Basel appoints Infinite Variety Golf Design for course plan

Golf & Country Club Basel, on France’s eastern border with Switzerland, has appointed Infinite Variety Golf Design (IVGD) to author a long-term course plan.

The club was originally founded in 1926, with the course, designed by German architect Bernhard von Limburger in 1968, located near the village of Hagenthal-le-Bas and only six miles from the Swiss city of Basel.

Von Limburger’s original design has hardly changed since opening, with all course elements largely intact. Architects Hendrik Hilgert and Frank Pont of IVDG, the European division of Clayton, DeVries & Pont, will develop a plan that focuses on restoring course details that have been lost over time, ensures the layout meets the demands of modern equipment, and improves course playability.

Renovation work will begin this year, with Hilgert and Pont continuing to draw up a plan for renovations that take place over the coming years.

“Bernhard von Limburger was undoubtedly Germany’s most talented golf course architect,” said Hilgert, who is leading the project. “His philosophy and designs were very much inspired by the best of the classic age architects such as Harry Colt and Alister MacKenzie.

“The golf course is a true jewel. Its greens and bunkering are typical of von Limburger’s best work. We are looking forward to working with the club’s team and restoring this exceptional golf course.”

Pont said: “It is a great honour to be working with our first Swiss client [the club is a member of the Swiss Golf Federation]. That it happens to be G&CCB, one of the country’s most prestigious clubs, blessed with a strong course whose potential to be even better is significant, only makes the opportunity more exciting.”

Richard HumphreysRichard Humphreys

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