Swan Golf Designs completes third phase of work at Moray
Swan Golf Designs has completed the third phase of a renovation programme on the Old and New courses at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth, Scotland.
New bunkering on the fourteenth and sixteenth holes of the Old course is the latest work to be completed, part of a long-range plan that was developed by Swan Golf Designs following an appraisal of the courses in 2014.
The Old course at Moray was laid out by Old Tom Morris, and dates from 1889. The New course was originally designed in the 1970s by Alex Swan, alongside Henry Cotton.
“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.
“They want to see the courses elevated even further in the rankings and sit impressively alongside Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart, Nairn, and Royal Aberdeen, as the most important links in the Grampian and Highland regions of the home of golf.”
The work will see an increase in the number of bunkers on the New course. “I don’t think my Dad ever got the New course finished in terms of bunkers,” said Howard Swan. On the Old course however, there will be a small reduction in the number of bunkers, some of which will be replaced by grassy swales. “These are a wonderful links features around the greens which I think architects sometimes overlook,” he said.
Howard Swan developed the long-range plan ay alongside his son William, meaning three generations of the family have been involved with the development of Moray’s golf courses.
“As with every club we work at, we stand back and evaluate everything, from the routing to individual components of holes,” said Howard Swan. “We make our recommendations and then work with the club to prioritise work according to their budget.”
In addition to the bunkering work completed this year, the club has redesigned and remodelled the first and seventeenth holes on the Old course and renovated the first, second and fourth on the New course.
The work has been carried out by the club’s courses manager Kevin Thomas and his greenkeeping team.
“There aren’t too many clubs which boast two such courses which are both so highly-regarded by all who visit, and I’m now looking forward to phase four in which I anticipate that we will focus on three holes of the New course,” said Howard Swan.