Golf Course Architecture - Issue 76, April 2024

23 Photo: OCM Golf Photo: The Club Company on almost every hole, the high side of each green will be very receptive and provide a bailout option for the less proficient golfer. The creeping bentgrass putting surfaces will be very fast so we have designed gentle contours to accommodate multiple pin locations. The stylised and manicured green complexes will create a stunning contrast with the surrounding rugged natural terrain.” Nine holes are expected to be ready by 2026 and the full eighteen open by 2028. “The main factors that influenced the routing were the steep topography, dramatic elevation changes, longrange views of the Adriatic Sea, Kotor Bay and Boka Bay mountains, and the integration of the holes with the proposed villa development,” said Player. “The rocky nature of the substrata is extremely challenging and will require jackhammers to be used on every hole. One valuable benefit of this is that we are processing the rock on site to produce our own gravel for capping and drainage. “With so many incredible holes with stunning panoramic views, it is difficult to pick just one standout. But I would say the run of holes from fourteen to seventeen is going to be an incredible combination. This sequence contains two par threes, a par four and a par five all playing downhill with views of the Adriatic on every shot.” Lustica Bay will be the first golf course in Montenegro. “It is with great pride that we are expanding the game of golf around the world,” said Player. OCM continues greens redesign at Mount Lawley Gaunt improves bunker visibility at Lichfield Mount Lawley Golf Club near Perth, Australia, has reopened its course following renovation work by OCM Golf, which has included the reconstruction of eight green complexes and some fairway rebunkering. Four greens were rebuilt in 2022 and a final phase, to be undertaken later this year, will focus on the remaining six greens, rebuilding tees, and creating a new short-game area and practice putting green. “The green complexes have all been redesigned with new contours and bunkering schemes, based on fairly classic principles of strategic design,” said Mike Cocking of OCM. “For the most part, greens feature long tilted grades and fairly subtle contours but it’s the bunkering where the real similarities to the Melbourne Sandbelt exist.” Lichfield Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire, England, has reopened its course following a bunker renovation by Jonathan Gaunt. The project was completed in two phases, one in 2021 and a second in 2023, and included the removal of bunkers that had lost relevance due to advances in distance. “We reduced the sand areas down in the bunkers we have retained,” said Gaunt. “The new bunkers are raised and designed to be significantly more visible from the tees and landing areas. They will have more of a psychological impact upon the golfer playing the course.” Lichfield is operated by The Club Company, and Gaunt is also renovating four of its other courses: The Club at Cams Hall Estate in Hampshire, Castle Royle in Berkshire, Nizels Golf and Country Club in Kent, and The Tytherington Club in Cheshire.

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