Golf Course Design
Steve's most recent project with Jonathan Gaunt was to review Burton-on-Trent Golf Club and to provide a detailed report to the Club with recommendations for change.
Recent Golf Design Posts
Golf Course Design
With David Hemstock, Steve has supplied draft routings for new build golf courses in the UK and India and detailed design drawings for projects in Eastern Europe.
Between 2000 – 2002 Steve worked as a trainee designer with Gaunt & Marnoch Ltd and then, from 2002 – 2006, with Creative Golf Design Ltd.
Following are some pics of his work with Ken Moodie, Ken Brown, John Nicholson and the contractor, Alex Veitch/Midland Contractors, at Ashford Manor GC:
Ashford Manor Golf Club – 7th hole (471 yards, par 4) – BEFORE changes
Safety problems due to housing & road close on RHS. Large grass ridges & hollows across fairway landing area. Bunkers on both sides of the green approach – all in need of repair or removal
Bunkers LHS green approach
Bunkers RHS green approach
After changes
LHS ridge & hollow removed & RHS ridge reduced – encouraging tee-shots to LHS of fairway away from road
LHS green approach bunkers removed – further reward for play away from road on RHS
New RHS green approach bunkers on diagonal from centre line – punishing play on RHS
Steve is a former Chairman and Member of the Greens Committee at Bakewell Golf Club (2004-06). He worked in golf course construction for Contour Golf Ltd in 2000. In the late 1970s he did student greenkeeping work at Gillingham Golf Club.
Steve spoke at the English Golf Union Roadshow 2001 on “Remodelling Golf Courses”.
He won three golf design student prizes:
- Twice Toro Grand Tour Scholar US East Coast 2001 & West Coast 2002;
- Barenbrug Prize 2002: best EIGCA dissertation on “The impact of the European Regional Development Fund on golf”
Steve has a long-held passion for the history of golf course design. From his earliest golfing days, he has studied the history of the courses he has played. Like many, the designs of Harry Colt and the writing of Bernard Darwin are amongst his favourites. He has recently become a member of a MacKenzie classic, Buxton Cavendish GC. If you are an enthusiast or student of golf design history, check out Steve’s timelines below:
Golf Design History Timelines
Download as Word documents:
- Key early developments in golf (1457-1786)
- Expansion in Great Britain and first steps in North America (1812-1893)
- Rapid expansion in the US and increasing strategic design in Great Britain (1894 – 1909)
- The beginning of the Golden Age of golf course design in North America (1911 – 1925)
- Concluding the Golden Age (1927 – 1939)