December 23, 2011

From all of us at Thomson Perrett & Lobb we would like to wish our colleagues, Clients, friends in the industry and fellow golfers a Merry Christmas and look forward to a wonderful 2012.

At this time of the year there always comes a time for reflection on our achievements and on things we could have done better. While the golf development market is still quite stagnant we are pleased with our progress and accomplishments throughout the year.

Please see below some of our highlights for the year.

Master Planning Projects

We have been working on some fascinating master planning projects throughout the year. First of which is a 12, 000Ha site in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) called Wadi Al Asla, where we are appointed by leading architects HOK to assist them with the integration of two golf courses within the complex community master plan. The site has varied landscapes and characteristics and TPL has been onsite since day one to determine the optimal positioning of the golf course sites and how they will give a great golfing experience whilst ensuring connectivity to the rest of the 120km2 site.

Navigating around a 12, 000Ha site at Wadi Al Asla with HOK. The iPad is a great piece of kit.

Another major master planning project we have been concentrating on this year has been Barwa New Cairo. We are appointed by leading US architects RNL to assist them with the integration of an 18 hole championship golf course within a 600Ha residential community in the expanding Cairo suburbs. Whilst it has been a transforming era in Egyptian politics this year the project has continued and we are now looking at finalising the master plan in the near future.

The dramatic landscape at Barwa New Cairo.

International Expansion

In December 2010 we formed the Thomson Perrett & Lobb office in Cape Town, South Africa in which Andrew Goosen (Senior Design Associate) heads up.

Andrew Goosen at our new Cape Town office

TPL has made good in roads into developing long term projects in the African market and have been involved with preliminary studies for projects in Mozambique, Mauritius, Zambia, South Africa and Nigeria.

The dramatic Mozambique coastline where TPL visited in 2011

We look forward to a long association with Africa and to developing a typically ‘African golfing experience’ on all of the projects that we work on.

Working with existing Clubs

In addition to working on large scale master planned golf developments TPL also has great satisfaction in working with existing Clubs to improve their playing strategies. Throughout the year we have undertaken full strategic design reviews at The Richmond Golf Club, Wimbledon Park Golf Club, Royal Jersey Golf Club and a historic restoration of holes 16 + 17 at Burhill Golf Club.

Throughout the months of September to current there has been much construction works being undertaken and we are very proud of our achievements at these Clubs.

Bunker construction work at Royal Jersey Golf Club completed on hole 11, Dec 2011

TPL completed construction of a full 18 hole bunker and strategic review at Richmond Golf Club in Nov 2011.

TPL commenced with phase 1 (50%) of a total bunker reconstruction at Wimbledon Park Golf Club

Restoration of the 16th hole at Burhill Golf Club was completed in Nov 2011

2012?

TPL look forward to the year ahead. The golf development market is still very depressed and struggling in this current economic climate but despite this opportunites are still apparent.

We wish our Melbourne office, Thomson Perrett well for their bid to design the golf course for the Rio Olympics 2016. The decision is to be announced in the new year.

We are pleased to travel to the Opening of our El Ein Bay project in Egypt just after the Christmas break. A fantastic achievement to get this course finished despite the challenges Egypt has faced this year.

Opening of TPL's - El Ein Bay in January 2012

We are in the middle of bidding for three new major new developments so will hopefully have some success with one or more of those for the new year.

We continue to search for Clients who appreciate our attention to detail and our passion for delivering golf courses that complement the indigenous surroundings they lie in. But most importantly for our golf courses to provide a strategic challenge for all and make golf a fun game to play again.

Tim, Peter and Ross wish you a very Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in 2012.

Goodbye 2011 – hello 2012.

Good golfing.

Click on above link to access our Summer Newsletter, 2011

Click on the link below to read

http://www.tpl.eu.com/news-12.php

If you would like to subscribe please email Tim Lobb at tlobb@tpl.eu.com

Happy reading

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.

We played golf on The Old Course and New and also a Hickory Golf Challenge at Kinggarock. A great place to go if you ever have the chance.

www.kingarrock.com

During our two day conference it also became very evident that in our industry there is a firm belief regarding the following:

1.  Golf courses are becoming too long

2. Golf is taking too long to play

3. Golf is too expensive

4. There needs to be a supreme effort to conserve water and natural resources on each and every project.

Some photos below will help to give a small idea of the friendship and camaraderie throughout the whole event.

Neil Crafter informing Tom Mackenzie how well he will hit it off the first. Ben Davey looking on.

The Aussie boys before teeing off on The Old Course

Ross on the first tee - Old Course. Nice fade up the middle

L-R, Gaunt, Lobb, Elyea, McMurray, Anderson at Kingarrock. Lobb/ McMurray Combo won the 9 hole hickory challenge with a 2 over 39.

Tim and Ross in traditional Scottish dress for the Gala Dinner.

The Claret jug even made an appearance. We know how heavy it is now Peter Thomson!

Ross with Jonathan Smith of GEO. A great time with friends in this special industry.

Our electronic newsletter was distributed with news of our current projects.

Please click on below link for review.

http://www.tpl.eu.com/news-11.php

If you would like to subscribe please email us at info@tpl.eu.com

Please read below for details.

World Forum of Golf Architects,  St Andrews 2010

Golf Course Architecture for the 21st Century – Challenges and Opportunities.

With just over two weeks to go many golf course architects are already looking forward to the historic World Forum of Golf Architects and making the travel arrangements that will take them to St Andrews from 24th to 28th March 2010.

A great gathering of the golf design business

In collaboration with the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects, the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, supported by its industry partners, will return to the ‘Home of Golf’ to mark its Tenth Anniversary.

The Forum programme combines serious golf – on both the Old and the New Courses – with fun golf – a competition over the 9-hole 2,022 yard course at Kingarrock Golf Club, just outside St. Andrews, to experience golf played with original hickory clubs and authentic early 20th century tees and balls. Of course, no visit to St Andrews would be complete without a putting competition on the ‘Himalayas’, which this year will raise funds for the Golf Foundation.

Playing on the Old Course again will be a highlight for Ross, Tim and all playing

The Forum, which is confidently expected to attract the largest ever gathering of golf course architects, concludes with a two-day Conference with the theme, “Golf Course Architecture for the 21st Century – Challenges and Opportunities.”

International guest speakers (including Ross Perrett) will be presenting but everyone attending the Forum will be given the opportunity to contribute through a series of short presentations and panel debates. The Conference will be held within the impressive precincts of Upper and Lower College Halls, St Salvator’s Quad, University of St Andrews.

There will be many opportunities for informal ‘networking’ in addition to the two social highlights: a welcome reception in Forgan House, hosted by The R&A, and the Gala Conference Dinner that concludes the Forum and will be held in the Links Clubhouse. At this event the first winner of the Harry Colt Trophy will be announced and presented with the trophy which has been created to honour outstanding service to the game of golf.

“The Forum is really a celebration of the golf business and what golf design has achieved within that over the last one hundred years,” said David Krause, President EIGCA. “For EIGCA it is also our 10th Anniversary so it’s a good reason to be proud of what we have achieved over the last 10 years and to share some of the things that we have done with our sister organisations.

“We had our 5th Anniversary in St Andrews, the last time The Open was played there. We decided to follow the R&A’s rotation and planned back then to return to the home of the Old Course. It’s the same combination in 2010. Everyone loves going to St Andrews.”

Tim and Ross will post some pictures after the event and our scores from playing the Old and New Courses. Pressure is on.

Tim, Peter and Ross in St Andrews, 2008

Have a great conference to speakers, delegates and organisers.

Peter and Ross in our Melbourne office

18th October 2009 represents five years since Thomson Perrett & Lobb became an operating UK  Based Golf Course Design practice. So happy birthday to us.

Peter Thomson, our Chairman, formed the founding design practice in Melbourne, Australia in 1964 and subsequently opened offices in Beijing, Singapore and most recently our office  in Surrey, UK.

Like all businesses we have had our up and downs but in recent years have enjoyed seeing our designs getting built in the ground with our first course opening in 2008 (Carya Golf Club in Turkey). With current construction ongoing in Egypt (2), Dubai and soon to be Oman we look forward to opening further courses in the future for golfers enjoyment.

Peter, Ross and I thank our supporters, clients, in house design team and industry friends for their support and look forward to continued progress.

Peter, Tim & Ross in Melbourne office