The High Legh Park Golf Club, Nr Knutsford, Cheshire, UK
"he seems to have a great flair for design... as a professional golfer myself, I was delighted to find that he could view the overall desing of the holes both from the perspective of the amateur and the tournament professional" Mark James 1999 European Ryder Cup Team Captain 
PROJECT - 27 holes - three practice putting greens and two practice ranges 6,280yds - Parkland OPENED - 1998 Oops!It looks like you don't have flash player installed. Click here to go to Adobe download page. The first Signature style course where Steve Marnoch worked alongside Mark James the 1999 European Ryder Cup Team Captain. "I was appointed after planning permission had been obtained with the layout for the twenty-seven holes already drawn up by the client. One of my first tasks was to sit down with Mark James to discuss his design principles for High Legh. He expressed a preference for long greens and few bunkers. The rationale behind the long greens was based upon the alteration of the green orientation to suit the length of the hole and approach. For example a green at the end of a short par three could be turned at 90 degrees to present a shallow target. Conversely a long par four with a long iron approach would feature a long green, in line with the fairway but still with plenty of pin positions. This is what we set out to achieve, 'a simple plan' one might think." The whole concept of Signature Style courses was not new in the 90's but today they are almost commonplace. I am really comfortable when working alongside a professional golfer as I have seen that when they get involved in the design what they can bring to the table. Working with Mark was a great experience and honour and one which I thoroughly enjoyed at High Legh. Steve Marnoch was responsible for the provision of the detailed drawings for all of the 27 greens and 3 practice putting greens. "New courses such as High Legh Park show the clear benefits of investing in greens built according to USGA Green Section recommendations. USGA greens offer the best of both worlds, a reservoir in dry periods and rapid drainage in periods of heavy rainfall." The bold contours are a striking feature of the greens at High Legh Park, giving a distinctive links-like feel to some of the greens. "The forms and contours of the greens are purely a Steve Marnoch creation". My Scottish background may play a part in my green designs that fit particularly well at High Legh."Hardly any golf course development site is perfect nowadays but, as a golf course architect, you must assess the constraints of the land, incorporate the brief and deliver designs that work and are interesting and challenging. The circumstances at High Legh Park were quite difficult. No suitable irrigation source led to the environmentally friendly solution, with the agreement of North West Water, to use treated sewage water. We had to use extreme care during construction because part of the land had been used for military training and the discovery of live shells and ammunition meant that the local bomb squad was a frequent visitor during the works." "Ultimately, golf course architecture is about enabling golfers of all abilities to relax, be challenged and encouraged and have fun. I understand that this has been achieved at High Legh in addition to producing greens which have pleased the former Ryder Cup Captain" The bold contours of High Legh Park with Steve Marnoch & Mark James- ex Ryder Cup Captain. High Legh Park has quickly established itself as one of the premier golfing venues in the North West. Links |