The West course at Wentworth is one of England’s most famous golf courses and it is closed for twelve months from 1st June 2009 until June 2010.
Following on from big Ernie’s 2006 changes whereby new bunkers and tees were added, the West course is now having all its greens rebuilt to USGA specification with the current poa turf being reseeded with colonial bent grass. Wentworth is once more working closely with Ernie Els on this extensive renovation programme.
Below is the July 2009 update from Wentworth but for the latest picture, check the website via the link at the bottom of this page.
Wentworth West Course Project Update 18/08/09
To paraphrase a well-worn political quote, two weeks is a long time in golf course renovation! Certainly that’s the case with the continued great work on the new greens and greens’ complexes on the West Course. The weather has been kind to us and I’m pleased to say that work is progressing extremely well. Let me talk you through the most recent batch of photographs taken on site, as they reveal much about what is happening in these exciting times at the Club.
1. This view from the fairway up towards the 1st green reveals the extent of the work being carried out on the greens’ complexes, with significant changes being made to the greenside bunkering. The fairway bunker on the right remains untouched for now, but will obviously be subject to review as part of the extended works which we announced last month.
2. We remain on the 1st hole and no, Jon from the Pro shop hasn’t miraculously acquired the gift of levitation! He is in fact jumping into the air to give you some idea of the depth of the revised greenside bunker. The front lip is probably nine feet high, which reflects our intention to give all the bunkers more visual impact and, of course, to make them more of a challenge to play out of.
3. This image from halfway down the fairway gives a good view of the completed work on the 7th green and green complex. It looks great. The green has been extended to the top right to create new pin positions beyond the far bunker.
4. And moving ahead on to the 7th green you can see that the tier, very much an integral part of this par-4, is still in place. Jon and Adrian’s presence helps illustrate that the challenge is in no way diminished.
5. Work is well advanced to extend the pond on the 8th hole so that it is adjacent to the green. Here we can see the sleeper wall being put in place.
6. Moving closer to the green you can see that the sleeper wall will be a substantial architectural feature, being at least five feet in height. The putting surface will then be raised another 40 inches above that. It really will look fantastic from the player’s eye view.
7. The 9th green has been raised by about three feet and significantly we have also removed the trees to the right of the green as you play it (left in this picture). If you miss the green on that side there will be nothing to stop your ball running away into the ditch, so it is more penal than a greenside bunker. This was one of the many decisions we made when we reviewed the overall playability of every hole.
8. Water has always tended to collect at the front of the 9th green; here we see the new drainage being installed. It is worth stressing again how the improved drainage system is going to have a huge positive impact.
9. This view from behind the 10th green shows how we have extended the putting surface behind the greenside bunker, which straight away gives us some exciting new pin position options. This green and the green complex are now essentially complete.
10. As we previously explained, the 18th green is undergoing significant remodeling and renovation work. Here you can see the new water hazard being created at the front portion of the green surround. The hazard will run along the right-hand side of the fairway from 90 yards short of the green, then across the front of the green and up along the left-hand side. If you look carefully you will see the blue lines painted in the clay, which indicate the width of the finished water hazard, roughly 10 feet wide to the side of the green and slightly wider directly in front of the green.
That’s it for now. I hope you agree that things are really starting to take shape and that the work is beginning to reveal something of the finished impression, which is extremely exciting. As usual, we’ll have another update for you in two week’s time.
Click here to check the Wentworh Club website for the latest update.
