Golf Course Architecture - Issue 71, January 2023

43 Arora Group plans to build a new championship course, designed by Ross McMurray of European Golf Design, at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa in Bedfordshire, England, as part of its bid to host a future Ryder Cup. The estate’s existing 18-hole golf course is a bunkerless design created by Mike Smith in 2008. “Arora’s aspirational plans to take the superb Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa complex set in its beautiful surroundings to the next level, have the scope to put Central Bedfordshire on the world stage,” said Richard Wenham, leader of the Central Bedfordshire Council. “Securing the Ryder Cup would be an enormous boost to our thriving economy, bringing many new tourists and supporting more new jobs.” Photo: Arora Group Luton Hoo plans new course and Ryder Cup bid Sir Nick Faldo said the new Silk Path Dong Trieu course in the Quang Ninh province of Vietnam “has the potential to become the best course in Vietnam”, during a visit to the Faldo Design construction site. The $60 million project by resort developer Silk Path Group covers 320 acres, 50 miles east of Hanoi. “I really enjoyed my first site visit to Dong Trieu, and I am very happy with the golf course progress,” said Faldo. “We have many great holes with interesting features including rocks, elevation changes, pine trees, streams, lakes and mountain views.” Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2023. Photo: Faldo Design Construction continues on new Faldo course in Vietnam Construction has started on The Cliffs, a Darius Oliver-designed course located on Kangaroo Island, which lies off the coast of mainland South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. The A$20 million project, which was initially approved in 2017 but faced several delays broke ground on 9 December 2022. Construction of the holes is now expected to commence in February 2023 with the aim of opening the course in late 2024. The project site is atop 500-million-year-old cliffs. “The five holes directly along the clifftops [two, three, eight, fourteen and fifteen], and the three that run toward the cliffs [one, seven and thirteen] will generate the most attention I’m sure,” said Oliver. Photo: Darius Oliver New A$20m Kangaroo Island project set to begin

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