After a series of in-depth meetings at February’s Golf Industry Show in San Diego, The Wisley Golf Club in Surrey, designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones II, has signed a major reconstruction project with international golf course specialist Sternberg Golf Services of Sweden. The renovation, which will begin in April, will feature the installation of Sportcrete, a revolutionary engineered bunker-lining and drainage technology.
Established in 1991 and located just across the River Wey from the famous Wisley gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, The Wisley Club was Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s first golf course in the U.K.
It is widely regarded as one of the top courses in Europe and is home course to a host of Ryder Cup stars including Captain Colin Montgomery and Paul Casey to name but two. The renovation will include a full technical upgrade, reshaping of all features, and extensive drainage and hazard additions. Sternberg Golf Services will also install improved grass varieties that require less irrigation and enable the fairways and greens to play firmer and faster.
The decision to utilize the Sportcrete bunker-lining technology for the full course renovation at The Wisley came after an inspection of the Garden Nine’s bunkers following an installation of the porous lining system earlier last year. Bruce Charlton, President/Chief Design Officer, RTJ II, LLC, remarked:
“I was stunned with the ability of the Sportcrete bunker-lining system to provide extremely rapid drainage of the bunkers during and after a prolonged rain event that placed more than two inches of rain throughout the morning tour of the course, especially since it had rained heavily the night before. The bunkers had not experienced any washouts and had no standing water.
“During this post-design inspection visit, it was agreed to create more visible sand sight lines from the tee shot on a number of bunkers by raising the sand/grass lines. With the Sportcrete lining system, this is a very simple and quick process. It is the only lining system, to my knowledge, that can be accomplished with such little disruption. This efficiency in making revisions to bunkers was paramount in my design decision-making process as we made refinements to the bunkers.”
Robert Trent Jones II www.rtj2.com.
Sternberg Golf Services www.sternberggolf.com.
The Wisley Golf Club www.thewisley.com