LATEST
NEWS

Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

Construction nears completion of new King’s course for Torvean

Construction of the new King’s course – designed by Stuart Rennie – for Torvean Golf Club in Inverness, Scotland, is nearing completion.

The new course is located on the northern side of the river Ness and adjacent to the Caledonian Canal, with the second phase of the Inverness West Link project – a road connecting the Torvean area to the south of the city – to be constructed in between the eighteenth hole and proposed practice area after the opening of the course.

“The proposed course has been developed on more undulating land to the west of the existing course overlooked by the Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters,” said Rennie. “The vision was to create a like-for-like golf course bringing modern day design principals into play with a view to create a heathland style course using a quintessential highland landscape planting pallet incorporating the likes of heather, gorse and fescue grasses.

“Whilst creating a routing that flows with the contours and works with the landscape, the course has been designed to improve the biodiversity of the site. A series of waterbodies and wetlands along with buffer planting and grassland planting will create an ecologically rich landscape to coexist with the day-to-day functioning of the golf course. Public access has been provided with a designated signed access/fitness trail through the course creating a more accessible space for the local community. The clubhouse will also be relocated closer to the community and will be open to the public.”

The relocation of the existing course to adjacent land has seen the creation of a new layout, opening up an improved master planned gateway. The former municipal layout has been renamed the King’s golf course and includes sixteen new holes and two holes from the existing course that have been completely renovated.

Construction started in September 2016 and is generally complete with only remedial works and ongoing maintenance. The course is expected to be open for play in June 2019.

Rennie Design worked with lead consultant Capita Symonds along with sub-consultants Bryan Byrne Associates Quantity Surveyors, Bruce Jamieson Golf Advisors and Giles Wardle from Irriplan. “The wealth of experience from the team has been second to none and all should be proud of their input,” said Rennie.

“Many courses in the Highlands have heathland characteristics where in the summer months they play firm and fast which we were keen to emulate within the design,” continued Rennie. “We specified drought tolerant grass species with bent/fescue being seeded from tee to green along with fescue roughs. Barenbrug seed has been used and grown in using the new Toro irrigation system.

“We have proposed and implemented design elements to create a cohesive style and materials palette, for example, the introduction of sleeper edges to some ditches to create visibility and shadow from the approach shot. Sleepers have been used elsewhere for signage, bridges and on a feature bunker but the most significantly incorporated into sleeper walls which runs in front of the new eighteenth green creating a forced carry risk and reward strategy over water.

“The site had historical field patterns made up of old stone walls and fences some of which have been retained within the design, the par-five fifth will see either the ambitious second shot traverse an old retained wall or second shot lay-up.

“I am absolutely thrilled to see the vision become a reality with my first solo 18-hole course being constructed so close to where I grew up in Muir of Ord. I take a lot of inspiration from the golf courses in the Highlands none more than Royal Dornoch where I have been a member for over 25 years.”

Previous Article ASGCA releases 2018 list of ‘design excellence’ projects
Next Article New course takes shape for merged New Zealand clubs
Print
8770 Rate this article:
No rating
Slideshow HTML
  • Torvean

    Construction of the new King’s course for Torvean Golf Club in Inverness is nearing completion

  • Torvean

    Stuart Rennie has designed sixteen new holes and completely renovated two holes from the existing course

  • Torvean

    “Waterbodies and wetlands along with buffer planting and grassland planting will create an ecologically rich landscape,” said Rennie

  • Torvean

    The second phase of the Inverness West Link project will be constructed between the eighteen hole and proposed practice area

  • Torvean

    The course is expected to be open for play in June 2019

Richard Humphreys

Richard HumphreysRichard Humphreys

Other posts by Richard Humphreys
Contact author

Contact author

x
Summer 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now
Magazine, News | Mon 09 Jun, 2025

Summer 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now

New release asks: ‘what inspired you to become a golf course architect?’

The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!
Magazine, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!

Includes reports from Maggie Hathaway and Apogee, interviews with Martin Ebert and Dave Axland and a feature on golf art

FEATURE
ARTICLES

You shall go to the ball
Russell Kirk
Report | Toby Ingleton

You shall go to the ball

A Cinderella story has unfolded at the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, within Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Toby Ingleton reports

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse
USGA/Fred Vuich
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey
Taku Miyamoto
Interview | Adam Lawrence

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

South course at Apogee Club: New scenery for second act
Toby Ingleton
On site | Toby Ingleton

South course at Apogee Club: New scenery for second act

Toby Ingleton reports on a design debut for the partnership of Mike Davis and Tom Fazio II, in the new course hotspot of south Florida

The art of golf
theberkshire.co.uk, The R&A World Golf Museum and National Galleries of Scotland
Feature | Adam Lawrence

The art of golf

Adam Lawrence profiles some of the best illustrators of golf courses in the game’s history – both full-time artists and architects who draw or paint

A masterplan of masters’ plans
Cohasse CC
Report | Mark Wagner

A masterplan of masters’ plans

Mark Wagner writes about the Tim Lewis-led renovation of Cohasse, a course that includes the work of Donald Ross and the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted

Quail Hollow: An interview with Tom Fazio
PGA of America/ Gary W. Kellner
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Quail Hollow: An interview with Tom Fazio

The architect talks about how this year’s PGA Championship venue has evolved over the past 30 years

Bringing golf to Benin
Afrikafun Production Stephane Brabant
Report | Richard Humphreys

Bringing golf to Benin

Jeremy Pern and Gregori International are creating the first 18-hole course in the West African country, on an ‘almost perfect’ site that also includes a sacred grove and voodoo shrines

The future of vegetation management on Melbourne’s Sandbelt
Lukas Michel/CDP
Opinion | Mike Clayton

The future of vegetation management on Melbourne’s Sandbelt

Mike Clayton discusses Alister MacKenzie’s transformative impact on Australian golf and how clubs can avoid repeating previous mistakes by establishing a long-term plan focused on indigenous plants

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good
Stephen Barton – Second Collective
On site | Adam Lawrence

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good

The reconstruction of the nine-hole course in Los Angeles is the golf industry at its best, says Adam Lawrence

Designs for the big screen
Pizá Golf
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Gopher Watch Competition – April 2025
Gopher Watch, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

Gopher Watch Competition – April 2025

Which course has Sandy the gopher visited this month?

MOST
POPULAR

FEATURED
BUSINESSES