Berkhamsted Showcases Upgraded Golf Course

Article by Will Trinkwon

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Berkhamsted Golf Club has recently received an extensive revamp of its irrigation systems, the fruits of which can now be seen in a series of new photographs.

The prestigious Hertfordshire club, which boasts a Highly Recommended rating on Golfshake, has had over 600 sprinklers added to the course, improving the turf and the overall quality of what was already a championship-level track.

Compared to before the upgrade, Berkhamsted’s green keepers now have seven times as much ability to keep its greens, fairways and rough looking top-class. You wouldn’t know it from its classic and untarnished exterior, but over 11 miles of new underground water pipes have been introduced beneath the course.

Largely unchanged design-wise for the last 100 years, ‘bunkerless Berkhamsted’ is set in a beautiful 560-acre area of natural Hertfordshire heathland, all the attraction of which was captured in a new photoshoot in May 2019 by golf photographer Andy Hiseman.

The course’s quality has long been recognised in the form of the prestigious Berkhamsted Trophy. The World Amateur Golf Rankings event has been held at the club since its inception in 1960 and boasts a glittering rollcall of past winners including Sandy Lyle, Luke Donald, Tom Lewis and Andy Sullivan.

“Our beloved golf course up here on Berkhamsted Common may be entirely natural, but underneath the soil there is now some extremely powerful 21st-century technology!” said Club Manager Howard Craft.

Golf photographer Andy Hiseman commented: “If you have never been, Berkhamsted is more or less the dictionary definition of a hidden gem. Its hazards are all-natural, and you don’t need your sand iron, but as it has large areas of gorse and heather as well as being heavily-wooded, it is not a golf course you can take lightly.

“From tee to green Berkhamsted is famous for its humps and hollows, which look especially beautiful at dawn or in the evening sun. It is a feast for the eyes, a joy to photograph, and a great test for the golfer.”

As well as improving the course’s quality for members, Berkhamsted’s investment should also lead to an increase in visitors. The 2018 Golfshake survey showed that club websites, and, in particular, course images, were the 2nd most important thing golfers considered when planning a round at a new course. The only thing that was voted as more important was word of mouth and/or peer feedback. Only 12% of respondents thought that the quality of a club’s website and course photos were unimportant.

Berkhamsted has long had a reputation as one of Hertfordshire’s most picturesque tests, and is a favourite among Golfshake members. The recent improvements in the club’s irrigation systems, and the beautiful panoramas and photographs that have accompanied them, should elevate the course to an even higher level.