[Neil_Crafter]

We have recently returned from Horsham Golf Club where my partner Paul Mogford and I have started the Master Plan process by spending a couple of days on site and in meetings with club representatives. The club is getting back on its feet and after a lot of hard work by the green staff and club volunteers, the course finally opened for play on Sunday 29th March 2009, around 6 weeks or so since the fire went through, destroying the clubhouse, one maintenance shed and around 90% of the vegetation. Most of the vegetation has been removed, except trees considered by the arborist to have at least a 20% chance of survival. There are a few unaffected trees but not many.

I just thought I'd post some before and after shots to give an idea of the difference in the appearance of the course - it is rather dramatic. The before shots were taken in May last year. Firstly here a few shots to set the scene.

Panorama from the 2nd green looking towards the 8th green. This vista did not exist previously due to trees.


Melting to a light by the 9th tee


All that is left of a tee sign


A blackened gum tree that burnt with great heat


Ok, some before and after shots now
Hole 8 from the tee before


After



Hole 11 view from tee before


After



Hole 15 view from tee before


After



Hole 16 view from tee before


After



Hole 16 view to green before


And after


I think these photos give a pretty good idea of the devastation from the fire, but also indicate the opportunities revealed now that the course is not constrained by wall to wall vegetation.

[Andrew Summerell]

It's difficult to speak of such a disaster in positive terms, but the golf course seems to have benefited greatly. Thanks for that Neil.

[Mark Luckhardt]

Certain disaster has occured at Horsham. I don't pretend to know any of the details on this situation, but my hope is that nothing suffered in the high heat that must have been intolerable. 

I would subscribe that as a golf architect, that is a pretty clean slate to alter/modify after mother natures fury has left the landscape burnt to a crisp in spots.

[James Bennett]

Neil

I had heard perhaps 25 years ago that the course had similarities to Grange West.  The similarities are more apparent to the eye now.  Hole 16 looks a classic - where did that left hand bunker in the fairway suddenly appear from?

James B

[Christoph Meister]

Neil,

what a desaster (as I do not want to talk about any potential golf architectural positive side affects...) It must have been like hell and I am astonished that a place struck by fire like Horsham GC has reopened after such a short time....

We allways tend to complain about our weather conditions here in Northern Germany (Wind and rain!) - but we are very lucky not to have bushfires, I hope it stays like this...

Regards from Germany

Christoph

[Richard Chamberlain]

Wow those pics are amazing...especially the 16th.

[Lyne Morrison]

Neil - a cruel summer.

I just thought I would mention that I am sure the community at large is particularly grateful for the input Paul and yourself will provide at this time. Moving on -  with unanticipated but nevertheless fresh opportunities, will no doubt refocus energy and assist all involved.

Cheers - Lyne

[David_Elvins]

Thanks for the the photos Neil.

Without wanting to take a focus away from the tragedy of the bush fires, the course looks amazing.  Lets hope the club agrees. 

[Mark Bourgeois]

Hopefully at least some members will see through the tragedy to the beauty that lurks in the "after" pictures.  Sometimes what seems ugly is just unfamiliar.  Good luck Neil!

[Richard Chamberlain]

Neil,
If Clayts is affectionately known as "Chainsaw Mike"...does this mean I should refer to you as "Flamin Crafty" ?

[Matthew Delahunty]

Neil,

Thanks for the photos.  I think the fire will have a positive impact on the course long term.  I'm looking forward to get back to Horsham and have a look for myself.

I had heard perhaps 25 years ago that the course had similarities to Grange West.  The similarities are more apparent to the eye now.  Hole 16 looks a classic - where did that left hand bunker in the fairway suddenly appear from?

James B

James,
The fairway bunker on 16 is actually the greenside trap on 15 which is obscured in the "before" shot by the shrubbery.  It's not in play for most golfers on 16.

[James Bennett]

I suspect the members will have a little more difficulty judging distance now that the trees (well, the pine trees) have gone.  Determining yardage and the effect of the wind will be a new skill requirement.

Good luck with the revegetation plan aspect of your work Neil (and Paul).

James B

[Mike_Clayton]

Neil,

Looks like the fire saved a few tree 'discussions'

[RJ_Daley]

I also feel a bit uneasy looking at what appears to be a betterment of the golf course in the wake of real human tragedy of the region.

It feels something like the debate that ensued in the wake of the wild fires of Yellowstone, during the late 1980s where many stated it was a good natural process and would rejuvenate the cycle of life of the trees and forest.  Yet, others felt it to be a sickening event at the time.

I wonder how the remaining trees that we see in the after photo will survive the next year.  Are they so heat damaged that what seems to remain will be so weakened as to die off for the most part? 

The after photos really look like the detreed golf course would be a fine course to play.  I echo the good luck in whatever reforestation plans the members might have, and that the newly opened vistas will moderate any over reaction by the tree planters.

[Scott Warren]

I wonder how the remaining trees that we see in the after photo will survive the next year.  Are they so heat damaged that what seems to remain will be so weakened as to die off for the most part? 

My experience growing up in an area of Australia visited almost annually by significant bushfires is that the native trees, gums and so on, will not only recover, but thrive post-fire. It will take a couple of years for them to start to look "healthy", but they will come back strong. If the golf club wants to manage the lower canopy of the trees they choose to keep, this is a perfect base to do that from.

As far as any non-indigenous trees, I guess it's just a case of suck it and see.

[James Bennett]

Dick, Scott

The eucalypt gums will generally regenerate, by sprouting new shoots from the limbs.

The pine trees are no more.  Any regeneration of these would be from seed.  Many of us hope that such regeneration does not occur.  However, that is for the club and its members to decide.  Neil and Paul's vegetation plan will be important here.

The Horsham fires were bad, but they weren't the terrible fires that affected Marysville and the like.  In these areas the mountain ash is the dominant tree and burned ferociously.  These trees, whilst indigenous (sp?) to the area will not regrow (unlike the eucalypts) and the regrowth will come from the seed bank in the ground.

Hopefully I have this right - I read it from a newspaper artcle following the fires.

It will be interesting to see what sort of clubhouse Horsham rebuilds.  They were very clever with their previous new construction and a multi-purpose design.  I will follow the floor space and design outcomes with interest.

James B

[Neil_Crafter]

Thanks everyone for their replies. I've been offline for just over 2 weeks after moving house and office and having problems getting the phone and broadband moved across. Thanks Telstra and Bigpond.

Appreciate all the comments and I think the members have taken to their new look course quite nicely. Interestingly the turf quality on the fairways is a big improvement now with extra light and less root competition.
cheers Neil

[Kevin Pallier]

Neil

Are you aware if there has been much precipitation down that way of late to help with the regrowth of the grass and natives ?

[Paul Mogford]

Gents, for those who read The Age newspaper here in Melbourne you will have seen the lead article on the first successful 2009 Black Saturday bushfire settlement which devestated parts of Victoria. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bushfire-victims-to-get-40m-20111022-1mdvq.html  See also related articel on Horsham GC.

[Paul Mogford]

Ok, further to my last post (wanted to see that it worked seeing it was my first!) the related Horsham article is great news as it confirms the Club was part of this successful settlement paving the way for the re-construction of the burnt out Clubhouse. This is significant for the long suffering members who have endured temporary digs for the past couple of years. Following the CH rebuilt we are hopeful of getting cracking on the implementation of the balance of the Course Master Plan Neil Crafter and I prepared shortly after the fires. Of note in the article is the nostalgic reporting of members enjoying the hedge like tree lined fairways. During the Masterplanning process this sentiment was held by the minority but is one that has been fuelled of late by a vocal few. In fact in recent weeks we have been consulting with the Club to reinforce the idea of not returning to this pre-fire situation. Our position has been to develop the interfacing landscape as an open sandy heath environment which cellebrates the lump of sand on which the course occupies which is consistent with establishing a landscape endemic to the site. Prior to the fires you would have been hard pressed to know that deep sands typify the geology of the site. With much availalbe land away from the areas of play we have proposed large areas of more dense indigenous revegetation with overstorey, shrubs etc. The challange remains regarding the proximity to fairways of this more dense vegetation.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/horsham-golf-club-classaction-result-returns-swing-to-the-step-20111022-1mdq1.html

BTW this is my first post since Ran kindly signed me in. I look forward to participating.
Cheers, Paul

[Neil_Crafter]

Welcome aboard GCA Moggy.
Yes this is great news for the club.

[Colin Macqueen]

Paul M and Neil C,

Wonderful to see the local input in resurrecting these facilities after fires. These Australian bush-fires sure do take their toll.

As others have said without making small of the disaster it does seem that the golf course presents a clean slate to work off. The subsequent lack of background growth around greens and the general sense of space from fairway to fairway will be novel to a lot of the golfers. I would never have guessed that Horsham would have such a suitable deep sand base to work with. Can anyone tell me if one gets a strong impression of their being a sandy subsoil as you strike your golfball off the turf at Horsham. Did it have the spring that I associate with the sandbelt and links courses?

I can imagine, Paul, that your and Neil's discussions with the "vocal few" regarding a new-look "open sandy heath environment " as oppose to the former, obviously much-loved, parkland feel will need to be text-book in its tip-toeing and softly, softly approach. I hope that you both manage to prevail. I suspect that any lessons you learn in this regard would be worth their weight in gold to Greens Committees wanting to revamp and thin out their own courses in this respect.

Cheers Colin

[Jeff_Mingay]

Sounds like a great opportunity, Paul (and Neil). Good luck.

Did you guys happened see/read the article titled "The End of Australia" in the October 13, 2011 issue of Rolling Stone magazine? If so, I'd be interested in your thoughts...

[Paul Mogford]

Colin
Yes  there certainly was the novelty factor for the members with the trees gone. We thought we were on a good thing during the Masterplan process being able to take members out to vantage points to explain the merits of openness, spaciousness, filtered view to other parts of the course etc.. It is not often we are fortunate, although as a result of tragic circumstances, to be able to illustrate such dramatic change live in 3D! Recent discussions to date have been with the club rather than members, but yes future engagement with them will a delicate dance indeed. We will be sure to keep you posted.

Thanks for the best wishes Jeff. The property is indeed quite unique and to our mind deserves to be more celebrated. Haven't come across the RS Article, but will try and source it online later. Sounds interesting by title though..

[Andrew Bertram]

Jeff

Thanks for the link

Very fair and reasonable article, only touches the surface on most of the areas it covers but a good overview

I cannot see the carbon tax working, just the article suggests it does not matter what the everyday australan does when big business s all about fossill fuel,

Neil

Played glenelg last week, enjoyed it very much


Andrew

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