Opened for play last October, the Temple Course at The Flaxby G&CC near York has been very well received by the region’s golfers over the winter months.
The 9-hole 5,500 yard course was originally designed as an easy-to-play academy layout complimenting the state-of the art driving range that the complex has. Subsequently toughened-up with a change of operating concept, the course has become an instant hit.
Designer David Hemstock says of the course, “I was sure that a really good quality but relatively short course would appeal to a lot of golfers in the region. Length-wise, playing the Temple course is like playing off the forward tees of the adjacent Championship course, but with the same well-contoured and potentially very fast Creeping Bentgrass greens, testing bunkering and several small lakes coming into play. Although laid out alongside the A1M, the large baffle mounds built up between the course and motorway keep the golf undisturbed, but with great accessibility.”
David has been involved in the long and somewhat convoluted history of the golf complex development since the original land survey and planning application in the early 90s.
Talking of the new course, he continues. “Construction and grow-in was hampered by two disastrously wet summers, which have badly affected the whole of the golf and turf industry in this country. This problem was despite the free-draining natural sandy loam that overlies most of the site, and enables golf to go ahead right through the year at The Flaxby, a big advantage over clay-based courses.
But, when using heavy machinery for earthworks and drainage, and requiring dry conditions for proper finishing-off, the weather would just not work with the development team. Even the opening day was postponed several times until it finally stopped raining and allowed final preparations for play.”
The golf complex is finally operating as a full 27-holes complex, with the established 18-hole main course maturing well. The Flaxby is now destined to go on from the top-class golf club operation it was originally designed for, vying in the future for international tournaments.
David Hemstock www.hemstockassociates.com
Flaxby Country Club www.flaxbyparkgolf.com