31 Mackenzie & Ebert is overseeing a project that includes new bunkering at Nairn; while (below) Swan Golf Designs has completed a third phase of renovation at nearby Moray developed by Swan Golf Designs following an appraisal of the courses in 2014. “I’m privileged to be able to work on a couple of such wonderful links courses, following my father to Moray and looking to achieve and satisfy the club’s aspirations,” said Howard Swan, who is working alongside his son William on the project, meaning three generations of the Swan family will have left their imprint on Moray’s courses. Golf course architect Drew Rogers has completed course refinements at Valencia Golf and Country Club in Naples, Florida. Valencia is a public access golf facility in the private golf dominated market of Naples. Course renovations were originally motivated by the owner’s desire to convert turf from 419 to Celebration bermuda. Rogers began work in April 2018 with south west Florida contractor GCID and the project manager Rob Corbett. “All putting surfaces have been softened for improved cupping opportunities and improved tie-in characteristics with surrounding contours,” said Rogers. “The new short turf bailout areas developed around greens offer more varied recovery opportunities.” Photos: Drew Rogers Photo: Mackenzie & Ebert Drew Rogers completes refinements at Valencia Royal Dornoch, as well as being pretty universally recognised as one of the greatest courses in the world, is one of the most popular stops for golfers travelling to Scotland, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at the strong response to Sandy’s visit there in the last issue of GCA. Not only did we get a lot of entries but, uniquely for thirteen years of Gopher Watch, there was not a single wrong one. OK, one entrant did name Dornoch’s fifth hole rather than the sixth, but that’s the sort of minor error of memory we’d normally let ride. So the hat was quite full, but a name still emerged, and that was Richard Penley-Martin, until recently secretary of Ganton Golf Club in England, and now a consultant on golf club management. For this issue, another extremely old course (although not nearly so old as Dornoch, which has recently celebrated 400 years of golf in the town). No more clues; clearly we need to make these competitions rather more difficult. Send your guess to gopher@golfcoursearchitecture.net for a chance to win a golf shirt. GOPHER WATCH
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