Althaus starts long-term Kassel reno
Architect Christian Althaus has begun work on what could be a long-term transformation of the Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe course in the German state of Hesse.
Althaus, who started his own practice a few years back after leaving the firm of Staedler Golf Design, is rebuilding the par three twelfth hole at the course, which sits at an altitude of 600m in the high forest of central Germany. Bernhard von Limburger designed the club's first nine holes, and the course was later extended to eighteen by Donald Harradine.
“I first started working with Kassel three years ago, and created a long-term masterplan for the development of the course,” Althaus told GCA. “The club is quite small, but has allocated a budget each year for course improvements. We built a new green for the twelfth last year, pushing it back to create a slightly longer hole – it is now 145m, where previously it was 120m – and, most importantly, to shorten the walk to the next tee. Now, we are adding tees and hazards.
“Eventually, the club wants to rebuild all its greens, which mostly date back to 1969, and average 285 sq m in size,” the architect added. “But it will be a long-term process.”
Elsewhere, Althaus is planning further work at Golf Club Föhr in the North Frisian Islands, where he built an additional nine holes some years ago under the Staedler banner.