Cowdray opens new par-three layout by Swan Golf Designs

Cowdray Golf in West Sussex, England, has opened a new par-three layout by Swan Golf Designs.

The short course includes five greens built to USGA specification and greenside bunkers designed to replicate the look and feel of those on the main course. A new short-game area, which includes a practice green and bunker, has also been built.

“The new academy setup has been in the planning for some time, so it’s a thrill to see it come to fruition and our members and guests enjoying the experience,” said Tim Allen, director of golf at Cowdray. “Through this facility, Cowdray will continue its good work engaging with the local community and schools, becoming more inclusive and taking golf to a wider audience.”

William Swan said: “In collaboration with our friends at Cowdray and Simon Bolton of Profusion Environmental, we were able to reimagine the five-hole academy course that sits alongside the eighteenth, to create a unique and exciting new facility for members and visitors to enjoy.”

This project follows Swan’s work on the 18-hole course, was completed in April. That renovation included rebuilding all bunkers, with many reshaped and integrated into the downland landscape with native grass borders. The double green at holes seven and fourteen was restored, a new ninth tee built, and pathways rebuilt.

The course lies within the South Downs National Park, so landscape management work completed throughout the course included the introduction of more native grassland areas and the removal of non-indigenous species, to highlight historic oaks and traditional downland specimens.

“It is rare to have the chance to work with a client that matches our ambition for a project, working on a layout that owes much to the original work of Tom Simpson and all set in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country,” said Swan. “We have sought to modernise the course while restoring some of the strategy and flair that is synonymous with Simpson’s work.”