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.

As the golfing greats gather at St Andrews for this years Open Championships Peter, Ross and Tim make the annual journey to attend the Championship.

Peter Thomson is captaining the team of Tiger Woods, Sir Nick Faldo and Mark Calcavecchia at Wednesday’s Champions Challenge.

Click on the below link to watch a video on Peters thoughts of St Andrews.

http://www.tpl.eu.com/library-old-course.php

Peter won the 1955 Open Championship at St Andrews.

Tim, Peter and Ross at the famous Old Course in St Andrews

Drop Tim an email if you are attending and want to meet up

tlobb@tpl.eu.com

Golf in Finland is very much a family sport and shows how the game should be played and approached for more traditional golfing countries. Golf is still growing at 10% per year in Finland where as it is probably declining by that amount in tradtional golfing regions.  

Go and see Linna Golf for yourselves – www.linnagolf.fi

The family enjoying some practice putting before dinner. The greens were in superb shape.

The putting course is 120m long and alot of fun for all to enjoy.

Playing the 8th hole at 10pm. We were there on the mid summer holiday weekend with almost continual sunshine

Strong contours entering the 12th green

The clubhouse is a superb barn renovation. Just fantastic

The adjoining 'castle' style hotel oozes charm and class

Tim and father on 9th tee. A proud moment. This hole was voted best par 4 in Finland.

Linna Golf is golf how it should be – relaxed, in harmony with nature and a family activity.

www.linnagolf.fi

Chris Geraghty, golf professional at nearby Stella Di Mare Golf and Country Club strikes one off hole 3

Tim Lobb, a very un golf professional strikes one off same hole

We have sodded around the bunker edges to give stability

Tree and palm planting has started on hole 4

We have worked hard to create natural looking streams. Great job guys

El Ein Bay is coming together really well and we look forward to posting more progress pictures. During the site visit we approved hole 2, green 8 and tee 5 for grassing to commence. Look forward to seeing those green.

PRESS RELEASE

Challenge Tour impressed with TPL’s Carya course

Players describe heathland course as ‘probably the best we’ll play all year’

(London, United Kingdom – May 06, 2010) European Challenge Tour players and representatives have lavished praise on Carya Golf Club, designed by Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the golf course design practice founded by five-times Open Champion Peter Thomson, after it staged the Turkish Airlines Challenge.

The European Challenge Tour event, the first to be held in Turkey for 11 years, was won by England’s Charlie Ford, who described Carya Golf Club as ‘fantastic.’

The short par 4, 4th hole offered a great strategic challenge

He said: “The course is only 18 months old – I couldn’t believe it when someone told me that. It’s in great condition, and it’s a course that makes you think your way round, instead of just getting on the tee and trying to bomb it.”

Englishman Ally Mellor agreed, adding: “It’s a great test – probably one of the best courses we’ll play on all year.”

Carya, a unique heathland inspired course on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast is built on undulating sand hills with holes cutting through pine and eucalyptus woodland, has only been open for play for 18 months.

The propagated heather has established so well after less than 2 years

But the course in the Belek region of Turkey proved to be a hit with all involved in the tournament and looks set to become a permanent fixture on the Challenge Tour calendar.

Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “The first edition of the Turkish Airlines Challenge was a resounding success, thanks in no small part to the quality of Carya Golf Club. All of our Members were very complimentary about the course, which looked superb and played even better.

The par 3, 7th hole played as the hardest hole all week

“The first edition of a tournament is always the hardest, but the week went so smoothly because the course was so warmly received. It is less than 18 months old and has great potential to mature and improve even more over the coming years, so we are already looking forward to returning to Carya for the second edition of the Turkish Airlines Challenge next year.”

Prior to opening in late 2008, nearly one million heather sprigs were planted around the course, to give it its heathland feel, inspired by the classic courses in the UK, such as Sunningdale and The Berkshire.

In a first-of-its-kind project, TPL propagated the heather in specially constructed glasshouses on site.

One of the broad scale propagation poly tunnels set up for heather cuttings

TPL principal Tim Lobb said: “We are overjoyed with the response from the Tour players who competed on the course and with the feedback we have received from those organising the event. Considering the course is not even two years old it is a great testament to the team who designed and built the course to have it looking and playing so well in such a short period of time.”

What the players said:

John E Morgan

“The course is absolutely gorgeous and it’s in phenomenal condition. It’s just a joy to play – as soon as you’ve finished, you just want to get out there again. It could definitely hold a main Tour event in years to come, there’s no doubt about it. The par threes are all demanding, and the par fives are all good risk and reward holes. They dangle the carrot, and if you play the hole well, then you can make birdies or even eagles. I particularly love the definition of the course, which really stands out. It looks beautiful.”

Jamie McLeary

“The course is absolutely stunning – you really couldn’t ask for a better set-up. All the players have really enjoyed playing it – if we play on a better course all season, we’ll be very lucky.”

Raymond Russell

“You can’t really afford to force the issue round this course, because there are a few holes where it wouldn’t be wise to attack the flag, so you have to use the contours of the green. And the rough’s quite penal in places – you can really tie yourself in knots out there. But it’s a beautiful course, and it’s in fantastic condition – especially as it’s only been open less than two years.”

Carefully detailed bunkers provided a striking hazard for players

ENDS

Please click on link below to view coverage as seen from the European Tour website.

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/season=2010/tournamentid=2010726/videoaudio/videoid=121165.html

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

Construction progress has been steady over the last year on the resort style golf course that we have designed and are now building at El Ein Bay. We have 11 holes shaped, drained and irrigated.

We are now applying sandcap and will start grassing the course in the coming days.

Please see below construction photos taken by Tim Lobb during this week (1-4 March, 2010) onsite at El Ein Bay.

View from back tee of par 5, 3rd hole.

Extensive fairway bunkering on hole 3 finely shaped ready for grassing

Raised green complex of hole 3 ready for grassing to commence

Tad King, our shaper/ project manager/ general onsite go to man sharpening up his flop shot on our 15 acre Platinum Paspalum turf nursery

Even Tim is allowed to play some shots. Pulled it left into the lake, well the liner anway

Look forward to keeping our readers updated on this course and the progress that we are achieving. Looking forward to seeing some grass down.