London, England: Construction on the new golf course at Channels Golf Club will begin this month after the Swan Golf Designs [SGD] negotiated planning permission was granted in late February.
The new-look course, at Little Waltham, near Chelmsford in the southern county of Essex, will see a modern, 18-hole course constructed, designed for golf in the 21st century, with more water and buggy paths.
The course – which will be immediately to the north of the current site – will feature 13 new holes, while five from the existing design will be adapted to complete the layout.
And, as part of the design brief, SGD – an Associate Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation – will keep 18 holes open at all times in order to minimise disruption to the club’s large membership.
William Swan, SGD Director and the family’s third generation of golf course designers, believes construction on the course will begin in the next four weeks – with the new-look 6,670-yard, par-72 course fully open by 2017.
He said: “Over the last couple of years we have been working through the detailed planning application process which has involved consulting with Chelmsford City Council, Essex County Council and the Environment Agency, as well as several other environmental, ecological and archaeological consultants.
“Throughout this process we’ve been making minor design alterations to the proposed golf course layout to take into account their advice but without compromising the objective of producing the finest golf course in Essex. Our brief is to provide a golf course fit for the 21st century, as the sport has, of course, taken massive strides technically in the last 30 years.”