O ne of Australia’ s leading golf courses, Links Kennedy Bay, has fully re-opened following an 18 hole re-design that includes the addition of over 100 pot bunkers featuring synthetic revetted faces from U. K. bunker specialists EcoBunker.
GOLF COURSES
Links Kennedy Bay Re-opens with EcoBunker Technology at the Heart of Major Redesign
O ne of Australia’ s leading golf courses, Links Kennedy Bay, has fully re-opened following an 18 hole re-design that includes the addition of over 100 pot bunkers featuring synthetic revetted faces from U. K. bunker specialists EcoBunker.
The ambitious project was led by former Tour professional and acclaimed course architect Graham Marsh, working alongside Western Australian industry leader Trevor Strachan. With the original back nine sold for development, the redesign required a brand-new back nine as well as the rerouting of holes 5 to 9. The changes gave Marsh a rare blank canvas to elevate playing conditions while safeguarding the long-term integrity of the course.
“ The use of EcoBunker was validated through a feasibility study by Trevor Strachan, which confirmed its longterm advantages over natural revetting,” said Adam Strachan of Sports Turf Construction, project manager for the redevelopment.“ I was initially concerned about using synthetic faces in such a beautiful, natural landscape, but the results are superb. The bunkers are indistinguishable from natural revetts and come with a minimum 25-year lifespan.”
Chief among the challenges for the re-design were the extreme weather conditions in the area. Along with the very hot, dry summers, Perth is renowned as one of the windiest cities in the world. In addition, the region receives up to 600mm of rain annually, most of which comes in the winter months, making bunkers vulnerable to sand blow, wash out and erosion.
“ The course previously had natural revetted bunkers, but with exposure to the elements many
36 GroundskeepingJournal. co. uk | January / February 2026