LATEST
NEWS

“The government made the right decisions early on”
Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

“The government made the right decisions early on”

Christoph Städler discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has affected his projects in Europe and how he thinks future projects will play out.

“We are currently working on 17 active projects, one of them is under construction and three more are scheduled to start construction in July, August, and September respectively,” said Städler. “Six of these projects have been put on hold, two of them since 2019, the other four only recently due to the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis.”

For projects going ahead, the team on site have been keeping 1.5 metres apart from one another.

“The virus has affected my travel plans,” said Städler. “I have had no access to my projects in Poland and Switzerland, and even to the German Bundesland Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since the start of the month, where we have a project on the Baltic coast. And other inner-German site visits, which require an overnight stay in a hotel, are not possible because all the hotels were closed by federal regulation.”

Städler has made one site visit to oversee construction of a greens and bunkers renovation project and has worked in his home office the rest of the time.

Three of Städler’s team are working in the firm’s office, keeping the necessary distance. Communication with clients and contractors is being done via email and phone.

“I have completed previously unprocessed planning tasks, have increased acquisition activity, finished files for a design competition, a renovation project of some greens, finished the master plan for another golf course, and I am now awaiting for decisions on whether we will be awarded with contracts for the next phases of design and construction work,” said Städler.

“The global golf industry will definitely be affected. It is not possible at present to predict to what extent this will be the case. It will vary from country to country and will depend crucially on how the coronavirus is brought under control. Personally, I am lucky to have most golf projects in Germany. There, the government made the right decisions early on and it looks as if the restrictions can be relaxed again soon. We expect that the projects here will only be postponed and not finally cancelled.

“On the other hand, our project in Bytom, Poland – the expansion of the golf course from nine to 18 holes – has suddenly become uncertain due to the financial impact of the Covid crisis on the investor. It is no longer possible to think of construction starting in 2020.”

Previous Article Albanese and Matthews collaborate on new nine for Saskatoon GC
Next Article Rockland CC reopens following bunker renovation
Print
2044 Rate this article:
No rating
Richard Humphreys

Richard HumphreysRichard Humphreys

Other posts by Richard Humphreys
Contact author

Contact author

x
The October 2024 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!
Magazine, News | Thu 17 Oct, 2024

The October 2024 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!

The Keep at McLemore, a Bill Bergin-Rees Jones mountaintop design in northwest Georgia, features on the cover

Fall 2024 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now
Magazine, News | Tue 10 Sep, 2024

Fall 2024 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now

Cover story focuses on how today’s architects have been inspired by the links courses of Britain and Ireland

FEATURE
ARTICLES

North Ranch: Time for transformation
North Ranch CC
Report | Richard Humphreys

North Ranch: Time for transformation

Fifty years after it was originally laid out, the Ted Robinson layout has been re-envisioned by Jackson-Kahn Design and rebuilt by Landscapes Unlimited

Team building
Turfgrass
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Birdie Act: An end to templates?
Kevin Murray
Feature | Adam Lawrence

Birdie Act: An end to templates?

Legislation before the US Congress would extend the copyright protection that currently exists for buildings architecture to golf course design. But would that preclude the construction of classic hole designs, asks Adam Lawrence?

The art of project management
Leeds Golf Design
Opinion | Giulia Ferroni

The art of project management

Giulia Ferroni of Leeds Golf Design spells out the intricacies of executing a masterplan and the skills required from a golf course architect

Brian Curley: Life of Brian
Brian Curley
Interview | Adam Lawrence

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Spey Bay: Old and new
CDP
On site | Adam Lawrence

Spey Bay: Old and new

Scottish club is a very old-fashioned links with very modern ownership, an interesting mix, says Adam Lawrence

The Club at Golden Valley: Golden and modern
Peter Wong
Report | Richard Humphreys

The Club at Golden Valley: Golden and modern

Kevin Norby has completed a centennial project at Minnesota course, to modernise infrastructure and restore much of AW Tillinghast’s design philosophy

The Club at Quail Ridge: Turning up the contrast
Fry/Straka
Report | Richard Humphreys

The Club at Quail Ridge: Turning up the contrast

Fry/Straka and NMP Golf Construction embark on a huge rebuild of the North course, five years after the South was renovated

Minchinhampton GC: Striving for sustainability
Minchinhampton Golf Club
| Matthew Mears

Minchinhampton GC: Striving for sustainability

Matthew Mears discusses the benefits a ClearWater washpad recycling system has realised for the Cotswolds club

Native Links: A new era of native-owned courses
Cal Nez Designs
Good Read | Mark Wagner

Native Links: A new era of native-owned courses

Mark Wagner discusses the topic of his new book: the relationship and history between Native Americans and golf

Sahalee CC: Out of the woods
Patrick Oien
Report | Toby Ingleton

Sahalee CC: Out of the woods

The Seattle club has completed a programme of sensitive renovation work on its tree-lined course

Gopher Watch Competition – October 2024
Gopher Watch, News | Mon 21 Oct, 2024

Gopher Watch Competition – October 2024

Which course has Sandy the gopher visited this month?

MOST
POPULAR

FEATURED
BUSINESSES