Pont begins Broadstone restoration
Broadstone Golf Club in the south of England has retained Dutch architect Frank Pont to lead a restoration project.
Founded in 1898 and originally laid out by Tom Dunn, Broadstone was redesigned in 1914 by Harry Colt, and it is the Colt course that Pont aims to recreate, with a particular focus on reinstating Colt's original bunker strategy and style wherever possible.
The project is expected to take three or four years, with the work in the first year focusing on the sixth and eighth holes, both typically strong Colt par threes, plus the short par four fifth, where the tee, fairway and bunkering will be altered to resemble Colt's original design more closely.
Pont said: “I am very excited to have been selected by Broadstone to work on this classic heathland course, probably one of the grandest canvasses Harry Colt ever got to work his magic on. The course has the scale of Gleneagles, a beautiful and varied routing, and as one would expect from Colt, a set of very good par three holes. ”
Pont has specialised in historic restoration work over the last few years, and is currently working with eleven Colt courses, plus five by fellow Golden Age architect Tom Simpson, in mainland Europe. He is also working with three other Colt courses in the UK, Tandridge, Tyneside and Brancepeth Castle.
Pont added: “The work we will be doing at Broadstone has many similarities to what we did at Tandridge in England and De Pan in the Netherlands. Our aim will be to reinstate the original strategy of the individual holes while at the same time restore the beauty of Colt's very specific bunkering style. In my view Broadstone should really be among the top 50 UK courses, and it is our challenge to help it achieve its full potential.”
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