Major two-year investment project underway, to
revitalise the Leeds Castle Golf Course and re-establish one of the “most iconic
opening golf holes in the world”.
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| Bridge built by Armand-Albert Rateau in the late 1920’s over the Broomfield road to join the Leeds Castle golf course |
During the ‘Golden Age’, when
Hollywood stars and the rich and famous of the 1930s were being entertained at
Leeds Castle weekend houseparties by the last private owner Lady Baillie – a
lesser known but equally significant chapter of the castle’s history was
happening outside….on the golf
course.
In 1931, Lady Baillie agreed to
the construction of the golf course, as she felt that a vast expanse of
beautifully laid-out trees and mowed grass, leading to an expansive sheet of
water, with the castle as the focal point in the middle, would create as
idyllic a country scene as could “humanly be devised”.
Eminent golf course architects of
the day, Sir Guy Campbell, Cecil Hutchinson and Stafford Hotchkin, were commissioned
to design a course where “no bunkers would be visible from the castle”, which
would not “interrupt the skyline with a flagpole on a green”.
The end result was a unique nine-hole
course considered by many at the time to be one of Britain’s finest, which
remains open daily to players of all abilities.
Since its completion, the course has
hosted many of the world’s top professional golfers, including American
professional Walter Hagen, a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th
century and Gene Sarazen, also American and one of the world's top players in
the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1935 and 1937, the American
Ryder Cup teams stayed at Leeds Castle en route to Southport and Ainsdale for
the Ryder Cup matches.
Later during the 1970s and
following their victory, members of the American Walker Cup team stayed at the
castle as guests of Lady Baillie’s husband, Sir Adrian Baillie. The team played
a number of matches on the course in preparation for the British Amateur
Tournament.
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| Walker Cup Team visit Leeds Castle as guests of Sir Adrian Baillie |
Today, the historic nine-hole
golf course at Leeds Castle is undergoing a major two-year ‘facelift’, which
will be completed in 2016, 85 years after it was first opened for play!
The stunning views of the castle
from the course will be restored with the addition of new vistas, created by thinning
out existing overgrown woodlands.
Over the coming weeks and months,
work will begin on remodelling parts of the current course in keeping with Sir
Guy Campbell’s original vision.
Campbell’s approach to designing
a new course was simple and practical; make use of natural hazards but avoid
trees, avoid building up teeing grounds, never build high plateau greens, use
as little manures as possible and do any weeding by hand!
Although Sir Guy will not see the
exciting modifications due to take place on his course at Leeds Castle, some of
his original holes will be retained and, in some cases, re-instated.
To supervise these changes PGA
Master Pro and EIGCA Golf Course Architect Alan Walker, has been appointed and
brings his expertise to the project.
Mr Walker said:
“I’m very excited and privileged to be able
to oversee the restoration of this unique course back to its former glory.
The program is both a restoration and an
agronomy project. From an architectural standpoint, there will be some changes
to the individual golf holes, but the main change will come in 2016 with the
re-routing of the nine hole course and restoring the classic opening hole
playing around the moat with the castle in full view. It will be once again one
of the most iconic opening golf holes in the world.
The programme will be phased over two years
with the renovation of all bunkers and teeing grounds one of the first jobs to
complete. We are also reviewing the current irrigation system and updating
where necessary.
Charles Henderson of Sports Agronomy Services
will plan and manage the agronomic changes to the golf course. Charles has a
wealth of knowledge and experience in sports turf working on numerous golf
courses around the world. The implementation of his plan has already commenced
and the golf course will begin to show signs of improvement as the months
progress.
Our ultimate plan is to upgrade the golf
course and enhance the overall golf offering in the coming years. We wish to
create a sense of pride of place for golf at Leeds Castle”.
Shane Guy, Head of Tourism for
Leeds Castle, said:
“We are proud to be able to invest in the
product and bring the golf course back to the standards that are expected of
Leeds Castle.
The course has, and will continue to, provide
a leisure facility for our conference, wedding and accommodation customers as
well as visiting golfers.
Whilst the work is in progress we will remain
open and golfers will start to see a rise in standards of the course.
We want to provide a facility that meets the
requirements of all levels of golfers, and one that shows quality throughout
the year.”
From 1 April, there will be two
new ways to enjoy golf at Leeds Castle.
The new ‘One Under Card’ gives seven
rounds of golf for the price of six with prices starting from just £70. For those
wishing to play unlimited golf, you can now purchase a ‘Season Ticket’ for five
or seven days with prices starting from as little as £295 per year.
‘William’
is named after Lady Baillie’s grandfather William Whitney. He was a US Navy
Secretary who later amassed a great fortune, ultimately helping to restore Leeds
Castle as we see it today. He is price at £85 and is also made of mohair.
Canterbury
Bears have over thirty years experience in making exceptional quality bears and
supplying to retailers including Harrods, V&A Museum, Disney, Liberty's and
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