Tim Lobb, principal of Lobb + Partners, has completed work on greenside bunkers at Tandridge Golf Club in Surrey, England, as part of a long-term renovation plan.

Routed through woodland and with views of the chalk hills of southeast England’s North Downs, Tandridge was designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1924. Frank Pont oversaw several years of restoration work from 2009.

In 2019, Lobb was appointed to continue bringing back the Colt design and philosophy to the course, while also ensuring that the layout meets the standards of modern construction and playability.

Newly renovated greenside bunkers on the short par-four sixteenth, with a distinctive two-tiered green (Photo Jason Livy)

The initial work including woodland management, supervised by John Nicholson, and the installation of a new irrigation system, in 2022.

“On the evening of 1 August 2024, a severe storm hit the golf club, delivering over an inch of rain in under an hour,” said Scott Weale, course manager at Tandridge. “While the course evolution had been a long-term plan, with Tim encompassing major projects such as fairway widening and tee extensions, the damage caused by the storm was unprecedented. Many of our pathways were washed away, and all our unlined bunkers were left in a state of disrepair. This left the club with no choice but to act swiftly, accelerating a bunker remediation programme aligned with our existing masterplan.”

The approach shot to the par-four fourteenth, which previously had a string of three bunkers to the right of the green (Photo Jason Livy)

18 Golf Construction began work in October 2024, initially concentrating on greenside bunkers. Weale and his team have also extended approach cuts from green surrounds to add variety to the playing experience and enhance turf quality.

“We did not seek to totally redesign the strategy or bunkering, but more to create a consistent playing test for golfers,” said Lobb. “Some of our most striking work can be typified on hole six, where we blended some smaller cross bunkers into a larger diagonal bunker, moved distant greenside bunkers closer to the green edge and removed awkward steps leading away from a green.

“The golf course at Tandridge has evolved many times over the years and heavily reduced the number of bunkers from the original design. We felt it was important to retain the high visual presence of the bunkering as has been present on the site in recent years. Trying to retain the vintage look with modern construction techniques was the driving forces behind our methodology.”

Diagonal bunkering on the par-four tenth hole at Tandridge (Photo Jason Livy)

Weale added: “The introduction of rubber crumb liner in all bunkers marks a significant step forward in both maintenance efficiency and course playability. With all bunkers now fully drained and reshaped, the impact of heavy rainfall is significantly reduced, virtually eliminating washouts and the prolonged ground under repair periods we used to face during the winter months.

“From a maintenance perspective, the improvements are substantial. Previously, up to 40 per cent of the greenkeeping team’s time was spent on bunker-related tasks, ranging from stone picking and weeding to repairing storm damage. With the new liner system and improved shaping, that time has been dramatically reduced. This enables our team to focus on higher-value tasks during peak hours, resulting in more efficient operations and ultimately a better-presented course.

“Even at this early stage, with only the greenside bunkers completed, we’ve already seen a marked improvement in consistency and playability. Members and guests are experiencing better, more reliable conditions, and the club is benefiting from a more sustainable, long-term approach to course care.”

A second phase of work will begin in October 2025, focusing on fairway bunkers (seventeenth hole pictured) (Photo Jason Livy)

The second phase of work will focus on fairway bunkers and is scheduled to begin in October 2025 and reopen by May 2026.

Weale added: “Throughout the process, the club's primary goal has remained clear: to honour and preserve the rich architectural heritage of Harry Colt, while ensuring the course meets modern expectations and embraces sustainable maintenance practices.”