Jansen Golf Design has completed a bunker renovation project at Keya Golf Club in Fukuoka, Japan.

Following work by an in-house team to improve grassing lines, tees and remove select bunkers, Jansen began a project to reshape and relocate bunkers.

“The bunker style adopted follows some of the bunker styles you see at other storied clubs in Japan with additional inspiration we derived from the site and surroundings,” said architect Paul Jansen, who reduced the overall number of bunkers on the course. “More importantly, we wanted the bunkers to look more formidable than before and offer more strategic interest. Keya hosts the KBC Augusta golf tournament, which draws the best golfers in Japan, so it was important that the new bunkers and positions would test them as well.”

Initially planned as a three-year project, the entire renovation was completed in 2021. “Overall, the construction work took approximately three months per stage, and six months in total,” said Jansen.

“It was a real team effort,” said Jansen, who was assisted by golf superintendent Andrew McDaniel and his team throughout the renovation and had on site support from Keith Cutten and Quinn Thompson.