Making Golf More Relevant: A Case Study

BY STEPHEN RIDGWAY

In 2017, Ridgway Golf Design Ltd (RGD) were approached by a developer (Evolve Group) who were looking to repurpose an existing 18-hole golf course in Milton Keynes, UK. The area of the golf course was just under 50 hectares and located in a predominantly residential area to the south west of the city. The golf course was owned and operated by the local council but its membership was dwindling and the club lost money annually. Following a comprehensive consultation process with the council, golf club members and local interest groups, RGD and Evolve Group composed an innovative and

sustainable masterplan for a golf-centric, multi-sport and leisure facility with a residential component on the site known as ‘Sportshub MK’. The intention of the development is to create a vibrant, contemporary and desirable facility for the local community, city and wider region. The golfing component of Sportshub MK, designed by RGD, consists of a stimulating and attractive 9-hole course weaving through areas of new grassland, woodland and water features. It is designed for the average golfer but with enough challenge to keep the better golfer entertained.

There is also a 9-hole short course to encourage beginners to ‘get to grips’ with the game. There are fewer tough hazards like bunkers, water or trees but there will be more undulation on the

greens and fairways to provide interest and facilitate practice from different lies. There will also be a state-of-theart practice range, simulators and short game academy aimed at attracting non-golfers and families demonstrating that golf is a ‘sport for all’.

The entire golfing element of the development has great sustainability credentials. The facility will provide an opportunity for the entire demographic to try their hand at the game of golf as well as retaining a challenging golf course for those who take their game a bit more seriously.

Beyond the golf course lies a new, signature hotel and spa, coffee shop, health centre and soft play. Several national and regional sporting bodies have also agreed to relocate their primary facilities and headquarters to the site. A zerocarbon housing development will compliment and partially fund the rest of the project. From an environmental standpoint, the proposed water features will be designed to manage and store all the water falling on the development site including all buildings, hard surfaces and the driving range for reuse either for irrigation or within the buildings themselves. They will also provide new habitats for wildlife, improving the site’s biodiversity and making it a natural haven within a predominantly built-up area. The latest renewable energy technology and energy efficiency measures will also be employed.

The whole development will create hundreds of new job opportunities for the local area and provide a focus for people to meet, eat and enjoy themselves in a vital oasis within the city.