Bromsgrove’s BLACKWELL GC Revisted

[Frank Pont]

That original bunkering on 6 looks amazing.

Jud,

You are very right, Simpson was the master of the fortress bunkered short par 3 hole, think:

Hardelot holes 5 and 7
Royal Spa holes 2 and 6

Unfortunately a lot of them had lost their visual "teeth". However Patrice and I have restored Hardelot 5 and 7, and this winter we will restore Spa 2 ( hole 6 will hopefully be done next winter).

[Pat Burke]

That original bunkering on 6 looks amazing.

Jud,

You are very right, Simpson was the master of the fortress bunkered short par 3 hole, think:

Hardelot holes 5 and 7
Royal Spa holes 2 and 6

Unfortunately a lot of them had lost their visual "teeth". However Patrice and I have restored Hardelot 5 and 7, and this winter we will restore Spa 2 ( hole 6 will hopefully be done next winter).

I've commented before, Hardelot is fantastic. 
Frank, when I was there, 5 and 7 were the pictures I put of facebook to show the members at home how cool the place was.

[Sean_A]

Frank

I assume the fronting bunker on 6 will hide the (very small) landing area short of the green?  The 6th is a hole I greatly admire...quite deceptive and deadly.  It is obviously completely man-made, but what is very cool is the safe shot is to play to the back of the green where it is flatter and hope to 2 putt. Any shot played to the first half of the green stands a good chance of bouncing right into the bunkers. That is of course if the greens are in decent shape.  Are there plans to firm up the greens?  In truth, the green is quite small for the strategies involved...especially off the left tee.  

9 is a great pity because its obvious there is meant to be a play in from the left.  I spose they are inviting drainage problems if left of the green was a more pronounced slope.  The entire hole gets fairly wet fairly easily.  Any thoughts to raising the green a few feet above the water?  

I think my favourite bit of work was the clearing behind 13 green.  Bringing that swale fully into play with some decent grass growing was a stroke of genius.

The club should make enquiries with Little Aston to see how they keep their course pretty firm despite being a parkland. 

Ciao

[Frank Pont]

Sean,

plan is to make the course firm and fast, and I'm sure Rhys (course manager) will get it there. He and I both know Neil Baker of LA very well and are on the same page when it comes to trying to get the course to be fast and firm. One difference between LA and Blackwell is that Blackwell is virtually all on clayish soil, compared to sand at LA, which makes the job of making Blackwell firm a bit harder than at LA, but not impossible (look at Walton Heath which is clay).

on hole 9 nothing will happen in the near future, but maybe in the longer term the club will spend the money to fill part of the pond back in. Raising the green will not happen, that would be even more expensive than filling in part of the pond, plus I am not in favor of further mocking about with original Simpson greens if I can avoid it... in that case I would rather lower the water in the pond, which should be easy since it is higher that fairway 8....

Glad you like the clearing and short grass behind 13. Much more of that type of changes to be coming in the next years.

[Niall C]

That original bunkering on 6 looks amazing.

Jud

We tend to bang heads on most things but with regards to those photos I totally agree, those original bunkers look fantastic. Looks very much like chunks have been taken out of the ground to form them. The newer redone ones look a bit more anemic but given the restrictions with materials as outlined by Frank its understandable. I certainly prefer sand faced to grass faced bunkers that's for sure.

Niall

[Sean_A]

Frank

How is work at Blackwell going?

Ciao

[Frank Pont]

Sean,

the winter has been so wet that most of the work has focused on (significant) tree removal, which you will like.

However plan is to start working on the (famous) green bunkers on hole 10 in the next few weeks, which should be fun....

FP

[Sean_A]

Thanks Frank...now for three big questions.

1. The trees on #3...major clear out near the tee, down the left and the few down the right?

2. Centre bunker on #5...has it been smartened up?

3. Trees on 13...entire hole...major clear out?

Ciao

[Neil White]

Which trees on 13 are you thinking about Sean?


I would've thought 14 would benefit from a clear out instead of 13?

[Frank Pont]

Thanks Frank...now for threee big questions.


1. The trees on #3...major clear out near the tee, down the left and the few down the right?

Mostly done.....


2. Centre bunker on #5...has it been smartened up?

The one on 4 is in the plan, we did not get to it because of the wet winter. The one on 5 iin the past was much more to the left, ie wasn't a centre line bunker, which is where I would like to restore it if the club lets me.


3. Trees on 13...entire hole...major clear out?

I assume you mean the right side of hole 12, that has been cleared significantly this winter, but I haven't seen it yet


Ciao
[size=78%]  [/size]

[Sean_A]

Which trees on 13 are you thinking about Sean?

I would've thought 14 would benefit from a clear out instead of 13?

Speed

Yes, I was thinking the right side of 14 to make that lovely tree near the ditch a bit more of  feature and offer a bailout.  Right now it seems like a lovely green complex is a bit wasted by the tee shot.

Frank

Good to hear trees down #12 have been ripped out...should make the snake bunker really stand out.  Do you know when that bunker was converted from a ditch?

Any before/after pix?

Ciao 

[Sean_A]

Well, the club is about 3-4 years into its 10 year plan to renovate the course and it has made some significant headway.  There is a long way to go if the tree issues are going to be fully addressed, but so far so good!  See the updated tour.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35050.0.html

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Blackwell is classy, both course wise and maybe even more so 'yee olde' clubhouse wise, but the course had fallen back somewhat. The renovation work looks to be progressing well however, and the remainder of the bunker work, the difference between old and new can be seen in the photos above, is apparently due to be completed over the winter period.
An excessive amount of trees are still present, although a large pile of thick cut tree trunks was visible left of the 8th hole. Hopefully quite a lot more trees will come out - there's one to the right of the delightful par-3 12th that while a fine specimen of a tree doesn't half bugger up the tee shot from the white tees to a right hand pin.
Damn good course Blackwell, one definitely worth playing, even more so as the renovation work progresses.
Atb

The 18th as was -

And as is -

[Sean_A]

Its been a seven year gap between plays and work still continues! Its no secret I am a great admirer of the design and less so of the presentation. Yet, things are getting better. I note the horrible tree near the ditch on 14 is gone. I believe all the bunkers are done. While many trees have come out, loads more tree removal would benefit the course greatly. Anyway, see the dramatically updated tour.

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35050.0.html

Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

Its been a seven year gap between plays and work still continues! Its no secret I am a great admirer of the design and less so of the presentation. Yet, things are getting better. I note the horrible tree near the ditch on 14 is gone. I believe all the bunkers are done. While many trees have come out, loads more tree removal would benefit the course greatly. Anyway, see the dramatically updated tour.

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35050.0.html

Ciao

Blackwell has a new course manager, my friend Ben Lovett (ex-Ashridge). I know Ben was aware there were challenges in his new gig, but I have total confidence he was get them under control.

[Sean_A]

Its been a seven year gap between plays and work still continues! Its no secret I am a great admirer of the design and less so of the presentation. Yet, things are getting better. I note the horrible tree near the ditch on 14 is gone. I believe all the bunkers are done. While many trees have come out, loads more tree removal would benefit the course greatly. Anyway, see the dramatically updated tour.

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35050.0.html

Ciao

Blackwell has a new course manager, my friend Ben Lovett (ex-Ashridge). I know Ben was aware there were challenges in his new gig, but I have total confidence he was get them under control.

Yes, we had a chat with Ben and he has a wish list 😎. He used to post here.

Ciao

[Ben Lovett]

The chainsaws are being sharpened as we speak with work commencing in August! The next phase of woodland work will be on holes 4,5,6 & 7 with some minor tweaks on 3 and 8. I can happily say the fairway wiggles are being removed and we continue to widen fairway corridors with 3 & 8 now being one massive fairway with some fantastic bunkers separating.

[Ben Stephens]

The chainsaws are being sharpened as we speak with work commencing in August! The next phase of woodland work will be on holes 4,5,6 & 7 with some minor tweaks on 3 and 8. I can happily say the fairway wiggles are being removed and we continue to widen fairway corridors with 3 & 8 now being one massive fairway with some fantastic bunkers separating.

Thank you Ben for the update - wondering if we could have a GCA day/event at Blackwell as many of us would be interested in playing your course

[Darragh Garrahy]

have been a few times this year Ben and your work is showing.

[[size=78%]quote author=Ben Lovett link=topic=35050.msg1753290#msg1753290 date=1721225197][/size]
The chainsaws are being sharpened as we speak with work commencing in August! The next phase of woodland work will be on holes 4,5,6 & 7 with some minor tweaks on 3 and 8. I can happily say the fairway wiggles are being removed and we continue to widen fairway corridors with 3 & 8 now being one massive fairway with some fantastic bunkers separating.

[Sean_A]

The chainsaws are being sharpened as we speak with work commencing in August! The next phase of woodland work will be on holes 4,5,6 & 7 with some minor tweaks on 3 and 8. I can happily say the fairway wiggles are being removed and we continue to widen fairway corridors with 3 & 8 now being one massive fairway with some fantastic bunkers separating.

Ben

Tree removal right of 5? My approach from the fairway was blocked by trees. It made playing right of the fairway bunker a waste of time. Is that fairway bunker original?

Left of 7? This is a sleeper hole waiting to wake up.

Good news about the fairway wiggles .

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Super course. Masses more potential too.
Best of luck to Ben and Adam and others involved in hopefully being permitted to move things forward.
Atb

[Ben Lovett]

Unfortunately forgotten how to post photos on here but we’ve been busy removing lots of trees. Currently working on the 3rd moving towards 4,5,6 & 7.

[Thomas Dai]

Based on a recent visit the tree removal has had a positive effect on the courses playability and strategy and likely on the sword and other aspects too. It was nice to see some wider mowing lines too.
Atb