Harry Colt, Golf Course Designer

During our visit to England I played golf at my beloved Blackmoor.

Having grown up within 2 minutes of the course it featured greatly in my early working life and I remained a member right up until we left for France. It is always a pleasure to return and this occassion was no exception.

The golf course was designed by the 'great' Harry Colt who gained an envied reputation in his day. Completed in 1913 initially as a 12 hole course on heathland known as the ' Black Moor'. The land was part owned by the army and the local lord of the manor the Earl of Selborne.

The course was patronised by the officers of the local garrisons and I believe even to this day a serving serviceman from Bordon can play free of charge on a Wednesday.

In 1924 a further six holes were added as golf gained in popularity with local gentlemen. The opening game of the now full sized course included such names as Tolley, Wethered, Harris and Hezlet, a formidable four ball for their era.

In the late 70's, Lord Selborne sold the land alongside the original 2nd and the tee area of the 3rd for building of a housing estate.

At this time the course was offered to the members as a freehold and if my memory serves me right, the 130 acres was purchased for £100,000.

Being the fresher, under the guidance of the Green Keeper Bill Moseley I was responsible for cutting and maintaining the temporary hole on the third whilst the new second and third were created.

Unfortunately, I think the members got a bum deal. The old second and third were typical heathland holes and very mature. The new second and first part of the now dog leg third were extremely wet and for the first 10 years there were major problems as there was not a proper system to take the water out onto Slab common. The second green was also built without due care and attention to the existing layout and even to this day seems more like a parkland hole rather than a true heathland one.

However, in the early eighties the membership was thin and money not easy to come by. It was decided that the club should abolish the artisan section and allow them full membership of the club.

Like many clubs of their day, it was considered a gentlemens game and the working class had no standing. When I arrived to worked their, Blackmoor had two club houses. One situated in a small sand quarry adjacent to the green keepers sheds and the other prominently gracing the hill overlooking the 18th fairway facing west across the course.

Both club houses were built in the typical 'colonial' style of the time but sadly, 'progress' (meant sarcastically) saw this lovely warm and welcoming building pulled down and an ugly, unusable and expensive monstrosity erected in its place.

The artisan clubhouse which once I am sure had a great little membership and accompanying atmosphere was used as a storage shed for the green keepers until it became leaky and unserviceable and pulled down.

The likes of Reg Snell, who was a senior fireman with the Army fire Brigade, John Hardy and Libby Lane, all formidable golfers all integrated into the club. Before that they would have had to rake bunkers and help with chores before they could play.

Even Britain had 'Aparteid' in those days.

But, now I think there is a real policy to return the course to its roots. Over the years, mainly due to budget but a lot due to neglect, the course rattled from one ownership of committee to another all with big ideas on course management and set up. But mainly, I am sure with all golf clubs across the country polatics and infighting became the norm and the eye taken off the ball.

In my view though, an accountant should add up numbers, a bank manager should count money and businessman should go about his business. Golf course set up and management, the ecology and agronomy should be left to the Green Keeper. This man is as highly skilled, if not more than the aforementioned. Green Keeping is a life skill only obtained after experience and should not be attempted without experience.

In my time, John Fife, a senior man at ICI based in Fernhurst was Greens Chairman. He would negotiate with the committee some recommendations and John then took his time to visit Bill on a working day to discuss implementation. John was never forceful or arrogant and was very fair.

Sorry, I am rambling but as you can probably tell I have a passion for Blackmoor!

The irony is that after landing in France and driving west along the coast road we passed the popular golf resort of Le Touquet where there are two courses. Both of these were designed by the master Harry Colt.

Back in the 90's we helped re-model some bunkers on the course using the 're-vetement' system. This is achieved by stacking turfs on top of each other to form a wall. Blackmoor have now elected to return to the more subtle but no less challenging 'Colt' style of shallow and flowing bunkers.