Whittington Heath appoints CDP as consulting architects

Whittington Heath Golf Club in Lichfield, England, has appointed Clayton, DeVries & Pont as its consulting architects.

The club’s course – nine holes built in 1886 and redesigned and extended to 18 by Harry Colt in 1929 – was reconfigured by Jonathan Gaunt following the UK government’s 2012 decision to build the new HS2 high-speed railway line. While the northern section of HS2 has now been cancelled, its proposed route bisected the ninth hole from tee to green, severed the eighteenth in two, and impacted the second, third, sixth, seventh and tenth holes. With support from the UK government, land was acquired and five new holes were built.

Pete Aspley, chairman of Whittington Heath, said: “The club has endured a significant amount of upheaval in recent years and collectively delivered a very good outcome. Reinforcing the Harry Colt ethos whilst continuing to develop our course is our priority so that we can realise its full potential.”

CDP will audit bunkering so that it delivers consistency of aesthetics and playability, and is in keeping with the course’s Colt heritage. The firm will also review the course to determine whether its playing characteristics match Colt’s ideals, and to address any inconsistencies between new and original holes.

“I first visited Whittington Heath in 2012,” said Frank Pont, the partner overseeing the project. “I loved the understated class of Colt’s design that had been draped over an interesting mix of heathland, woodland and quarries and was saddened at the prospect of some of that being lost.

“Having recently reacquainted myself with the course, I am pleased to say that the club has been able to save a lot of the original facets. In terms of its look and feel, there is every chance that we will be able to return the course to something closer to what was there originally. I really look forward to assisting with this exciting process.”

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