The history of golf entails the crew of trading vessels amusing themselves by hitting rocks with sticks as they made their trek into town. As the treks became worn in and the competition intensified, the sticks became clubs, the rocks became balls and that path into town became known as St Andrews Golf Links.
As the game grew in popularity, the sandy soil and imperfect hillocks between the town and the coast became linked by golf courses. These courses minimally altered the topography. They blended seamlessly into the landscape and provided recreation for the community for hundreds of years. It’s what we consider to be “proper” golf.
With time, golf’s increased popularity came with innovation in construction techniques and courses emerged in all the places they shouldn’t. Demand for one’s own local course or for a pristine vista to look across led to courses built on clay, rock, swamp–you name it someone has tried to build upon it. While many fantastic courses and rounds of enjoyment have been crafted this way, ultimately the driving question of “is this site suitable for golf” has taken a back seat.
The return to this question is our driving force. The site at 7 Mile Beach is spectacular. An untrained eye may view the sandy soil, the uneven terrain, the high dunes and weed infested mono-culture as an environmental disaster zone. To a golf course architect, this is the canvas one rarely gets to paint.
So “Why 7 Mile Beach ?”
It’s not just suitable for golf, it’s perfect…
