Josef Poetter Golf has started work on the Thomas Himmel renovation at Bad Ems Golf Club, near Koblenz, Germany.

The club, located halfway between Cologne and Frankfurt, has a course where the original design is attributed to Karl Hoffmann, Charles A. Mackenzie and Major Fahrenholtz. In 1955, after the course had fallen into repair and disuse following World War II, Bad Ems was re-established and renovated.

Himmel’s project, which will be carried out in two phases (this year and in 2026), involves the redesign of greens and bunkers, select fairway regrading, new forward and back tees, sandcapping on the wettest holes (three and nine), tree removal, a new Rain Bird irrigation system, a new storage pond and a new short-game area.

“The facility was getting old and out of shape due to lack of investment,” said Himmel. “And some beautiful, old oak trees were visually lost due to the wild growth of plants around them. The redesign will give the course a more open, parkland feel and other alterations to ensure the course is suitable for the modern game. Changes include expanding the greens to add more strategic variety and spread the wear, as well as improve their drainage and to extend the playing season.”

Himmel says his redesign will also address some of the “slightly boring and featureless” holes. This work includes removing greenside bunkers, adding more runoff areas and relocating fairway bunkers so they are more striking from the tee and add more variety to the playing experience. All bunkers will be renovated and feature CapillaryFlow.

“There will be some steeper but maintainable grassy steps and edges within the fairways,” said Himmel. “The addition of fescue grasses in out-of-play areas will help promote a more natural parkland look. Some trees and shrubs will be trimmed to let in more light and improve air flow.”

There will be big changes on holes two and eleven. “The second green will be raised by three-and-a-half metres to lift it out of a shady and humid sink surrounded by trees,” said Himmel. “And the eleventh will be significantly flattened to improve playability across what is currently an almost unplayable cross slope at the first landing area.”

In addition to work on the range (new artificial tees and target greens), Himmel has also designed a new short-game area, to be built on a space previously used as the first tee. “The complex has been designed to allow players to practice an array of shots from 10 to 90 metres, including chips, lob shots, bunker shots, pitches and more.”

The course is expected to reopen in 2027 ahead of the club’s centenary in 2028.