1914 saw the foreshore and links become a coastal defence and training area with barbed wire entanglements and anti-aircraft batteries , but P . M Lucas kept the greens cut throughout WW1 and once the war had ended the course was soon restored , hosting the 1922 Ladies Open that was won by Joyce Wethered .
A period of great prosperity followed for Prince ’ s , culminating with the club hosting The Open in 1932 , but before long the country was once again at war and the links and club premises were requisitioned by the military , this time as a battle training ground which resulted in the course suffering untold damage before it was finally derequisitioned in 1949 .
Australian property developer Sir Aynsley Bridgland took control of the land and , in 1950 , Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison were tasked with redesigning and restoring the course . Despite the damage that occurred during the war , Campbell and Morrison were able to incorporate 17 of the original greens into a new layout of 27 holes , plus two practice holes . The Shore , Dunes and Himalayas courses - each starting and finishing beside the clubhouse - were officially born .
Fast forward to today and vast open sand scrape areas , natural wetlands and feature walkways accentuate the links ’ raw , natural aesthetic while sprawling , challenging green complexes , strategic bunkering and elevated tee positions ensure a tough , yet rewarding challenge for any discerning golfer . With stunning panoramas of the English Channel throughout , Prince ’ s is very much the epitome of a modern , yet historic , golfing masterpiece .
Now owned by Ramac Holdings , in May 2018 Prince ’ s unveiled its stunning , newly reimagined Himalayas course after nine months of work under the stewardship and design of renowned international golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert - transforming the Himalayas into one of the finest stretches of links golf in the country .
Officially opened in front of the some of the country ’ s most influential golf media and personnel , the new nine features two new holes ; a short , signature par-3 fifth hole which plays out towards the sea , as well as a long par-5 second hole which combines the second and third holes of the old layout and can be stretched to a whopping 615 yards .
Prince ’ s Golf Club
surrounds , out-of-play areas , tees , and clearance of trees were all included in the project .
The works didn ’ t stop there , though , and in 2020 Prince ’ s was celebrating the opening of Smugglers ’ Landing , a completely new par-3 . Commenting soon after the completion of the redevelopment works , Rob McGuirk , General Manager of Prince ’ s Golf Club , was understandably thrilled at the outcome of the project . “ The last three years have been an important step in the history of Prince ’ s and the transformation of the courses , under the guidance of Martin Ebert and our Links Superintendent , Sean McLean , has been spectacular ,” he said .
“ Culminating with the opening of Smugglers ’ Landing , the entire project is something for everyone involved with the club to be proud of . We ’ re thrilled with the outcome and the dramatic improvement in the visual and playing aspects of all 27 holes at Prince ’ s .”
The new hole plays as the fifth on the Shore nine at Prince ’ s and , to set the scene for the history of the Sandwich Flats and the fight against smuggling in Sandwich Bay , for which the hole is themed , the club have installed a replica scene by the walkway to the tee .
Martin Ebert and Mike Howard , of Mackenzie and Ebert Limited , visited the links on multiple occasions to assess the land and scope for the project prior to undertaking the work , and the company subsequently produced an Historic Report which analysed historic , pre-war and wartime RAF photography and unveiled a variety of interesting features which helped to frame the narrative of the new nine and restore some of the traditional elements of the course .
To recognise the historical significance of the site , a replica spitfire propeller was installed by the third tee , paying tribute to the heroics of fighter pilot , PB ‘ Laddie ’ Lucas . A previous Walker Cup captain and son of one of the founders of Prince ’ s , Laddie made a forced landing on the site in July 1943 after his aircraft was badly damaged by enemy fire as he returned to RAF Manston from a mission over northern France .
Another nod to the site ’ s historical importance saw the new fifth hole named Bloody Point in reference to the great naval battle that took place in Sandwich in AD 851 on the land where Prince ’ s now sits . This short par-3 , with the backdrop of the English Channel , is one of several notable changes that increased the par of the nine to 36 , while extensive changes to the bunkering , water hazards , green
Commenting on the finalised works , Ebert added : “ Following the creation of a new short hole on the Himalayas nine , it was equally exciting to do the same with Smugglers ’ Landing on the Shore . The challenge was to create a hole with a different character to Bloody Point and the away-sloping green has achieved that , not to mention the extensive bare sand areas in the carry and to the right of the hole .
“ The creation of these sand areas throughout the entire landscape of the Shore and Dunes nines in this phase of work has created so many stunning links vistas but none better and more impressive than for Smugglers ’ Landing . “
The wide-ranging improvements made across all three loops directly led to Prince ’ s breaking back into the Great Britain and Ireland Top 100 rankings for the first time in 35 years with Top100GolfCourses . com , Golf World and National Club Golfer magazines , a trajectory which looks sure to continue as the club goes from strength to strength , steeped in history and ever-evolving as one of the greatest tests of links that the country has to offer .
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