The Grove, London's ultimate five-star retreat, has completed an important renovation and redesign project that has seen major enhancements to every bunker on its 18-hole championship golf course.
In close consultation with original architect, Kyle Phillips and his shaping specialist, Theo Travis, the greenkeeping team at The Grove, in partnership with specialist contractor MJ Abbott, have revitalised all 90 bunkers across the golf course, enhancing playability and aesthetics on each one.
The work was undertaken across an intensive 10-week pre-lockdown period that saw the team re-address bunker shaping, repair damaged edges, review grassing lines and re-affirm mown and natural areas surrounding each trap.
The golf course, which continues to feature in many influential Top 100 rankings, stayed open for play during the whole process, with three holes being worked on at any one time with a temporary green being used on each, while ground staff undertook the necessary work.
Phill Chiverton, Golf Course Manager at The Grove, said: "A project of this scale, and over such a relatively short period of time, took a huge amount of planning, resources, machinery and turf in order to be completed successfully, and on time. Our team worked on an average of 1.8 bunkers a day which is incredible, considering the adverse winter weather conditions we experienced."
The Grove, open to all and with no handicap or playing restrictions, is one of the UK’s finest golf estates, being the only venue in the British Isles to have staged a World Golf Championship event in 2006 (won by Tiger Woods). It subsequently went on to host its first European Tour event - The British Masters, in association with Sky Sports - 10 years later, won by Alex Noren.
In addition to the bunker transformation work, a new tee has been constructed on the Par 4, 5th hole, and a 200m2 extension has also been added to the putting green which lies adjacent to the 1st tee.
The golf course work is part of wide-ranging enhancements across the Hertfordshire estate, including a reinvented Stables Bar and Restaurant, renovations to guest rooms in The West Wing, and to public lounges in The Mansion.
This work follows the hugely successful re-opening of The Glasshouse restaurant last year, that takes diners on a lavish food journey with eight bountiful live food stations, where chefs are constantly preparing the freshest, tastiest International cuisine.
Situated in 300 acres of historic Hertfordshire countryside, The Grove offers luxury accommodation in 26 historic Mansion rooms and suites, as well as 189 rooms within the contemporary West Wing, together with an award-winning spa, Sequoia, where guests can indulge in a variety of treatments.
To learn more about The Grove, visit: www.thegrove.co.uk
ENDS
Picture credit: Paul Severn
Press release issued by Landmark Golf Marketing & Communications, on behalf of The Grove.
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