Carrick Design firm is leading a restoration project at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Kingston, Canada.

Last year the firm completed the reconstruction of the Cataraqui’s first green, and the latest work will focus on course’s bunkering.

Carrick Design has provided design services to Cataraqui since 1993, and the firm’s principal Doug Carrick spoke to GCA about the project.

“Cataraqui is a wonderful old course originally laid out by George Cumming in 1919,” he said. “Stanley Thompson made significant alterations to the course sometime around 1930. It is now referred to as a Thompson designed course. Last fall we rebuilt the first green including the restoration of the fairway and greenside bunkers. The first green was expanded slightly to provide increased pinning area and the green surface was re-contoured to correct some drainage problems. The changes were subtle in nature in order to retain the design character established by Stanley Thompson.”

Now Carrick’s firm is shifting its focus to the course’s bunkering, with the aim of improving their aesthetic character and playability.

“The bunker renovation work planned for this year will include some fine tuning to the bunker shapes to reflect the Thompson design style,” explained Carrick. “Every bunker on the course will have the sand removed, the bunker floors re-contoured, new drainage installed and Bentofix lining material put in place to protect the sand against soil contamination. The surroundings of each bunker and green site will be re-grassed with new bluegrass. Four bunkers will be removed and eight new bunkers will be added. In general the course will play as it does now, but golfers will have to contend with eight new bunkers on the course.”

Work is set to begin in June and will be carried out by KCM Construction Group.