Bamburgh Castle has embarked on an ambitious programme of course improvement.
Many of those who have played the scenic and quirky course might be querying what needs improving, and club officials are keen to stress there will be no wholesale changes after appointing leading golf architects Mackenzie and Ebert to guide them through what is essentially a renovation project concentrating initially on the bunkering.
Mackenzie and Ebert have worked at St Andrews, Royal Troon, Turnberry and Trump Aderdeen, and are considered a world leader in modern golf design. Bamburgh club chairman Keith Whitfield is confident they have picked the right team for the project.
“It’s a real challenge to improve what is already loved by so many,” he said. “The experience of Tom Mackenzie and his team gives us the confidence that we can make the course even better while retaining the character that makes it so special.”
There has been a golf course at Bamburgh for more than 100 years with a history of gradual change and that is clearly what the club aims to continue, which will please both members and visitors alike.
Work so far includes rebuilding bunkers on the first and 18th holes. Mackenzie said: “I, like most other visitors, fell in love the place as soon as I saw it.
“Rarely will you find a course with such natural charm. We are delighted to be undertaking this project, which has got off to a great start with the bunkering alterations to the first and 18th hole.”
