amateur golfer and the elite golfer.
ME: “We tried to look at it through the eyes of the
elite player from the back tees. We get the bunkers
in position for the best players and the 3rd hole, with
its two new bunkers, is a case in point. As we move
up the tees so the bunkers will affect the better club
golfer. We also had involvement from the lady golfers
at The Island throughout the project, regarding what
was desirable from their point of view.
“The green surrounds are another important area. If
you keep them tightly mown, such as on the right side
of the 4th green and left of the 8th green, this allows
players to use a variety of clubs and means there are
more options for the club golfer.”
DG: What other projects are you working on at the
moment?
ME: “We’ve just finished a major redesign of Hirono
Golf Club in Japan (I made 13 visits there in 10 months)
which has now reopened. It was designed by one of
Harry Colt’s partners, Charles Alison, in the 1930s. The
club wanted our angle on it as well as our knowledge
of Colt and his partners and what they might have
thought in terms of the modern game.
“Covid-19 has made us re-evaluate how we work and
how to do so in places like Japan, Chile and Peru.
This has led to different kinds of technology being
explored, such as drone surveying of construction
areas and also the combination of a 3D camera and a
Virtual Reality headset, which allows us to review the
work being done overseas from our office.”
DG: I played The Island a couple of years ago and my
playing partner missed a short putt on the 7th. He
threw his putter into the Buckthorn in disgust, not
realising how impenetrable it was. Was a putter found
when the Buckthorn was cleared?
ME: “Not that I heard of, no, but plenty of golf balls.”
DG: What feedback have you received so far from
The Island?
ME: “The feedback is that the members are delighted
and even people who were doubting the proposals
have said the changes are fantastic. You only get
a proper idea of how things are going once the
members start playing and if the reaction is good
then you know it has all gone well.”
www.theislandgolfclub.ie
www.mackenzieandebert.com
Volume 5 • Issue 52
61