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Jeffrey Stein

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Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« on: February 12, 2013, 04:59:18 PM »
Broadstone Golf Club—Tom Dunn 1898
Harry Colt redesign --1914
Frank Pont Restoration—2013
Rough/Fine Shaping - Jeff Stein

The restoration process at Broadstone has been pretty straightforward, as the club has excellent photo records of many original bunkers and its also quite obvious to see which bunkers have been lost to neglect or the whim of a committee.  We are bringing back lost strategic play from the tee as well as opening up the many stunning views of the heathland.  The heathland at Broadstone makes for a wonderful and rare setting to a round of golf and must be one of the best stands of heather in the UK.  There are three different varieties (three different varieties!) growing on property, providing a rich visual texture and contrast to the fairways, tall fescue and gorse.

Truthfully I’ve been a bit nervous to share some of my work with the GCA community in the last year, partly because I’m my own worst critic, but I also can’t learn anything if I try to hide from the eyes of my collegues (and no one will know I’m alive if I don’t post anything!).  I feel fortunate to have something  to share and even proud of the work we are producing.  Without further delay, below are some before and “after” shots of the 2013 restoration work at Broadstone Golf Club, under the guidence of architect Frank Pont.

7-- Par 4 over the heather


5 Before


5 After (View from proposed tee--safety issue)


5 --right side bunker


6 Before


6 After


8 Waaaayyy Before


8 2000's


8 After


8


I look forward to some feedback and questions about the project.  Its been an interesting process working with Frank, especially being that it is our first project working together and one of my first projects doing all of the shaping work.  Overall I'm enjoying the process and there is still one more hole to go for this season!

Thanks for checking out the pictures.  
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 05:07:19 PM by Jeffrey Stein »
I love the smell of hydroseed in the morning.
www.steingolf.com

Adam Lawrence

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2013, 05:12:56 PM »
Jeff, it was good to meet you at Broadstone a few weeks ago.

I said on Twitter earlier today that I thought this could well be Frank's best work to date, and I'd say your shaping plays a big part in that.

It is an _astonishing_ piece of property. 6 is a fantastic transformation, but the hole I cannot wait to see is the seventh.

Done properly, I see Broadstone as a top 20 UK course.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2013, 06:58:15 PM »
Very fine Jeffrey!  I agree that the potential for Broadstone is huge if the heathland aspect of the course can be properly restored.  At the moment, the course is visually very disjointed.  

What is the plan for #7?  Is expanding the front of the green a consideration?  How bout the large bunker short of the green?

Will the new forward bunker on #8 be visible from the tee?  

Will the 10th fairway be widened somewhat?  

I don't need to do anything but mention the 11th.  

What about the three cross bunkers on the 14th?

The disjointed look (and in general really) of the bunkers on #15?

Anyway, you get the point!

Here is my tour of the course from last summer.  I like the course, but find it very disappointing considering its potential and reputation.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53217.0.html

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Jeffrey Stein

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2013, 06:59:59 AM »
Adam and Sean, thanks very much for the encouragement!  

As for heather regeneration, that is at the top of our priority list.  As I mentioned the proprety benefits from an outstanding collection of heather which has unfortunately been choked out of the playing areas and is mostly around the periphery of the golf holes.  Frank and I would like to get as much heather back into and around the bunkers and fairways to restore the golf course's connection to the heathland around it.

Sean:

7 and 8 green are in the plans-  the contours are all there, will take a bit of time and top dressing to bring back the front sections
7 cross bunker- very little shaping to do, needs some serious edging, more or less removing the sod that has been grassed down the face

8-The front bunker is an original and will be visible from the tee shot (mostly just the top line)

14-  I'm working my way through that hole right now and will post some photos as the work progesses

15-  Same as 7, needs some edging and a bit more heather around the bunkers

I hope Frank will chime in with some more details about 10,11.

Cheers



I love the smell of hydroseed in the morning.
www.steingolf.com

Thomas Dai

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2013, 08:32:52 AM »
Jeffrey,

Thank you for posting this. It's always interesting and educational to hear of work in progress especially when accompanied with before/after photos. Will the work be completed this year or is there more to come?

The heathland courses around the Bournemouth/Purbeck/S Dorset area are some I've long wanted to play and now I'm even keener as I'd one day like to see the results of your Broadstone restoration work. Thank you for being brave enough to highlight it to us!

From knowing the site could you please help me however, with one general query regarding the 7th hole. I can't quite make out from your photos nor from the Clubs website nor even from Seans splendid earlier course review photos, but what exactly is the long, low feature running along the top lip of the heather clad bank - is it a sleeper barrier, an enclosed water channel or what? Just curious.

Also, does anyone know of other similar restoration/update projects currently being undertaken on other premier UK courses as it would be nice to hear about them, especially if photos are available.

All the best.

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2013, 09:12:38 AM »
Thomas

Are you talking about the path left of the bunker?



Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Thomas Dai

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2013, 11:13:34 AM »
Sean,

Thanks for responding. I always find your photo posts very interesting.

To get back to the subject, no it's not the path to the left of the bunker that I'm curious about.

When I look at the photos on a much bigger screen my query appears to maybe be a long length of low wooden railings. It stretches all across the photo on the opposite side of the valley to the path/bunker.

I'm now wondering if it's there to prevent people taking trolleys or carts over a steep edge and falling into the valley below! Simple things please simple minds. I can't imagine that the drop is more formidable than that on the 10th tee at Cruden Bay though or the 8th fairway at Dornoch or quite a few places at Kington!

BTW, how has your 2012-2013 winter tours gone? County Cards, great things.

All the best.

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2013, 11:26:32 AM »
Thomas

Yes, I think the railing is to keep people on the paths. 

As the weather hasn't cooperated the Winter Tour this year has been poor - heavy sigh.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Niall C

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2013, 01:25:58 PM »
Jeffrey

Very well done and thanks for sharing. Never played Broadstone but it looks well worth a visit. I particularly like that last photo where the bunker looks as though its been created by chunks being taken out of the ground. Sometimes I think newly made rugged looking bunkers look as though they simply have a bit of heather draped over the top lip, not a criticism you would make of that last bunker.

Niall

Paul Gray

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2013, 03:00:00 PM »
Jeffrey,

Broadstone was already on the list to get to this summer (I'm only down the road in Hampshire) and your excellent work has only encouraged me to pay a visit sooner rather than later.

When do you envisage you'll have the full course completed?
In the places where golf cuts through pretension and elitism, it thrives and will continue to thrive because the simple virtues of the game and its attendant culture are allowed to be most apparent. - Tim Gavrich

Jeffrey Stein

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2013, 05:22:04 PM »
Paul,

Broadstone is surely worth a visit from Hampshire!  In the first phase of the restoration we have touched on several elements of holes 5,6,8,14.  This includes bunkers, grassing lines, tree removal, and heather transplant/regeneration.  Essentially we are going back to the roots of the design and taking away the visual clutter that has accumulated over the years.  The majority of the work will be tackled in multiple stages over 2 or 3 winter seasons.
I love the smell of hydroseed in the morning.
www.steingolf.com

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2013, 06:54:14 AM »
Jeffrey

Now for the tough question and I wonder about this for all reno/resto projects: will the course actually be/play any better, or will it just look better?

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Paul Nash

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2013, 04:28:05 PM »
nice work Jeffrey - I really liked the course on my one and only visit. This is a truly outstanding site and can be better - good luck and I hope to visit again soon. It reminds me a bit of Beau Desert, another favourite.

Frank Pont

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2013, 10:27:10 AM »
Jeffrey

Now for the tough question and I wonder about this for all reno/resto projects: will the course actually be/play any better, or will it just look better?

Ciao
Sean, as usual a good question. Some holes will just be visually more like they used to be, but not play better. That is holes 8 and 14. Hole 6 will play more interesting because some short grass run offs will be stored. But the biggest change will be hole 5, which will be easier for the weaker players and harder/more interesting for the best players.

Brian Chapin

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2013, 08:49:11 PM »
Jeff ( ;D) - Have you been successful transplanting the heather back onto the bunker edges?  The work looks good from where I sit in NY. Congrats!

Jeffrey Stein

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2013, 12:44:08 PM »
Brian Sheehy,

I have seen some photos of Liphook and it looks like they are blessed with a great heather sward as well\

Other Brian :),

Thanks for the kudos, the heather is even more unruly to handle than say a sandy fescue sod, it holds together quite well, but often has lots of gorse spines matted into the heather, ouch...

Sean,

Also to touch on your point about improving playability/strategy...the 14 hole improves quite a bit off the tee as Frank has decided to reinstate the center line bunker in the fairway and also extend the fairway closer to the bunkers up the left hand side.  This is the ideal line of approach as there is a much improved line of sight and angle of attack!

Some updates:

Snowing on a Monday, really?!  No worries it was only a dusting...


Much better weather, preparing to plant my butt firmly in the digger seat


14th Hole -- 1900's


Today(literally)


Close-up centerline bunker


Cross Bunkers


I love the smell of hydroseed in the morning.
www.steingolf.com

Alex Miller

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2013, 12:48:48 PM »
Jeffrey,

Looks great! Will the left-most cross-bunker on 14 be touched? It looks lower profile and closer to the others in the old photos. Maybe the changed mow lines are what make it look different?

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2013, 02:14:49 PM »
It really is something to see pix of these heathlanders before trees took hold.  They are visually so much more striking and I think any shaping stands out far better.  


Was there any thought to moving the centreline bunker forward at all?   It seems quite close to the heather and well short of where many golfer will fly the tee shot.  Plus, is the fairway either side wide enough to accommodate the golfers who can only carry the heather, but not the bunker?

Thanks Jeffrey & Frank.

Ciao
« Last Edit: February 20, 2013, 02:28:22 PM by Sean Arble »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Thomas Dai

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2013, 02:24:07 PM »
More super photos, thanks Jeffrey for posting them. Interesting to see the long ago scene versus now. I agree with what Sean says about heathlands views before trees were allowed to over-intrude.

Presumably the increase in tree intrusion is not deliberate planting but rather nature doing it's usual thing but with no grazing animals to chew away the shooting growth?

All the best

Tony_Muldoon

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2025 Craws Nest Tassie, Carnoustie.

Sean_A

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #20 on: February 21, 2013, 03:28:31 AM »
Spangle

That has to be the 15th.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Frank Pont

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #21 on: February 21, 2013, 08:40:18 AM »
Its the 15th, good find, I have a couple of other old pics of the hole but hadn't seen this one

Jeffrey Stein

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #22 on: February 21, 2013, 08:47:18 AM »
Alex,

The bunker you are referring to was uncovered as I cleared gorse and other meadow grasses last week.  I have taken some liberty with the final product after discovering  the main line irrigation running beneath the right edge of the bunker (never trust gps mapping, a whole other discussion)!  Evidently the current system was installed while the bunker was out of play.  Not an option to move the main line...had to work with what was there.

Sean,

Again to your point about strategy off the tee, the fairway will be expanded left and short of the centerline bunker and there will be plenty of room for shorter hitters to tack around.  The bunker could have been pushed back 30 yards, however there is still no advantage to bombing away down the right side as your next shot is blind.  The expert player would probably try to draw his shot into the hill leaving a partial view of the green while attacking from the left.
I love the smell of hydroseed in the morning.
www.steingolf.com

Tony_Muldoon

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Frank Pont

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Re: Broadstone Golf Club--Harry Colt Restoration
« Reply #24 on: February 21, 2013, 12:57:26 PM »
Jeffrey

Now for the tough question and I wonder about this for all reno/resto projects: will the course actually be/play any better, or will it just look better?

Ciao
Sean, as usual a good question. Some holes will just be visually more like they used to be, but not play better. That is holes 8 and 14. Hole 6 will play more interesting because some short grass run offs will be stored. But the biggest change will be hole 5, which will be easier for the weaker players and harder/more interesting for the best players.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the greens of holes 5, 8 and 14 will be massively enlarged back to their original sizes. This will have a big impact on how these holes play.