Frank Pont’s roadmap focuses on restoring elements of the original design, which will work with ongoing tree removal efforts
By Laura Hyde |
Clayton, DeVries & Pont (CDP) is developing a renovation plan for Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, near Birmingham, England.
The Sutton Coldfield course was originally established in 1893 as a nine-hole layout. Following a move across Sutton Park, the club hired Alister MacKenzie to create a new 18-hole layout, which would open in 1934.
Mike Clayton, Australian architect and partner at CDP, said: “This course is blow-you-away amazing, and it could be even better. England has the best golf in the world, certainly in a small area; this course would be in the top 25 if it were in Australia, easily. The fifteenth is almost exactly the same as the fifteenth green at Royal Melbourne, which MacKenzie built five or six years later – you can see MacKenzie was here.”
“Sutton Coldfield’s strength is firm and fast heathland golf, and protecting that character demands a careful, focused approach,” said Chris Roberts, course manager. “Rather than working to one big masterplan, we’re tackling individual areas of development systematically and are working with Frank Pont of CDP, who is advising on each project: green extensions, bunker alterations and proposed rerouting to make the most of the heathland.”
The club has already expanded the total surface area of greens from 0.8 to 1.2 hectares. This work involved bringing existing contours, which were previously surrounds, into play as green surfaces. A new irrigation system has also been installed and can handle watering the larger greens.
Holes seven and thirteen are early examples of this work. “Putting over this ground is a new skillset for members, and it’s a real thrill - exactly the kind of golf MacKenzie would have wanted,” said Roberts. “More broadly, it’s about bringing back the running game - players using the ground’s topography to get the ball to the hole, rather than flying everything in.”
In developing plans, CDP is referencing MacKenzie’s original reports and his drawing of 1919 plan.
CDP is referencing Alister MacKenzie’s original masterplan to develop its renovation plan (Photo: Sutton Coldfield Golf Club)
“One of the key elements of our approach is to restore and expand the MacKenzie design elements in the course where possible,” said Pont. “Chris had already done a great job bringing character and style back to the bunkers.”
Following greens expansion and new irrigation, Pont is now focusing on heathland regeneration and restoring historical long views. “Longer term, we will be working with the club to assess whether it makes sense to create some of the elements of Mackenzie’s plan that were not executed,” he said. “In the meantime, we will also be looking at routing improvements that could further lift the course to the next level.
“We also need to find solutions for the second and ninth holes, two par threes that are very hard to maintain because they are surrounded by large oak trees. There are several other holes such as one, four, seven, fifteen and seventeen that might need some restoration work or just general tweaking, but nothing is set is stone as yet.”
Roberts added: “CDP is looking at possible rerouting opportunities to take golf out of heavily shaded areas and deliver a heathland experience instead.”
Tree removal is ongoing and, given the club’s Site of Special Scientific Interest status, Natural England is involved.
“Also, in conjunction with Natural England,” said Roberts. “We’re carrying out heather scrapes and are using seed harvested from on-site heather to aid rejuvenation. The area to the right of the third - previously silver birch – has been scraped, freeing up some 300-400 square metres for heather to re-establish.”
The club is undertaking work to re-establish heather scrapes across its course, as seen on the seventh hole (Photo: CDP)