Mar29 Huntsrevamp

Four members of St Ives Golf Club will add their names to the Club’s history books on Monday when they signal the start of construction of a brand new multi-million pound, purpose-designed golf course.

The youngest, oldest, longest-serving and most successful members of the Huntingdonshire Club will give their go-ahead to the scheme, which marks a move away from the town’s Westwood Road course – home to the club for more than three-quarters of a century.

Architects have taken a 230-acre site at Giffords Farm near Needingworth and designed an 18-hole Links-style course with driving range, practice facilities, club house and a Titleist fitting centre.

Contractors will move more than 250,000 cubic metres of earth to achieve the new course, creating lakes and low-lying wetland areas as part of the scheme. It is due to open in summer 2009.

“This is a very exciting time in the history of St Ives Golf Club” said Club President  Philip Casey, “The Westwood Road course has served us extremely well for 85 years, but now we have outgrown the facilities and it is time to update them to meet the needs of sportsmen and sportswomen in the 21st century. The move to Needingworth will secure the future of the Club.

“This is a thriving Club with players of all ages and abilities and I am confident that the landscaping of the course and the design of the associated facilities will offer players some of the best golf for miles around.”

Three holes of the existing nine-hole course at Westwood Road will be released to developers as building land in 2009. The remaining acres are likely to be retained as a six-hole course, or will be reconfigured as a nine-hole course for Pay-and-Play, or for use as an Academy to teach aspiring players.

Course Architect Cameron Sinclair, who has designed the new course, said the scheme represented a significant and exciting design challenge. “Our aim has been to create a natural-looking course that will make a positive contribution to ecological diversity by creating a new wildlife habitat. ‘’

“Each hole will be set up to be challenging but fair for all levels of ability, with the hole strategies designed to reward the thinking golfer, rather than simply favouring the longer hitter. The ultimate goal is to create a good test of golf in a pleasant environment that will appeal to all.” 

Monday’s official launch of the construction work will be overseen by four special members of St Ives Golf Club: Pip Harrison (91), oldest playing member; Henry Yeandle, longest-serving member (72 years); Laura Howard (11), youngest member: Julie Walter, most successful playing member and County Champion no less than eighteen times, English Champion (1982), played for England in 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1986 and played for the County for 36 consecutive years.