Guernsey’s La Grande Mare golf course has had a complete redesign over the last seven years, and from 1 August members of the public will have a chance to sample the new offering – at £200-a-pop.
The course is planning to introduce 20-minute tee-times – five minutes longer than normal – for a more premium experience, with the hope the extra time will provide the feel of a private course.
The course has seen a complete overhaul, with a foundational restructuring going down to the silt deposits and drainage, which have been dug out.
The topography has been sculpted, and all the while keeping ecology and the natural world at its heart.
The lead designer and architect, Robin Hiseman, said the goal was always to “produce a course of tournament quality” during a course visit.
Described by his newest employers as one of “Europe’s leading golf course architects”, Mr Hiseman has had the task of taking the old course and site, and transforming it.
He’s increased the overall yardage, up from 4,761 to 5,367, and the par has increased from 64 to 69.
Mr Hiseman has taken inspiration from courses of Ryder Cup quality, and specifically Seminole in Florida, a course which, like La Grande Mare, sits just metres from the seafront.
He told Express that golfers should expect to find “a very handsome golf course” that has been “presented in tip-top condition, with a lot of strategic variety and thought-provoking shots.”
“It is simultaneously a familiar setting, but a completely different offering. I think Guernsey’s golfers are going to love it.”
Mr Hiseman brings 30 years’ experience to the table designing and restoring “world-class golf courses” throughout his career, which has included the JCB Golf and Country Club, Wentworth’s East Course, and Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club.
That level of expertise is evident as you explore the course – during a guided tour Mr Hiseman pointed out clever optical illusions, topographical twists, and hidden traps across the 18 holes awaiting Guernsey’s golfers.
When asked how the course compares to other world-class courses, Mr Hiseman commented, “very favourably, I would say,” adding that he’s already received comments “on how beautiful the course looks”, and that “the reality is even better”.
“Good strategic design is at the foundation of the project and that never gets dull. It has bags of personality and is instantly memorable. I think people are going to be very impressed by it.”
What was evident during a tour of the new course – beyond the strategic layout and undulating slopes of the course – was its twinning with the natural world it sits on.
That’s been a core focus of the seven-year development, and it’s shown results with an influx of new and returning species visiting the west coast course, and the planting of thousands of trees.
“Making a course strategically interesting for the golfer is an important part of it, but it has to sit lightly on the land too,” said Mr Hiseman, continuing, “I’ve enjoyed putting in the touches that have improved the natural quality of the course, like the new wetland areas and the increased biodiversity of the roughs.”
“One thing that really pleases me is the duck beach we put on the edge of the main lake, to allow them to wade in and out.
“It gives me a good feeling every time I see them waddling in and out, knowing this little touch is being appreciated.”
Grace Dovey, the ecologist and sustainability operations officer, has been involved with the development of La Grande Mare since 2020.
She was originally enlisted to help get baseline data for the flora and fauna on site, and has been working with Mr Hiseman, as well as the landscapers and greenkeepers, on how to enhance the natural offering.
“It’s been a real joy to see it from the start and watching it develop and grow,” Ms Dovey told Express, “I’ve been tested at times, but we’ve finally come to a place now where I feel golf and nature are really on a balance.”
“The greenkeepers that look after the golf course, they’re all really on board with it as well. They love looking at the wildlife, and they love telling me what’s on the course, so it’s all really encouraging to see. It’s really, really lovely to see that everyone’s so enthusiastic about it.”
The statistics show why everyone is so enthusiastic.
Last year marked a record for dragonflies and damselflies, with 12 species identified and sightings up 48% since 2022.
There have also been 99 species of bird, 19 types of butterfly, and 8 different variations of bats recorded since 2021.
Whilst walking between holes, La Grande Mare owner – Stephen Lansdown CBE – happily spoke of comparisons he’s received of a nature reserve. It’s easy to understand why.
Even with a troop of twenty sprawling across the greens, bird song was constant, owl boxes sit in trees, and there’s even a buzzard nest. Wading birds sit on every water hazard, and the variety of flowers that adorn the site attract pollinators of all types.
“I think it’s what I envisaged, and Grace, who’s the ecologist, has led the charge on this,” he told Express, adding that Ms Dovey, “faced some stiff opposition at times,” but added that as the team has “done a fantastic job”.
“Just look around, it’s a natural paradise, and there’s a golf course in the middle of it” he said, continuing that it’s “everything I wanted, really great place to play golf, great place to just relax.”
On showing the course to the media, and preparing to open the doors to the public for the first time, Mr Lansdown said, “it’s an honour, really, to be able to now show it off and open it up for business, and I’m so pleased with the outcome of all the hard work that’s gone over [over] seven years now.
“It’s just…it’s an immaculate course, even if I say so myself, the conditions underfoot, on the fairways, on the tees, on the greens, just very special. I think anybody that gets the opportunity to come and play here will really appreciate it.”
