Yering Meadows Golf Club, near Melbourne, Australia, has appointed Clayton, DeVries & Pont and Kruse Golf as course advisors.

The club’s 27 holes were designed by Ross Watson, to accommodate Croydon Golf Club’s move from its former Dorset Road site in 2008, after which it adopted the Yering Meadows name.

“It’s fair to say that Yering’s course is quite difficult, especially for higher markers,” Mike Clayton, partner at CDP. “Our task is to rationalise both the number of bunkers and carries across water so as to make it easier for the majority while still offering a significant test for the more proficient.

“The great lesson of Royal Melbourne is that, by playing away from hazards to undefended parts of the fairways and greens, bogey players should find the course relatively easy to navigate to their handicap. Its brilliance is that the better you are, the more difficult it becomes, because breaking par requires one to challenge the hazards and take more risk. We shall be instilling more of these qualities into Yering Meadows.”

Harley Kruse, principal at Kruse Golf, said: “We are looking forward to working with the team at Yering Meadows and helping with measured improvements to the club’s 27 holes. Rationalising the hazards will reduce ongoing maintenance costs and free up staff time which should lead to better turf. Importantly, these measures will speed up play for less proficient golfers while still retaining a fine test of golf for better players.

“With the course now over 15 years old, the maturing tree vegetation is providing a solid structure to the holes, but it too requires some careful management in areas where it is closing in on the playing lines and/or impacting on the turf’s condition.

“One thing Yering Meadows is not short of is space. We intend to maintain a grand width and openness to the holes while keeping the outstanding views of the surrounding ranges and countryside.”