SIGNIFICANT course renovations are nearing completion at the Greg Norman designed Brookwater Golf & Country Club south-west of Brisbane.
From the day the first tee shot was struck in 2002, Brookwater has earned a solid reputation for quality and its striking natural beauty and was ranked at No. 25 in Australian Golf Digest’s 2016 list of ‘Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses’, rising from 32nd in 2014.
The course owner, the Springfield Land Corporation, is hoping for further accolades from the playing public as the current phase of works draw to completion.
“Rankings aside, we committed earlier this year to a plan of action to improve the already outstanding playing characteristics of Brookwater”, said Maha Sinnathamby, Founder and Chairman of Springfield Land Corporation.
“The club has renewed its partnership with Greg Norman and we are well advanced in restoring features from the original design and improving aspects of the course’s playability and aesthetics.”
The renovation comes as Brookwater, recent host to three Queensland Open championships, prepares for another exciting chapter in its history with construction of the first phase of The Dusit Thani Brookwater Golf and Spa Resort due to commence in the near future.
Over the past few months, Norman, the course’s original designer and his team at Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) have begun a progressive overhaul that has seen every hole come under the microscope for improvements.
Central to the project’s scope are that all 18 greens are being refreshed, resurfaced and in some cases redesigned, to eradicate a natural buildup of thatch and subsoil concerns that occur at any course over the passage of time.
“My team and I at GNGCD are excited to partner with Springfield Land Corporation to redesign and construct several green complexes and resurface all greens at Brookwater Golf Club.” Norman said.
“During this process we considered the playability, agronomy, golf strategy, and maintenance practices, and are confident the end result will appeal to the members and future hotel guests alike.”
Brookwater have taken the opportunity to modernize some of the green complexes, softening some contours in places and restoring a number of greens that had started to shrink in size from their original design.
At least six of the greens have come in for particular attention, including the 1st, 10th and the much photographed “signature hole “ 13th, with more surface area created to provide additional pin placement options and improved agronomy and surface conditions through less wear.
A thorough Vegetation management program has also seen the eradication of overgrown foliage around the course and in waterways, while also opening up some of the playing corridors where encroaching limbs had started to compromise the original design intent.
The removal of a lot of exotic vegetation also restores the presentation of the golf course to the original vision, which was to capitalize on the layout’s natural Australian environment.
“Since the club’s inception in 2002, the golf industry has evolved significantly in Australia and these updates will help better position the course in the market place and make it more sustainable for the future.” Norman said.
“It’s a privilege to be part of this new chapter in Brookwater’s history and I look forward to continuing to redevelop the course once again as an industry leader here in Australia.”
Sinnathamby added that the upcoming growing season will be the catalyst for the changes to the golf course to blossom and mature, corresponding with the turning of the first sod on the Dusit Thani Resort development which will only heighten the quality of the Brookwater experience over the next few years.
“Planning consent has been received and the first stages of construction on the Resort will begin shortly along the length of Brookwater’s 10th hole.” Mr Sinnathamby said.
Upon completion of all phases, the Resort will feature 520 apartments, a Central Resort Pavilion of 15,000sqm, six private clubs including the Dusit Executive Club, a Family Aquatic Club including water play area, Central Recreation Club, International Tennis Club, Family Club and South Rec Club, plus a 12,000sqm retail Emporium and a world-class state of the art conference, convention and exhibition centre.
Brookwater is located in Springfield, only 30 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and 45 minutes from the Gold Coast.