes smile.

Article by David Bowers

Club Insight


Club InsightTHE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE

It�s nine years since John andPatrick O�Connor decided to purchasethe farmland at Old Head and turn itinto a golf course - and only after theyhad to be persuaded to take a look atthe two-mile long promontory thehistory of which can be traced back tobetween 200 BC and 400 AD.

The O�Connors - whose real estateexperience on both sides of theAtlantic spans a quarter of a century -formed Ashbourne Holding Limitedspecifically for the acquisition anddevelopment of the Old Head ofKinsale project.

Old Head general manager, RayCawley (pictured below) explained:�Of those nine years, its actually beenfive years in the building. It�s beendriven through 43 routing plans andthe consensus is that they have got itright first time.

�The O�Connors are very environ-mentally aware and it was their desire

that everything should bereturned to as normal astate as possible and tothat end we have had aconsultant in from theUniversity of Cork. �The wildlife has increased

by a factor of three sincethe development. The

bird sanctuary isthriving and birds

who normallyonly nest onan island areappearing.

�There are five caves going east towest which have made a bridge out ofthe isthmus, so because the birds cancircumnavigate it they believe it�s anisland.�

Consultant ecologist TomO�Byrne added: �Out of 216 acres ofland, approximately 66 sloping acres,which include the isthmus, haveremained untouched and wild downthrough the ages.

�Until 1978, 150 acres werefarmed - and 150 acres are now an 18-hole golf course. �The flat grasslandon the farm was almost featureless asare most grazing areas.

�Now over half-a-million shrubs,plants and bushes are planted on theridges and mounds to create innu-merable screens and wildlife habitats,including several new wetlands habi-tats.�

Ray Cawley said: �It was previ-ously low quality farmland usedmainly by sheep but with some cattle.And it was regularly trespassed on -the poor farmer had to put up withall these people just breaking downhis gate to walk down to the light-house and yet the only people withlegal access were the lighthouse staff.

�As part of our planning applica-tion we actually offered limited accessto the public. For a small charge thepublic are far better off now, and thewalks have been developed awayfrom the golf course.�

It is hardly surprising that thepublic visit Old Head in their droves.It is a remarkably dramatic piece ofgeological design, a NationalMonument and an ancient royal sitefortified by a castle at the narrowestpoint of the promontory - in short a

The Razor’s Edge, a dog-leg 407 yard, par four(Inset) The Gun Hole second

(Below) The stylish reception greets you at the Old Head

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Club InsightClub Insight

Charles MadorCHARTERED ARCHITECTS

Specialists in Golf Projects

Designers of the Wisley Golf Clubhouseand the new Celtic Manor Golf Clubhouse

Call us to discuss your new or refurbishment building project

41 Highbury Park, London N5 1THTelephone: +44(0)171 354 2019

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ARCHITECTURE " INTERIOR DESIGNPLANNING " PROJECT MANAGEMENT

place of outstanding historical,archaeological and scientific interest.

As an example, looking from thefourth towards the horizon, your lineof vision will roughly fall on the spotwhere the liner Lusitania was sunk bya U-boat in 1915, an event that drewthe US into WWI, and arguablychanged the course of history.

The existing Old Head lighthouse,completed in 1853, is situated at thesouthern extremity of the peninsula,but the original Old Head naviga-tional lights were located adjacent tothe site of the 13th century castle -the ruins of which remain to this day.

As for the new course itself,Cawley remains as impressed now aswhen he first saw, and played it. �Thepar-four fourth, a 407-yard dogleg, isa super hole, and the par-five 12th islike nothing you�ll see anywhere else.

�On the par-three 16th, it�s 180yards across the rocks and breakersonto a small green.� Cawley and hisstaff had already taken more than5,000 bookings for 1998 before theend of November 1997 fuelling thebelief that Old Head is likely tobecome one of the most sought afternames on any golfer�s CV.

However, Old Head will not bethrowing its hat into the ring forfuture Irish or European Opens. �Itwould be a logistical nightmare,�admitted Cawley unashamedly.

�We have no intention of puttingin for international events - for a startthe roads are very narrow. For anIrish Open you would be looking atbetween 25,000 and 30,000 visitorsper day and there�s no way we couldcope with the parking.

�And with so many of the holesalong the cliff tops it�s far too danger-ous for the public. It�s also anexposed site and although there aresome sheltered areas we could nothave a tented village - for media andcorporate entertainment etc. - as astrong wind might damage it.�

However, Old Head is certain tobecome a famous course. Marketingexecutives have spent several monthsin the USA workingwith tour operatorsand the course hasbeen featured onnational tv in theUSA, Ireland andthe UK.

There is also ane i g h t - m i n u t ep r o m o t i o n a lvideo which givesa taste of whatthe course isabout - nature,history and sportin perfect harmony.

As Tom O�Byrne summed up:�With good planning, humans andwildlife can, and do comfortably co-exist in mutual harmony. The OldHead of Kinsale is unique, is flourish-ing, and is a place of enjoyment forall.� It�s also very spectacular...

THE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE

Feature


FeatureGOLF COURSE DESIGN


Maintaining stan-dards is a profes-sional challengethat all businessesface. But in thecase of golf course

architecture, a failure to ensure that ahigh degree of professionalism pre-vails results in a permanent warningto potential investors of the futurethat their money could be wasted.

In the golf course design business,the legacy of sloppy workmanship isthere for all to see in the form of astring of poorly thought out andconstructed golf courses.

Of course, in the short term it isbusiness as usual. But in the long term,the consequence of shoddy crafts-manship that produces one too manyan embarrassment for the industry is adecline in subsequent investment.

What then follows logically, asfacilities decline, is a drop off in inter-est in the sport. In short, the result ofa lack of professional standards is thebeginnings of a vicious circle ofunder-investment and dwindlinginterest in the game of golf that fewcan afford to allow.

The principle aim of both theBritish Institute of Golf CourseArchitects (BIGCA) and theProfessional Golfers� Architects� Ass-ociation (PGAA) is to assist in ensur-ing that professionalism prevailsthroughout the design industry, thus

avoiding the build up of a legacy ofbad workmanship that might scareoff the next millennium�s new golfinvestor and entrepreneur.

With independent operators likeEuropean Golf Design, the aim, aswell as securing a good profit for itsown management, is to offer acomprehensive service that willensure that the end product speaksfor the industry�s professional reputa-tion as a whole.

The BIGCA is the older of the twoprofessional bodies in existence today.Its origins date back to 1971 whenfive architects joined together with thecollective aim of installing someprofessionalism into a business that inthose early days might have involvedanyone from the top golf professionalof the day to an inexperienced andunder qualified greenkeeper.

Today, the BIGCA boasts 45members, with half of these based allover the continental mainland, andsubsequently divided into threesections; fellowship, full membershipand associateship. ➧

Profit by Design!

ARTICLE BY COLIN CAMERON

The 2nd at The Buckinghamshire,designed by David Pottage

A scenic view of the Il Picciolo GC, Sicily,designed by Luigi Rota Caremoli

The Dave Thomas designed San Roque club in Spain


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Feature



Over a dozen new courses built in England during the 1990s

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The later affords anyone theopportunity to work from the loweststatus of membership right up to fullfellowship, the reward for over tenyears of experience and achievementin the business.

With membership stretchinggeographically all the way acrossEurope from Holland to Iceland andfrom Portugal to Denmark, the insti-tute, the biggest in the world outsidethe 120-member American equiva-lent, is also a natural talking shop andhelps facilitate an exchange of ideas.

The stated aim of the institute isto advance the study of golf, golfcourse architecture, planning, devel-opment and kindred subjects.

To help achieve this goal, theBIGCA has established, in associationwith Merrist Wood College, Surrey, adiploma course for aspiring studentsso that in time the business will haveits own recognised qualificationcarrying the clout of, for example, adiploma in chartered surveying.

The institute�s Howard Swanexplains: �The BIGCA has a responsi-bility to educate, for everyone�s bene-fit - the industry and its clients.

�There has been an in-house qual-ification in the past, previously, forwhich the institute�s members servedas tutors, but we wanted to formaliseit and make it like a two-year appren-ticeship.�

The result of this initiative will bea steady stream of graduates in yearsto come with a recognisable qualifica-tion that should speak for itself. �It isin our interests to educate,� empha-sises Swan.

The PGAA is the younger of thetwo bodies, by over two decades, butit nevertheless carries all the weightand influence that you would expectof an organisation founded five years

ago by Peter Alliss, John Jacobs, NeilColes, Brian Huggett and DaveThomas.

The founders� thinking behindsetting up the organisation in 1992was that all the many professionalgolfers who branch out into golfcourse design deserved to have theirown voice in the industry.

The association, which boastsaround 40 members who are eitherfounders, full members or associatesare committed to the implementationof professional standards, to encour-aging golf course architects to takeout professional indemnity insurance,and to assisting in the development ofan educational programme.

Norman Fletcher, assistant execu-tive director of the PGAA, maintains:�The PGAA was set up so that theprofessional golfer who is involved isrecognised for having the skill for thework.

�The association is still in itsinfancy but it has already achievedsignificant results and made themembership aware of the importanceof specialist indemnity insurance. Ithas also introduced standards to themarket place.�

And in the same way that theinstitute does for its members, thePGAA serves as an excellent talkingshop for fellow professionals whoseek to develop their interests aboveand beyond just playing the game formoney. ➧

The High Course at Canford Magna, designed bySwan Golf Designs

Designed by Peter Harradine, the Doha GC in Qatar

Jonathan GauntBA (hons) Dip LA

Golf Course Architect

44 Stanmore Road, London E11 3BU

http: //www.integrity.co.uk/golf/gauntE-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: 0181 532 9181Fax: 0181 532 9553

Member of the British Institute of Golf Course Architects


BRITISH INSTITUTE OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

Swan Golf Designs LimitedTelfords Barn, Willingale,

Ongar, Essex CM5 0QF, England

Phone: 01277 896229 Fax: 01277 896300E-Mail: [email protected]

Howard Swan M.ScNigel Henbury B.A., Dip.Arch.

Golf Course Architects

member of the

HAWTREEGOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

Since 1912

5 OXFORD STREET, WOODSTOCK,OXFORD OX20 1TQ

TEL: (01993) 811976 FAX: (01993) 812448

British Institute of Golf Course Architects

Golf Course and

Club House Architecture

Course Alterations and

Driving Range Designs

Sports Council Approved Consultants

Alan LeatherA S S O C I A T E S

45 Charlestown RoadCharlestown, St AustellCornwall PL25 3NJ

Tel: 01726 65924/67325Fax: 01726 61480

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Telephone: +44(0)1773 827115 Fax: +44(0)1773 821284Website: http://www.golf-design.demon.co.uk

DK Hemstock BSc, I.Eng. - Les Watts B.Arch.

Golf Course Architects

Feature



The life of the independent can bemade easier by the work of both ofthe established organisations commit-ted to maintaining professional stan-dards, but ultimately it is up to eachindividual operation to sustain its ownreputation for excellence that will keepclients returning for more business.

European Golf Design has beenoperating in its own name for the lastfive years, and are associated withboth the PGA European Tour andIMG.

The company�s managing directorJeremy Slessor�s aim is for EGD tooffer all services that potential clientsmight need under one roof so thatanyone interested in building a golfcourse need make only one phone call.

But Slessor also believes that acompany is stronger by knowing itslimitations. If the Surrey-based EGD,which has worked on courses as far afield as South Africa, Zanzibar andIsrael, cannot handle a task itself itwill seek outside assistance.

According to Slessor, one of theworst things a company can do toundermine professional standards isto take on something for which it hasno real expertise.

In addition, EGD works in con-junction with some of the world�sgreatest professional golfers - Faldo,Woosman and Lyle to name but afew - by supplying the sort of exper-tise and practical experience that youmight, understandably, benefit fromif you have dedicated your life toexcelling at playing and not studyinggolf course design.

�Working with professionals clear-ly has a marketing value,� admitsSlessor.

�But it is a challenge working forguys whose reputations have been

made playing the game at the highestlevel on some of the world�s greatestcourses.

�Players are full of ideas as theyhave seen and played on the bestcourses in the world, but we helpthem by establishing what will workand why.�

In fact, the aims of the best archi-tects is to match the standards ofprofessionalism the world�s greatestplayers show week in, week out onthe golf course.

The 7th at the Goldegg GC in Austria, designed by Joan Dudok van Heel

THE DESIGN COMPANY OF INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT GROUP AND THE PGA EUROPEAN TOUR

75 Windsor Road, Cobham,Surrey, GU24 8LD.

Tel : +44 (0)1276 855 955Fax : +44 (0)1276 856 190

Email : [email protected]: HTTP://WWW.EGD.COM


Firm FocusFirm FocusWHITNELL CONTRACTS

The list of clients at WhitnellContracts reads like a Who�s Who ofgolf course architects - Gidman, Swan,Williams et al.

But trying to persuade managingdirector Lionel Whitnell to part withtheir names is like pulling teeth - hefeels listing his clients or courses he�sworked on, is simply boasting.

That is not to say he is so modestthat he underestimates the qualities ofhis company, it�s just that he andfellow director Peter Orpen - whohave been friends for more than 25years - remain as down-to-earth andunassuming as when they started outtogether as digger drivers.

Whitnell admitted: �We�re thebusiest course constructor in thecountry. We have been working onthe Colchester and Lexden Wood GCwhere we�re doing 12 holes - ninenew and three upgrades.

�The owners were so pleased theyhave commissioned us to upgradetheir prestigious Seckford Hall course.We�ve also recently completed 18holes at Happy Valley near Caterhamfor the Crystal Palace FC chairmanRon Noades.�

Whitnell believes his company�ssuccess is down to the quality of thework they provide, professionalism,reliability and stability - qualities heand Orpen maintain by adopting a100 per cent hands-on approach.

Unusually for golf course construc-tors - and a hangover from the compa-ny�s civil engineering beginnings - theworkers live on site during the project.

This means that when the jobstarts a cavalcade of smart caravansand temporary buildings appears onthe horizon - and they don�t leave

until Whitnell is 100 per cent satisfiedwith the completion of the allottedtask.

�When we finish a job I look at itand think about all the pleasure it isgoing to give thousands of people.When we finish it�s down to thegroundstaff and they nurture it like ababy and mould it into its full glory.�

Living on-site means a workingday can start as early as 6am andfinish as late as 9pm - and Whitnellmaintains that can save time on theproject, a major benefit to the client.As is the fact that Whitnell Contractsplant is supplied by Whitnell Plant.

�We�re the only course constructorwith all our own equipment, so themoment we set foot on the job every-thing has got Whitnell on it - there areno other companies involved with ourequipment. Maybe that�s one of thereasons we are so buoyant,� he added.

So buoyant in fact that thecompany is now aiming to become asrenowned in Europe as it is in theUK. �We want to break into Europein a big way,� admitted Whitnell.

�We feel we would be of benefitto the European market as we�ve gota lot to offer.

There are an awfullot of courses requir-ed on the continent inthe next few years.�

He does not agree however, withthe Golf Futures report which states300 new courses will be required inthe UK over the next ten years.

�It�s just a feeling we have - wher-ever you go at the moment in thiscountry you trip over a golf coursewhich is great for golfers, but it canbe difficult for the proprietors becauseif one springs up generally anotherbites the dust.�

Having completed over 30 newcourses, one would expect thatWhitnell and Orpen, would want toreturn to play.

Not so, their enjoyment is in thecreation of the course, �like an artistpainting a masterpiece for others tolook at. I had a go once but most ofthe balls ended up behind me.�

Instead he finds great pleasure inhis work, striving as he does toprovide �quality and professionalismwith a hands-on personal touch.�

And as if to prove the point headded: �I personally know all myguys� phone numbers in my head -that�s how hands-on we are. Andthat�s the sort of company we are.�

Whitnell ContractsThe Lion goes from strength to strength...

WHITNELL CONTRACTS LtdWoodlands, Ellis Road,

Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RN

Telephone 01206 272834Facsimile 01206 272104

Swiss Office: IGI Global Golf31, rue du 31 Decembre

CH-1207, GenevaTel: +41 22 786 3733 Fax: +41 22 786 3438

The eighth green at Reigate Hill GC,built by Whitnell Contracts

AnalysisAnalysisDAVID POTTAGE

In February it will be 35 years since I passed mydriving test. It was at the first attempt and after only amonth of driving experience - I really thought I wasJack the lad at the time! I practised in company vans, but the driving school car

was a Renault Dauphine - remember those? I think currentRenaults are better - I am now driving one again for thefirst time since. In between there have been quite a largenumber of others, some bangers and some quite special.

What, you may well ask, has this got to do with golf?Perhaps not a lot, although, whilst not pretending to beJeremy Clarkson, my experience of cars has led me to believethat they can be a great analogy for golf course design.

Like most course designers, I sometimes find it difficultto convince clients that it is not always a good policy tohave a cheap specification if they want to pack 60,000rounds per annum round their course, whereas if year byyear they are building a pitch and putt course in the back ofbeyond, it may well be that using the USGA greens specifi-cation and sanding the fairways is a little over the top.

Using my analogy, this would be explained by suggest-ing that you would not buy a beaten up old mini if yourannual mileage was around 60,000; similarly you wouldnot buy a Ferrari if you only drove around narrow coun-try lanes at 30mph - horses for courses!

Good golf course design is a matter of great skill, so isputting together the right specification for the right project.The majority of courses in Britain, and most of WesternEurope have to stand on their own and not rely on proper-ty or other development to subsidise their construction.

It is normally not too difficult to balance the books ona day-to-day basis, unless the projecthas been disastrously put together, orbuilt totally in the wrong place.Servicing and repaying the develop-ment cost is usually the killer, as manywould- be owners and badly-advised

farmers will testify.

Once again, equating construction specification tocars, I have been a Vauxhall man for many years now -you can substitute your own favourite make - and tend tothink of the Carlton, or Omega as I believe it has beenreplaced by, as an excellent car for all occasions. A specifi-cation pitched about that level would do credit andprovide excellent service to most, if not all, golf courses.

Stepping up beyond that level is usually a matter ofchoice and preference, rarely necessity. Yes, it is nice to laysand over every yard of fairway and light rough, but doyou really need it and can you afford it? This is maybereaching Jaguar or Mercedes status - you take the point.REALISTIC LEVELI feel that looking at golf from this aspect particularlywhen talking to clients who are embarking on their firstventure, keeps things on a realistic level. There is no golfcourse standard as such in the United Kingdom and notreally a universal one in the USA, in spite of the �USGAGreen�. This specification, upon which millions of dollarsare lavished, is changed regularly in any case, so one asksoneself is technology always the reason, or is there someother commercial benefit?

The fact remains that an awful lot of people make anawful lot of money playing around with a 300mm thickchunk of predominately sand, which really only has twomain criteria; to grow grass and to let water pass throughit. I am being perhaps a little facetious, but nevertheless, Ibelieve we go over the top at times.

Think cars, keep it in proportion. The golf coursespecification is set to become more critical as agronomistsstart to follow the American line and take to fighting incourt to establish what is acceptable and what is not.

Golf course architect David Pottage (pictured) believes thatthe right specification, for the right project, is the key to

good golf course design. In other words we should...

ThinkCars


The eighth hole at the Buckinghamshire - Definitely a Mercedes spec course


AnalysisAnalysisDAVID POTTAGE

Most of our hallowed golf courses were built withoutthe benefit of high-tech specification, even though somehave had money thrown at them in recent years. Fewcourses walk better than the East Course at Wentworth,with its wonderful fescue fairways and St. Andrews isundoubtedly still the biggest attraction.

I wonder if any of my revered predecessors related golfto the Model �T� Ford or the big Humber, or even to theshire horse or the Scarborough beach donkey, whenputting their specifications together? I doubt it. I would,however, like to think my courses will last as well and beas well thought of as some of their�s.

It is, of course, no good building a medium, or highspecification course, if you do not look after it properly.Here the consideration is perhaps more about servicingthan the actual car itself. A well serviced old banger willprobably out-last a badly-serviced luxury car. Good green-keeping is vital and is really a mixture of extreme abilityand hard, sometimes monotonous, tasks.

Over the years, golf greenkeeping has, in the UK, beenone of the most underrated and underpaid professions.On many courses a bit like running a Jaguar on two-strokefuel. A motoring rule of thumb would be one of twoCarltons or Jaguars, together with a few workhorse Corsasis a much better bet than a fleet of Astras. A good headman is well worth paying for.

Returning to where I started, a good course needsmore than just a good layout. It needs an experiencedcontractor with good on-site supervision to ensure thatthe specification is complied with and to ensure that thefinished product can be maintained with reasonable ease.

My observations are, of course, meant to be takentongue in cheek. Nevertheless for those of you thinkingabout commissioning your first, or maybe umpteenthcourse you might think about the car you drive and assessit along the above lines. It might enable you to make thecorrect choice of architect and in time make him sharpenhis pencil a bit.

MORALThe moral of the story? A good experienced architect, agood specification, good on-site supervision and a goodgreenkeeper are vital and money well spent. However,you do not need to buy a Rolls Royce, or the fee equiva-lent, to obtain the best results.

Oh, the difference between the cooking model and thetop of the range CD model? That�s probably just a bit ofextra landscaping.

Forleigh Court Farm - More of a Carlton specification

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PortfolioPRODUCT INFORMATION

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CAPS FOR COURSES

! +44 (0)1535 611103

Stylish and comfortable protec-tive headwear, designed to beused in areas of incidentalhazard, is now available fromCourse Wear. The cottoncovered, breathable ‘keeper’and the fully waterproof‘Murray’ with its fold downfleece-lined band, are ideal forprotection from the elements aswell as golf balls and low trees.

The Average Sizeof an 18 Hole, 6,500Yard Golf Courseis about 150 Acres.

TheAverage

Size of an18 Hole,

6,500 YardGGoollff

CCoouurrttis about15 Acres.

Golf Courts IncorporatedKingmaker House

Station RoadNew Barnet

HertsEN5 1NZ

Golf Courts offer Greater Advantages

• Golf by the hour• Low construction, maintenance

and operation costs• Ideal for hotels, leisure centres

and urban housing developments• Ideal for premium-cost land• Floodlit golf

Golf Courts offer Greater Advantages

• Golf by the hour• Low construction, maintenance

and operation costs• Ideal for hotels, leisure centres

and urban housing developments• Ideal for premium-cost land• Floodlit golf

Tel: 0181 364 8065Fax: 0181 364 8053

For our colour brochure call:Tel: 0181 364 8065Fax: 0181 364 8053

gmé | issuu 3

Documents

golf futuresreport

issuessingle copiesuk

rest of world

practicalgolf course

new clubless golferscheme

design valuesin

anirish course

peter simm pat symes