A £200,000 project to upgrade Burnham and Berrow Golf Course is on track to finish later this year and in turn deliver a big boost to the local economy.
The club has redesigned its 12th hole near St Mary’s Church in Berrow during a major project lasting over a year.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com this week, Course Director Andy Birkett says the work is set to be completed by the end of November.
“The hole is being extended, making it 426 yards for championship golfers and 396 yards hole from the gold tee.”
“An artificial dune has been created, the fairway has been moved slightly, and it’s all being fully landscaped and contoured.”
Andy explains that the work is expected to deliver a big benefit to Burnham’s economy in the years to come: “This work is really important, making us viable for major tournaments.”
“To be considered for major tournaments, we needed the course to be over 7,000 yards for the 18 holes and, with this expansion, we will be 7,027 yards from the back tees.”
“We are confident that we’ll be able to bring in major events in the future. With some tournaments attracting 4,000 people, some from overseas, this will be great news for local accommodation providers, pubs, shops and eateries in the town.”
He adds that the work has been carried out as part of the Environment Agency’s Recovery Programme, with all materials coming from within a ten mile radius.
“We’ve taken care to maintain the flora and fauna and preserve wildlife while enhancing the course during the work. As part of this, we have added a new dew pond.”
He says the pandemic has meant the course has been temporarily closed to players at various times over the past year, but Boris Johnson’s announcement on lockdown easing means the club is now expecting a busy summer.
“We are looking forward to restarting on March 29th when the course will be open again to members.”
“That’s not to say that work on the course has fully stopped over the past year – our 8 ground staff have been maintaining the fairways and greens to keep them in immaculate condition. It’s a huge task all year round.”
The club, founded in 1890, is highly regarded in playing circles, ranking 21st best course in England and 8th in England links courses only – a position that it hopes to raise still further in the future. It has over 400 full members.
“The course here has long been a great asset for the Burnham area and we hope these improvements will deliver even more benefits to the community in the future.”
