Mackenzie & Ebert hired to enhance Bruntsfield Links
Mackenzie & Ebert golf course architects have been hired for a new project at Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The club, which dates back to 1761, is investing around £1 million to enhance its historic course, which plays host to regional qualifying for The Open.
The Bruntsfield Links course bears the mark of many leading figures from golf course architecture. The design was originally drawn up by Willie Park Jnr in the later 1800s, before a series of revisions were made by Alister MacKenzie in the early 1920s. James Braid worked on the course in 1930, and later work was carried out by Fred Hawtree in the 1970s.
As part of Mackenzie & Ebert’s work, a new signature sixteenth hole will also be created to replace the existing twelfth hole. This will be built on an area of practice ground, and new green surfaces, tees and improved bunkering will be phased in.
Other elements of project will focus on the course’s bunkering, with the aim of restyling their appearance to make them more in line with the shapes drawn up by Alister MacKenzie during his time at the club.
Work will also be done to reposition some bunkers based on information from modern lining technology. This will help cater for the distances todays golfers are hitting the ball.
The thirteenth hole will also be extended as part of the project, bringing the course’s par up from 70 to 71.
“Bruntsfield has always set out to select the best possible golf course architects, with past course work completed by Willie Park Jnr, Alister MacKenzie and James Braid,” said Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert. “It is, therefore, a great privilege to be appointed to advise Bruntsfield on this project and we are confident that the work will elevate Bruntsfield to be one of the top parkland courses in Scotland.”
Work will begin later this year and will be completed in phases. The addition of the new sixteenth hole is scheduled for completion in April 2019.