33 Rod Whitman and Keith Cutten of Whitman, Axland & Cutten (WAC Golf) have completed a renovation at Brantford Golf and Country Club near Hamilton, Canada. Established in 1879, Brantford is one of North America’s oldest clubs. In 1906, nine holes were laid out in the vicinity of the present course and, in 1923, the course was expanded to 18, designed by Nicol and Stanley Thompson and George Cumming. In the 1960s, the routing and several holes were altered by Robbie Robinson. The 2023 work comes 100 years after the course expanded to 18 holes. “Our goal was to take the club back to that early era when the firm of ThomsponCumming-Thompson were the designers,” said Cutten. The project has included work on the third, sixth, seventh, sixteenth and seventeenth greens, revamping all bunkers to a “classic, grassed-down look” and adding new forward and back tees. Fairway lines have also been straightened and expanded to reflect the original design, while drainage upgrades and a new irrigation system will help to improve maintenance. WAC Golf completes centennial project at Brantford Photo: David Pugh For the cover story of the latest issue of By Design magazine – produced for the American Society of Golf Course Architects by the team responsible for GCA – Drew Rogers, Jim Nagle, Nathan Crace and Mark Mungeam discuss how they balance a club’s desire to respect history while making the courses fit for the future. “Angles are paramount when working with a classic course,” said Jim Nagle of Forse Golf Design. “Expanding greens to the perimeter can recapture hole locations not utilised for many decades. Widening fairways and expanding greens does not translate into easier golf, rather it makes the round more interesting.” Rory Connaughton, greens chairman at Lancaster, said: “In the case of most Golden Age courses, the layout and club heritage are inextricably combined.” The Winter issue of By Design also includes an interview with Mike Benkusky and details of the 2023 ASGCA Environmental Excellence Awards. To download the latest issue and subscribe to By Design, visit www.asgca.org. “Angles are paramount when working with a classic course” GOOD READ TEE BOX
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