Andrew Goosen and Tim Lobb will be onsite next week and will update our readers further.

Additionally we will be visiting our new project called Barwa New Cairo. Further information to follow.

The par 3, 8th hole growing in nicely.

The par 4, 4th hole is fully grown in now and ready to see some play.

9th green, with clubhouse in background in construction

Par 3, 5th hole. Difficult hole over bunkers.

We look forward to updating you on the progress of our various Egyptian projects after we return from our site trips.

Very warm weather welcomed the participants with firm and fast conditions on the brillant Red Course.

Below are a couple of pictures from the day.

Participants at the 4th Annual Thomson Cup.

Peter presenting the Thomson Cup to winner, Sir Rocco Forte

Get practising for next year…..

Thanks to The Berkshire Golf Club for allowing us to play our event on their fine heathland course.

Well done to Les Howkins, Jaey Goodchild and all the groundstaff at The Club for their committment to fulfilling the design philosophy of these bunkers.

See below for pictures taken today – 30 June, 2010

Some of the new fairway bunkers created last year

The edges have grown in very well and looks very natural

The cross bunkers at the second landing zone provide a great strategic challenge

Love the fluffy edges

We have finished the design for the renovation of the course now and look forward to breaking ground on phase 1 in September. Watch this space.

The original 18 hole course was laid out by Colt in 1908 and is set amongst a 18th Century Capability Brown/ Humphrey Repton Landscape. Additionally the magnificent 18th Century Mansion House has been the scene for many movies including Goldfinger (James Bond), Layer Cake and Brigitte Jones Diary.

Stoke Park is a great golfing adventure, subtly integrated into this important landscape.

See below some pictures of the journey undertaken:

Some of the interesting bunker detailing at Stoke Park

John McGuiness, Paul Thomas and Andrew Goosen in front of the splendid clubhouse

Looks like a newly built bunker. There were some disparities in the style and playability of the bunkering

Golf in a grand landscape. Perfect subtly and respect.

John putting on the short par 4, 20th hole. The new nine was done by Donald Steele and fits in well with the spirit of Stoke

Golf can be a great driver to create revenue and finance to help restore historic destinations. Lets hope that planning authorities can hear this

Stoke Park is a great golfing and historic experience. Go play and enjoy the afternoon exploring the Clubhouse, afternoon tea on the lawn and photos in locker room.

www.stokeparkclub.com

By the way. John and Paul beat Tim and Andrew 2&1.

The new bunkers at the first landing zone on hole 11

We have used the Sportcrete product in the construction of these pilot hole bunkers and they are performing very well from a technical and playability perspective.

The softer edges with the 'fluffy' grass has developed well over the past year

We are in the process of completing the detail design for the remainder of the bunkers with construction commencing for the next phase of the works from September 2010. This phase will be approximately 50% of the total bunker re-build.

The second landing zone at hole 11 with cross bunkers to avoid

The bunker programme is scheduled to be completed over two winters, 2010 + 2011.

The fluffy bunker edges blend well with this parkland setting

Keep an eye out for further updates on this exciting renovation project that we are undertaking.

TPL appointed to modernise Emirates Golf Club’s flagship Majlis Course

Bunkers to be repositioned and reconstructed for 2011 Dubai Desert Classic

(London, United Kingdom – December 7, 2009) Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the golf course architecture practice founded by five-times Open champion Peter Thomson, has been appointed by Emirates Golf Club to modernise its flagship Majlis Course, home of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club. Host to the Dubai Desert Classic

TPL will carry out an audit of the course’s bunkering as part of a wider modernisation programme, overseeing the repositioning and reconstruction of bunkers to upgrade the course for professional events, including the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters, and day-to-day club and visitor play.

The 7,301-yard, par-72 layout, which opened in 1988 and was the first grass golf course in the Middle East, was ranked among the Top 100 golf course outside America by Golf Digest magazine in May 2009.

The stunning 8th hole

Rod Bogg, Special Advisor to Dubai Golf, and who oversaw construction of Emirates Golf Club 22 years ago, said: “We selected TPL to oversee the modernisation of the Majlis Course because of its experience in designing prestige golf courses in the Middle East and its expertise in bunkering.

“Our bunkers are out of date and, due to modern equipment, out of play. Some of the players are hitting the ball 60 or 70 yards past the fairway bunkers during the Dubai Desert Classic. While that is only one week of the year, we need to ensure that the course remains the enjoyable challenge that it is for professionals and amateurs all year round.”

Andrew Goosen (TPL), Rod Bogg (EGC), Tim Lobb (TPL), Craig Haldane (EGC), Chris May (EGC)

Mr Bogg added: “We are not redesigning the course and not adding additional bunkers to the course, but we are looking at relocating, reshaping and reconstructing the bunkers we do have to bring the course up to the highest modern standards, as well as making some improvements to the aesthetics of the course.” The new look course will be in play for the Dubai Desert Classic in 2011.

 TPL is already busy in the region, with its multi-course design for Dubai Golf City under construction, as well as a golf course for the landmark New Giza development in Egypt.

 Tim Lobb, TPL Principal, said: “As with all of the bunker work we do at important, established courses, we are taking a subtle approach to Emirates Golf Club, treading softly and respecting the much loved design that is already in play.

The Majlis course is ranked in the Top 100 outside of USA (Golf Digest, May 2009)

“What we are doing is reviewing the bunker positioning to ensure that professionals and amateurs alike will require a clear golfing strategy to plot their way around the course. The course needs to stand up to the challenge of the world’s best players, while also remaining an enjoyable challenge for the club’s members and visitors. This is an exciting project and we are delighted to be working with the team at Emirates Golf Club.” 

5th November 2009

Construction at one of the Middle East’s most significant new golf and real estate communities – New Giza, Egypt – is underway.

Tim Lobb, principal of Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the international golf course architecture practice founded by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson, has just returned from a site visit with Design Associate Andrew Goosen, and confirmed that staking has been completed and bulk construction on the golf course, on hills with views to the ancient Pyramids, has begun in earnest.

Andrew surveying the staked 12th hole

“With so many golf developments having been put on hold over the past year, it is a credit to the developers and everyone involved with New Giza that the project is moving forward,” said Lobb.

“The site for the golf course is part of one of the most dramatic landscapes we have worked on, with incredible hilltop views to the Pyramids and 50-metre high cliffs, which have been incorporated into the golf course design.”

Lobb added: “The news that there will be an MGM Grand Resort on site underlines New Giza’s status as a landmark development for Egypt. It is a very exciting project to be involved with.”

The community will be part of the 1,500-acre New Giza development which will also include a second hotel, a state of the art Hospital with 540 beds, a medical school, a university, two schools, a sporting club, two mixed use areas with restaurants, shopping malls and office spaces, plus 5,500 villas, townhouses, and apartments in ten  individual neighbourhoods, surrounded by greenery, parks and lakes.

The golf course, which forms a central part of the development, will ride the desert hills, offering spectacular views, and incorporate bold natural features that will help create a unique golfing experience.

“We are fortunate to have such an outstanding piece of land to work with,” continued Tim Lobb. “We are not actually having to move huge amounts of earth to create interest and excitement in this golf course, as the hills, ravines and cliffs are already there. What we are doing, through the design and construction, is bringing the drama of the landscape to life for golf, and we have no doubt that New Giza will be a landmark project for the region.

View from behind 13th green back up to tee on clifftop

The golf course at New Giza is scheduled to open in 2012, while the MGM Grand @ New Giza is expected to open in 2013.

Tim Lobb and Andrew Goosen were invited to play at Huntercombe Golf Club today by Robert Clive and Mel Thomas of 360 Golf.  A foursome format was adopted and the boys at 360 Golf had an easy win of 4 & 3 over the lowely TPL teaming.

Huntercombe Golf Club, in Oxfordshire, is a Willie Park Jnr layout with full of charm and quirk. Green complexes are highly interesting with very few bunkers found on the course.

The following photos from our Blackberry phone may help to explain this charm.

A great green complex

Robert chipping from the random movements

Andrew chipping from the greenside hazard - great mounding

Huntercombe's charming landform

One of the few bunkers on the course

Homeward bound

Huntercombe Golf Club – a true gem of a course and a great education on interesting and charming landform.

Go and play it if you get a chance.

This week Andrew Goosen and Tim Lobb had a busy week in Cairo.

Monday

30 minutes after touchdown at the new terminal 3, Cairo airport we were en-route to Katameya Dunes golf course for a quick tour with site representatives. It is an ongoing development in New Cairo with 27 holes designed by Schmidt Curley / Nick Faldo. The course was in grow-in phase and looked fantastic. Definitely the best course we have seen in Egypt – so far anyway!!!

We went for a superb dinner at a great local restaurant with our clients of New Giza then the night at Marriott Zamalek, a fantastic hotel with character and charm.

Tuesday

The morning was spent presenting our final detail design plans for New Giza in Cairo. We have spent alot of time fine tuning the design in recent months and are very excited to see this course come alive on the ground. Staking and bulk earthworks are to start immediately onsite which is great news.

We drove to El Ein Bay at Ain Soukhna (on Red Sea – 100km East of Cairo) in the afternoon to meet up with Tad King (onsite construction supervisor/ shaper) for a drive around and review of the works completed since our last visit. Our 15 acre Paspalum Platinum turfgrass nursery is coming on really well and will be in good health for when we start to harvest for the grassing of the course.

Tad, Tim and Andrew at the El Ein Bay - Paspalum Platinum turf nursery

Wednesday

We woke to a cloudy and almost stormy morning. The day was spent reviewing the earthworks/ irrigation completed on holes 1-10 + 18. The shaping is pretty bold for the bunkering but quite generous for the fairways and greens. We don’t want to make this the hardest golf course in the world but a fun and enjoyable course for all golfers.

The detailed bunker shaping at El Ein Bay

Afternoon meetings regarding the weir structures, stream re-circulation systems and landscaping strategy between Tad, Andrew, Client’s engineer and Tim were productive with some solid solutions arrived upon.

Fish dinner in the evening for Tad, Tim and Andrew at Porto Soukhna was a fantastic way to end a day.

Thursday

We left the hotel (Stella Di Mare) in Ain Soukhna at 9am to drive back to Cairo. A lunchtime meeting about a new project in Sharm el Sheik was competed in Cairo prior to our flight back at 16.30hr.

A very busy but productive week in Egypt.  A fair bit of time spent in the back of our car in traffic jams. But starting construction of New Giza and seeing how well El Ein Bay is coming out made it all worthwhile. We look forward to coming back in early December to review the construction of our two 18 hole projects here.

However, it is also an accurate description of the average golf course architect’s life, which is fast paced, full of action and never dull.

Over the course of an average year we will make around 30 site visits, which will equate to about 100 days away from home.

Most recently I’ve been travelling to the deserts of Egypt and Dubai as well as Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Our project in Egypt, called New Giza is a fascinating development. An old disused quarry is being transformed into a whole new city, including an 18-hole championship golf course, villas, semi-detached apartment buildings, city centre hub, university, commercial centre and other recreational facilities.

There really is nothing like getting your boots dirty, stepping out on site and working to transform a barren landscape into the beautiful rolling fairways of a golf course.

It can be a pretty dangerous place though and I’ve had a few hair-raising experiences, with one in particular standing out as it nearly saw me swallowed up whole.

I was on a site visit in Malaysia, crossing a stream with an associate who warned me the ground was a little soft. So I made sure I stood on some rocks as we crossed, but one just gave way underneath me and I found myself rapidly sinking in quicksand. They had to get some rope and haul me out. It’s something I smile about when I look back on it now, but at the time it was a little scary.

It wasn’t the last time I’d be caught out by a hazard on a course I’d designed. But fortunately it’s only the bunkers or water hazards that catch me out now.

It’s not all about getting out on site though, there is plenty of work that needs to be done in the office, which is where most of my day-to-day work is done. Going through ideas for projects already underway, while all the time looking out for any potential developments we could work on.

Along with Andrew Goosen  in our London office we discuss all our plans and bounce ideas off each other before settling on a design.

The whole process starts when we’re given a survey of the land by the client, who could be anyone from a property developer to Arabian Sheikh or even a wealthy golf nut working on a passion project.

As a team we carefully study the plans to see the contours of the land and any points of interest – like streams, rock faces or even an usual land form we can utilise, bringing the natural beauty into play without compromising the integrity of the course and being sympathetic to the land. A prime example of this is New Giza, where we have incorporated the old quarry wall as part of the design, giving the course a dramatic vertical hazard running alongside some of the holes.

Sometimes we see holes straightaway that fit naturally to the earth and get an idea of what we want to do. We’ll look for a clubhouse site, which will usually be where the 1st, 9th, 10th and 18th holes will also be situated.

However, there is no set formula to designing a golf course. Each has a different personality, you might see some holes straight away, but they might be the 3rd to the 5th in the middle, nowhere near the clubhouse or the beginning of the course.

The drawing process starts by hand, sketching out ideas on tracing paper over the top of the land survey. We could be drawing a single project for anything between 2000-3000 hours, doing 12 different designs, before reaching an agreement with the client and developer.

Once the hand drawing is approved it is moved onto CAD (computer aided design), which is a very accurate drawing, which can easily be manipulated. The drawings are then printed on our printer, which churns out large-scale drawings. We can go even bigger and print the drawings out to industrial size, or even make them into giant posters.

There are additional services to deal with too, such as creating manuals for the course superintendents of developments we’ve designed that are up and running. These important booklets act as guides to the superintendent on how to maintain the design and sustain the course for years to come.

It will tell them how the fairways should be mown and how to enhance certain aspects of the course. For example Carya Golf Club in Turkey, which has just opened, is a heathland inspired course, and we propagated over a million heather plants on site. The booklet we’ve produced has instructions on how to maintain the heather and make sure it has sustained growth throughout the course.

We’ll also instruct on things like future cutting heights, where we want the aprons and grass cut to allow run offs on the greens to maintain the strategy of the course and for golfers moving forward.

Over my years as a golf course architect things have changed quite a bit, mainly for the better and, largely, due to technology.

The digital age has been a huge help to golf course architects much like the three-piece ball or titanium driver has been for golfers. All the little gadgets have made life so much easier and more efficient.

Things used to be very tough when measuring distances in the past, as you’d have to use a measuring wheel or a pacer to mark out distance, which could be arduous work especially in a warm, humid climate. And they were never the most accurate of tools either.

Now with the GPS range finders all you have to do is stand on a tee and point to a bunker being built in the distance and in seconds confirm what we’ve designed is being fulfilled.

GPS surveying equipment has also really helped as they pinpoint exactly where we are in relation to the plans, whereas before everything had to be done by reference points and it could be extremely laborious.

You can even put a GPS attachment onto a buildozer, and it will operate the blade so the course is dug exactly to where it’s designed.

However, that’s something we tend not to do as we feel it takes out the artistic flair, and that’s what the site visit is all about. The plans are a good roadmap to what you want, but you still have to implement the details and put them into the ground.