Woodhall Spa, Hotchkin Course - Bunker Impressions

[John Chilver-Stainer]

During a recent visit to Woodhall Spa I took some photos of the Greenside Bunker repairs to the right of the Par 3 Nr. 8.  The original intentions of Hotchkin are being respected. Although the green surface is relatively flat and uninteresting the bunkers are very deep and the faces almost vertical. Turf has  been draped over the vertical face to provide the smooth grass appearance. No maintenance meld here - just caring respect for tradition.

I asked a player about the changes and he explained they were being made so that the ball would fall to the middle of the bunker making the recovery shot easier.  A sweetener to the pill of the 6 foot vertical face.

These bunkers are unlike any I have ever seen and probably have only survived due to the fact that the golf course architect Colonel Stafford Vere Hotchkin  owned the course and his son Neil Hotchkin carried on the tradition. The course was sold to the English Golf Union a few years ago and they appear to be continuing the 100 year old tradition of the course.



Here is the 8th Green Bunker Repair showing the vertical draping of the turf.





The 8th Green is flat and not tied in to the mounds on the edge, suggesting Hotchkin’s changes to Colt’s original.
Maintenance practise around the 8th green avoids any greening up of the surrounds or smooth surfaces leading to the green. Natural but not for the ground game.
 



Some fairways are distinctly “closed off” with natural bunkers across the width of the fairway. The corridor feeling of normal golf courses is broken down into a field feeling, giveing a more intimate contact with the surroundings.


Bunkers on the 9th Fairway



Bunkers on the 11th Fairway



The bunker maintenance of the “natural bunkers” is also very respectful, with patches of gorse and heather being allowed to develop but also not overdevelop. The course is a tribute not only to Hotchkin but also to the greenkeepers who over the years have respected the golf course and resisted the temptation to meld the course to suit their maintenance.




The golf course is maintained for golfers not for hackers, sloggers or toppers - large expanses of heather before the tees and narrow fairways keep the golfer very honest.

 Here the Par 3 Nr. 8 taken from the Tee


and Nr. 12




For more photos check out Tommy Williamson’s excellent account at:-

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=5c55e2617d93e5cf42d7cee2abeb1b9b&topic=37897.msg782638#msg782638

[Jeff_Mingay]

Cool photos, John. Thanks.

Because so many of Woodhall Spa's bunkers are unlike any other bunkers you've seen is precisely why they need to be preserved. My hat's off to the English Golf Union, and those individuals in-charge at Woodhall Spa for preserving this historical gem.

Wonderful news.

[Chris Cupit]

I don't know when I'll go back across the pond but Woodhall Spa is on the must see list.  Those are exactly what I dream of when I think of bunkers

[Tom_Doak]

They are some of the coolest bunkers in golf.  I hope they are not feeling the need to rebuild too many of them ... they look better collapsed than they do freshly sodded!

We've dealt with the same problem at Garden City Golf Club for years ... you just can't build them afresh as good as they look after a few years of rough treatment.

[Jeff_Mingay]

They are some of the coolest bunkers in golf.  I hope they are not feeling the need to rebuild too many of them ... they look better collapsed than they do freshly sodded!

We've dealt with the same problem at Garden City Golf Club for years ... you just can't build them afresh as good as they look after a few years of rough treatment.

Excellent point.

[Tommy Williamsen]

They are some of the coolest bunkers in golf.  I hope they are not feeling the need to rebuild too many of them ... they look better collapsed than they do freshly sodded!

We've dealt with the same problem at Garden City Golf Club for years ... you just can't build them afresh as good as they look after a few years of rough treatment.

When I was there last month they were only rebuilding a few of them.  I agree that they look better collapsed.  What I found interesting was how they rebuilt them.  They revetted them from the ground down and laid sod from the ground up.  They really did look good that way just not like the rest of the bunkers.

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Jeff, Chris, Tom and Tommy

Thanks for your comments. The bunkers are certainly worth keeping for their unique style.

My impression were the bunkers had been slightly modified with a lower area behind the bunker, so if the ball couldn’t be played towards the green it could be played with ease to behind the bunker. The relatively “straight” edge of the upper lip and the perfect finishing does give the impression of “new” which contrasts strongly with the surrounds. Hopefully the skilled greenkeeping will let the “old” look gradually return.

Here are some more pictures of the vertical bunkers round the 8th Green.

[Tommy Williamsen]

John, when I was there it seemed that only greenside bunkers were being rebuilt.   Is this correct? The pictures are in keeping with the style of most of the greenside bunkers.