| Abstract/Contents: | Castle Combe Golf Club, a new private members golf club at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, which has cost 8 million pounds to develop is situated on a 200 acre site which has substantial areas of species-rich grassland, ancient woodlands and the remains of a motte and bailey castle. The designers of the course, Peter Alliss and Clive Clark, have previously been involved with such pretigious projects as The Belfy, Rosemount, the new Carnoustie course in Scotland, La Boule and Mougins in France, and the Seve Club in Japan. Peter Alliss describes the 17th as a hole of "breathtaking beauty". Players have to fire down into the valley from the elevated tee, which should require little more than a nine iron for the good golfer, but the height of the tee makes judgement of the distance difficult. A stream lurks at the back and front, and a backdrop of trees climbing up the other side of the valley contributes to the spectacle. A feature of this course considered to be unique in Britain is the siting of the 10th green in the outer bailey of the 12th century motte and bailey castle. An extensive drainage and irrigation system has been installed on the tees and greens, with full irrigation along the fairways. The greens construction was supervised by the consulting agronomist, Ian Greenfield of Cayford Golf Course Construction, to the USGA specification. Even under heavy rainfall play should not be stopped or held up because the sand base and strategic contouring allow immediate surface drainage. All seed for the course was supplied by British Seed houses. The golf greens mixture, sown at a rate of 35g/sq m, comprised 80% Frida Chewings fescue and 20% Highland browntop bent. The mixture for the tees, also sown at 35g/sq m included 50% Frida Chewings fescue, 30% Rufilla slender creeping red fescue, 10% Baron smooth stalked meadow grass and 10% Highland browntop bent. The fairways mixture consisted of 60% Boreal creeping red fescue, 25% Loretta perennial ryegrass, 10% Baron smooth stalked meadow grass and 5% Highland browntop bent. An area of rare grass had to be moved elsewhere in order to build the third hole. An area between the 11th and 17th holes was left untouched in order to protect insect life and rare plants including orchids. At the eighth hole a V-shaped tree trunk was retained because it is a nesting place for woodpeckers. The By Brook is home to many unusual birds, flowers and butterflies. The course will be restricted in use to members, their families and guests and will not be open for professional tournaments, to the casual green fee players or golf societies. The first tranche of 55 shares was offered for sale on May 24th, priced at 15,000 pounds each. Members will also pay an annual membership fee of 500 pounds. |
|---|
