water and operating costs,
doing the work prior to
significant course changes
will likely see works being
duplicated. Having a plan for
10 years of developments will
help identify not only the cost
implications but also where
cost savings can occur.
AVOIDING ADHOC
DECISIONS
The short term decisions of
well-meaning committees has
provided many golf course
designers and arborists with
a regular stream of work,
whereas having a plan and a
definite programme can go
a long way to avoiding these
costly mistakes.
REDUCING RISKS
The distance travelled by the
modern golf ball has had
many implications to golf
course architecture, and the
constant increase of course
length is the most noticeable.
But with this increase has
come the problem posed
by golf balls leaving the golf
course property. Making well
thought out changes in this
area can not only improve the
golf course but also lessen the
liability and potential costs
faced by errant golf balls.
NON-CORE GOLF
ACTIVITIES
Having a part of the Master
Plan that addresses the
non-core golf issues that are
potential income streams
can be a most important part
of the plan to the ongoing
success of the facility. While
the importance of the golf
course cannot be overlooked,
PACIFIC COAST
DESIGN
Paul Reeves
Paul is a Director of Pacific
Coast Design and has
carried out extensive Site
Planning and Golf Course Design for Clients across Asia.
He is a passionate golfer with a handicap of 5.
Prior to joining PCD Paul was a Specialist Project Manager
(Construction) for Golf courses and built projects for Jack
Nicklaus, Greg Norman as well as Pacific Coast Design.
we are witnessing several
alternative golf experiences
become important in
both income creation and
introducing people to the
game. Mini-golf, Foot-golf,
Simulator golf, Driving Ranges
and Video game golf are all
now parts of the golfing mix
that may have a place in a
facilities’ golf opportunities.
Then outside of golf there
are other streams to be
considered, wedding venues
have now become part many
golf clubs income streams
and we also know of a club
that has found a nice niche
in facilitating funeral wakes
given their proximity to a
cemetery, while other facilities
we know of rent fairway space
for TV filming. The Master
Plan should see the golf
club as a hub for community
activity and maybe letting the
fairways become home for
more than golf.
Having a facilitator and
club representatives that
think outside the tree line
of the fairways is vital to
developing a Master Plan
that can take the golf facility
to its’ potential. Finding such
a team is a process of the
facility developing a set of
objectives for what they want
the Master Plan to achieve
then interviewing a variety
of possible designers. Golf
Course Architects come from
a wide variety of backgrounds
and their experiences expose
them to clubs and facilities
dealing with a broad variety
of issues. It should also
never be forgotten that the
most important asset of a
golf facility is the course and
having an expert in this field
should be the Master Plan’s
starting point. Where issues
or requirements take the
architect outside their field
of expertise they will utilise
the skill of a suitable sub-
consultant.
However created, a Master
Plan represents the direction
of a facility and is important
to its longevity and economic
sustainability. Once created
the Master Plan must provide
the direction for the facility,
however like the golf course
it represents, it too is living
and evolving and will require
review and adjustment but
its’ core should provide much
of the direction for the golf
course, it’s amenities and its
future.
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