Infinite Variety Golf Design has been appointed by East Devon Golf Club near Exmouth, England, to develop a plan for future work on the course.

The course was originally laid out in 1902 and, following early improvements by the club secretary and Herbert Fowler, significant revisions were made by Harry Colt. During the 1920s and 30s James Braid was responsible for continued development of the course.

IVGD says it will undertake a research study to analyse the key alterations that have been made and will use its knowledge of Colt’s design principles and access to historic imagery to highlight features which have been mislaid or revised over time and assess the merit of their reintroduction. The course plan will then form the basis for potential renovation work.

Frank Pont, IVGD’s lead architect, said: “The moment I set eyes on East Devon, I was enthralled by the course’s beauty, its dramatic clifftop setting and the quality of its architecture. There is enormous potential to return what is ostensibly a Colt design back to its former glory.”

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Edward Cartwright, head of operations for the UK and Ireland, said: “East Devon has become the 26th club with a Colt architectural heritage to work with IVGD. Six of our Colt clients are listed in Golf World’s most recent list of the top fifty courses in continental Europe. Delivering such success elsewhere in Europe is now attracting the interest of clubs in the UK and Ireland.

“Our dedication to rigorous and detailed research allied with a profound knowledge of the architects of the early twentieth century delivers courses which are more fun to play, more pleasing on the eye and more respectful of their origins.”