Investment focuses on drainage, bunker upgrades, and long-term playability
The Buckinghamshire Golf Club, located just west of London, is investing £3 million in a significant course upgrade aimed at improving year-round playing conditions and supporting long-term sustainability.
The private club—home to the Ladies European Tour and a past host of Open and US Women’s Open qualifying—has already completed a full renovation of all 68 rivetted bunkers and is now undertaking extensive drainage improvements, with more than 100,000 linear metres of piped and secondary systems being installed across the course.
Responding to Changing Weather Patterns
The investment is part of a broader effort to address increasingly wet winters and ensure the course remains playable throughout the year.
“The frequency of wetter winters is increasing due to climate change, so we are taking steps to ensure playing conditions remain at a very high standard all year round,” said Managing Director Gerry Ivers.
The project includes upgrades to several areas of the course. A new championship tee has been added to the 18th hole, extending the par-three to 220 yards. The area around the 1st tee has been reconfigured to include a small warm-up putting green, and a full upgrade of the practice range is planned, with new surfaces, reshaped targets, and performance technology.
Quiet Changes with Long-Term Impact
The bunker renovation included replacing longer fescue grasses with shorter native rye around the edges—changes that have improved both visual definition and playability. The greenkeeping team carried out much of the work, which involved hand-placing 750 tonnes of new sand designed to hold its shape better on steep faces.
This latest phase of improvements follows a £10 million refurbishment of the club’s 17th-century clubhouse, completed in 2024. That upgrade added seven on-site bedroom suites for members and guests. The club sits 10 miles from Heathrow and is within easy reach of central London.
Designed by John Jacobs and opened in 1992, The Buckinghamshire continues to position itself as a competitive venue for professional events while maintaining a focus on its members’ playing experience.
