By Design - Fall 2018

5 T he golf development group led by the Menai-Davis family has formed a partnership with Dye Designs for two new 18-hole golf courses near London, England, plus remodelling of an existing course. The first of the two new courses, West London Links, is now in construction and scheduled to open in the summer of 2020. The site is opposite West London Golf Centre, a nine-hole course and driving range owned by the Menai-Davis family. Dye Designs joined the project following a visit this summer by Perry Dye, ASGCA, Cynthia Dye McGarey, ASGCA, and Matt McGarey. The firm is teaming up with golf course constructor Nigel Ely to shape greens, bunkers and the undulating fairways. Ceri Menai-Davis, director of the family’s golf interests, said: “West London Links is a bold, brave design. We are pushing the boundaries of what is possible as regards sculpting a golfing landscape, with dramatic shaping which UK golfers have not seen before at an inland links. “The Dye family and Nigel Ely are bringing a huge amount of collective experience of links courses around the world and will be applying everything they have learned to West London Links.” Dye Designs is also working with the Menai-Davis family on new course, The Dye London, and the remodelling of its existing Seve Ballesteros- designed course, The Shire London. Dye Designs working on three London projects Design partnership “The social aspect of sustainability is still an awesome opportunity” ANDY STAP L ES , ASGCA HERE ARE LINKS TO OTHER RECENT “TARTAN TALKS”: • Todd Quitno, ASGCA, discusses “saving the world one golf course at a time.” • Jeff Blume, ASGCA, on stormwater management projects and promoting the economic benefits of golf for the masses . In the latest podcast from Golf Course Industry ’s Tartan Talks series, celebrating its two-year anniversary, the first-ever guest, Andy Staples, ASGCA, returns to discuss how clubs can reach the millennial generation and sustainable practices. “Fun, flexibility, new tees, forward tees, three-hole loops, six-hole loops, expanded practice facilities. Those are the things that are really speaking to the millennial golfer,” said Staples. “I tell clubs, this is a 20- to 30-year lifecycle project, so we need to be thinking about things that we’re not necessarily even aware of today and, as long as we are being smart about it and spending the budget appropriately, we need to start reaching them.” When asked about where the industry can improve in terms of sustainability, Staples said: “From a water environmental standpoint, I think we as an industry have done an awesome job. But there’s one place in the term sustainable, where golf has a lot to do yet, that’s in its acceptance, marketing and promotion of the value of a golf course in a community. Golf has to continue to sell itself for why we play it.” Listen to the full Tartan Talk at golfcourseindustry.com . Photo: Robert Parfitt From left, Matt McGarey, Cynthia Dye McGarey, ASGCA, Tony Menai-Davis, Perry Dye, ASGCA, Ceri Menai-Davis and Nigel Ely