La Grande Mare in Guernsey is to open its new-look 18-hole golf course on August 1, with tee times available to book now, with individual green fees set at £200 per round.
Designed by European Golf Design, and built to exceptional tournament standards, the original course has been extended and reconfigured to make it a true golfing test.
The 5,367-yard, par-69 layout has incorporated innovative agronomic techniques to ensure exceptional year-round playing conditions. Wherever possible, soil and turf materials from the original course were carefully retained and reused, helping preserve the site’s character while establishing healthy, resilient playing surfaces.
Combined with the expertise of leading golf course agronomists and the installation of modern drainage and irrigation systems, the result is a course built to perform at the highest standard in all seasons. La Grande Mare’s Golf Performance Centre, which opened last November, will become an interim clubhouse until the country club opens next year.
Stephen Lansdown, owner of La Grande Mare, said: ‘Our vision has always been to build on what makes La Grande Mare special, rather than change it. From the outset, we wanted to respect and enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings, while providing golfers with a challenging yet enjoyable course experience, and we really feel we’ve achieved that here. We want La Grande Mare to be a jewel in the crown not only for the local area, but for Guernsey as a whole, and this new milestone is a significant step towards that goal.’
Robin Hiseman, an architect with European Golf Design, said: ‘It’s been fantastic to work with the team at La Grande Mare to develop a course built to such an exceptionally high tournament standard. The greens and surrounding areas here have been constructed to the same specification as Adare Manor, so the conditions golfers experience here will closely mirror those expected at the Ryder Cup next year. On top of that, the course has been designed to provide a rigorous and highly strategic test of golf.
‘Whilst there are a few very well regarded shorter 18-hole courses within the British Isles, there is nothing of this standard and built to such a modern specification – I can’t think of a single course that looks anything like this, it’s so unique.’
Managing Director Ben Stimson, who joined the La Grande Mare team in April to oversee the opening of the golf course and completion of the country club next year, said: ‘I am incredibly proud and honoured to be leading such an exciting chapter in La Grande Mare’s redevelopment.
“Building on the success of the Golf Performance Centre, which is already proving popular with golfers, the course will provide equally extraordinary experiences for the wider community. I am looking forward to welcoming islanders of all abilities onto the course as we continue to reshape the golf landscape here in Guernsey.’