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Tarandowah
Golfers Club Nominated for
Best New Course in Canada
For Immediate Release
AVON, ON – A wee piece of the “Old Country” is making a name for itself in Southwestern Ontario and further a field. Tarandowah Golfer’s Club, a devilish inland links layout designed by renowned English golf course architect Dr. Martin Hawtree of Hawtree Limited, is among an impressive list of contenders nominated for SCORE Golf magazine’s Best New Course in Canada.
“When we first started this project our goal was to create a unique British-styled links course and in doing so we have set ourselves apart from anything else in the country,” says Tarandowah General Manager Bryan Row. “So just to be nominated for best new course in Canada is an honour and we’ll see what the panellists think throughout the summer.”
Hawtree, who is the current consulting architect for four British Open venues - Royal Birkdale, Carnoustie, Muirfield, and Hoylake - started working on the Tarandowah project back in 2000 with an initial design. Throughout construction from 2002 to 2006, Hawtree made a dozen site visits. He’s scheduled to return this summer to see the finished product with his own eyes for the first time.
“My vision for Tarandowah has been two fold,” he says. “To integrate some of the history of golf courses, particularly early links golf, into this particular landscape; such that the player was not shut out from the surrounding farmscape . . . and secondly to design the course in a slightly primitive manner . . . to allow the golfers to explore the site for themselves, find their own way round the course according to their talents, and feel the privileges of playing this historic game within this particular site.”
Hawtree is a third generation English golf course architect in what is believed to be the longest serving golf design office in the world. His grandfather, Frederick G. Hawtree began the family business in 1912. Martin’s father, Fred W. Hawtree, joined in 1938 and took over the firm after WWII. Martin joined in 1972 and has been involved with some 80 new golf courses and over 100 existing clubs; between the three generations of Hawtrees, it is something in the order of 250 new and 600 existing courses. He is currently working in Canada at The Toronto Golf Club and has been appointed to design the new Trump International Golf Links, north of Aberdeen, Scotland; but the project is currently held up by a public inquiry into the planning application. Visit www.hawtree.co.uk for more information about the architect.
Tarandowah is a challenging 5,380 to 7,102-yard, par-70 layout that’s a little on the wild side. The serene countryside layout is defined by rolling windswept fairways, gnarly fescue, undulating greens and more than 104 tiny round pot bunkers that have been scattered literally - everywhere.
Tarandowah is located eight minutes south of the 401 Highway/Putnam Road exit on the south side of the Village of Avon. It’s 15 minutes east of London and 30 minutes from Brantford. Prime time green fees for 2008 are $40 on weekdays and $45 on weekends.
Last fall, the club started to introduce gravel cart paths with a swath of fescue down the middle of the trail and that project will be completed this spring. Management is also in the process of hiring the club’s first head professional and an announcement is expected shortly. For more information check out the club’s exciting, new-look new web site that has been redesigned by Matchplay Golf Marketing. It’s being launched on April 1 using the existing address - www.puregolf.net
A total of 10 courses have been nominated for SCORE Golf magazine’s Best New Course in Canada including six in Ontario and four in British Columbia. Some of the other high-profiled courses that have been nominated include; Piper’s Heath GC near Milton designed by Graham Cooke, Wyndance GC in Uxbridge designed by Greg Norman, Dragon’s Fire GC designed by Bo Danoff near Burlington, Canoe Creek GC in Salmon Arm, BC designed by Dave Barr, Tobiano in Kamloops, BC designed by Tom McBroom, The Rise in Vernon, BC designed by Gene Bates and Fred Couples and Talking Rock GC in Chase, BC designed by Graham Cooke and Wayne Carlton.
Golf course photos are available in the press room section of the website or by contacting David Cowx at Matchplay Golf Marketing at 519-521-1207 or via Email at info@matchplaygolfmarketing.com
For more information about Tarandowah Golfers Club contact:
Bryan Row Tarandowah Golfers
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