Golf course renovation is important in evolving the game or to just to freshen up your existing golf course.
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America published the expected life cycle for golf course items which highlights the time frames for considering renovating areas of your golf course:
This give us a good guide of how often we should be looking to renovate golf courses.
Although this guide is more about the life span of each area rather than just wanting to make changes to the playability.
Before you renovate your golf course you should consider the three following areas: A golf course architect and designs, planning permission and the final construction.
Golf Course Architect
The first stage of any golf course renovation is selecting the right golf course architect for your course.
This can come down to a variety of different factors such as their previous work, design features and costs.
If you aren’t sure which golf course architect to select, you should look for a qualified member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.
Once you have shortlisted your preferred architects you should invite them to walk your course. You can look at this like you are interviewing to make sure they are the right fit for your golf course renovation.
Golf Course Architects help to bring your vision to life and provide important document to get your plans passed.
Read More: 6 Golf Course Architect Design Considerations
Planning
Once you have selected an appropriate golf course architect you can being to plan your renovation.
To start you should look to set goals for your renovation, why are you doing it? what are you trying to achieve? This could be to improve drainage or to offer better practice facilities. Understanding this will help to form the basis of your plan.
Your renovation should be an investment not just an activity to spend money. Using the example of improving course drainage, this investment could both cut costs and increase revenue. Less maintenance will be required due to improved drainage meaning your course has less down time for golfers to spend their time and money on your course.
A good way to find out what your course needs is to engage your membership or golfers. Bring them in and ask what they would like to see changed because these are the people who are spending the money
Once you have collected all the opinions from your architect, members and 3rd party experts you can make informed decisions for what to deliver. The process of creating masterplans and designs can then be signed off ready for local authority approval.
A scope of works should be agreed and signed off so that you can understand being to understand the cost. Developing this document will benefit you when your tender the contract for the construction works.
Ecological and wildlife improvements are an important part of any development and should be assessed at this stage.
You can read more about planning permission here: Understanding Golf Course Planning Permission
Construction
Before any golf course construction work starts you need to select a contractor or contractors to complete your job.
A scope of works should be sent to to each contractor to price the work before you commit to the project.
You should rely on a lawyer to assess any contracts that you may have received from
Once you have selected an appropriate contractor construction work can being.
You need to make sure that you have given enough time to complete the work up to the required standard.
Construction is very much driven by the weather which can be difficult to predict, so it really is important to give your team enough time to bring your renovation to life.
