With almost 2 metres of rainfall each year, Loch Lomond is a challenging place to build a golf course. Architect Tom Weiskopf called it his memorial to the game, but the location made maintenance difficult David Cole MG and his team.
Over the past four years David has overseen a project that has been described as the largest golf course reconstruction in UK golfing history.
BIGGA Members: David Cole MG (course manager), Alasdair Macleod, Darren Marshall, Jack Balfour, Liam McWilliams, Mike Boyle, Peter Haggarty, Stuart Bayfield
Loch Lomond Golf Club Renovation 2017-2021
The renovation work included:
- New irrigation system to the full golf course
- Full upgrade of bunkers including design changes, new shapes and contours, drainage, liners and sand
- Full upgrade of the drainage network across entire playing surfaces
- 200-250mm USGA sand cap to all renovated surfaces
- Full re-grassing programme with turfing to 75% of course and seeding to the remaining 25%, totalling 250,455 metres-squared
The work included:
51,000 tonnes of spoil removed and utilised elsewhere onsite
Installation of 21,500 liner metres of irrigation pipe
810 new sprinklers
4,300 tonnes of stone for reinstatement of subsurface soils or temporary roads
49,000 liner metres of new drainage
6,800 tonnes of pea gravel for drainage backfill
93,000 tonnes of USGA sand for the sand cap and growing medium
185,000 metres-square of turf laid
65,000 metres-square of ground seeded
7,000 metres-square of bunker renovation
400 tonnes of erosion liner installed
1,200 tonnes of bunker sand installed
This work was undertaken in the off-season at Loch Lomond, when the weather is at its worst. From 1 October to 31 March, Loch Lomond receives 1,100mm of rain. To make matters worse, the soil profile on the site consisted of a peat bog.
"What an achievement from all the team and contractors involved in such a challenging complex project. To complete a full golf course renovation over four winters under extreme climatic and brutal ground conditions is miraculous.
"There are no words to describe how grateful I am to my team and contractors for their support and to my key staff that supported and assisted with this project from start to finish. Personally, I will forever be indebted to all these people for having the courage and mental strength to see the project to the end."
David Cole MG, course manager