The Addington is currently going through a restoration project, and the preliminary results are in…and wow! They are early in the process, but the writing is on the wall - this is and will be the best restoration project in Britain…maybe of all-time.
Let me explain. The Addington was built by JF Abercromby, and it was his baby. He was incredibly proud, and involved with the course until his death in the 30s. From there, a prominent family took charge of the course, and had the view that no one must ever touch Abercromby’s creation. And so the course stayed basically untouched for decades until the daughter passed away and the course was sold, where it subsequently fell into disrepair. And yet, almost nothing on the ground had changed in 100+ years when the Noades family bought the course and decided to restore it exactly to how Abercromby had built it.
Which brings us to the present. You might be asking ‘If it hasn’t been touched, what needs to be restored?’ As we know, golf courses are living organisms, and over time, the hilly property became choked with trees, while bunkers and greens lost size and scale. As a result of the tree encroachment, the turf quality suffered, and heather was squeezed out.
Led by Ryan Noades (Managing Director), CDP were hired and a restoration plan was devised using old aerial photos, as well as on-ground shots (where available). This is a 5-year, 4-phase project and currently the project is in year 2 (I believe, possibly year 3). So far they have focused their efforts on tree removal (on a massive scale), expanding fairways and replanting heather strategically around the property. They are also slowly bringing the greens back out to their original shapes, recapturing false fronts, pockets between its famous mounds for devilish pins, and side slopes that will reclaim shot options.
So why is it the best restoration in British history? First, the course has some of the most unique and distinct holes in the UK, which are being polished to shine their brightest. In an era when the rest of the UK seems to be snuffing out unique features faster than you can say M&E, The Addington is a throwback to an era when golf was a physical pursuit that called for heroics! There is absolutely nothing watered down about this course. It is a punch in the face of a golf course with the dial turned to 12. Simply put, it’s a course worth restoring, which not all courses are. It is a monument to Abercromby, and should sit with the other Gods of the golfing world.
And the second reason it’s the best restoration project? I would hardly call Ryan a benevolent dictator, but the buck stops with him and his family, which means no members and committees are fumbling with the football. I was lucky enough to get a copy of the restoration plan, and this isn’t a ‘restoration’ with inverted commas, this is a 100% restoration. If it wasn’t on the ground when Abercromby passed, then it won’t be on the golf course. It takes a hell of an owner (and architecture firm) to put their ego aside and let this Abercromby be just that…an Abercromby.
If you play one round this year in the UK, make it The Addington. They are only part of the way through the process, and there is still so much to do. But it’s a blast to see what they’re doing, and knowing what will be.