The course designer Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design called the new layout ‘basically a championship golf course but scaled down’, adding that it is being ‘presented to a world-class standard’, and it should be able to attract some famous faces.
‘I think you’ll get some really good names coming in for pro-ams here, and that’ll be a great thing to be part of,’ Hiseman said.
‘I think Mr Lansdown’s got ambitions in those fields, so I think once the clubhouse is ready and he’s able to host people to the quality he wants to show them, then I think we shall see events coming to La Grande Mare that it hasn’t had before.’
Initially, tee times at the revamped west-coast course, which is 606 yards longer than before and is now a par 69, will be available to book on a pay-to-play basis with green fees set at £200, which also includes use of the Golf Performance Centre range and short-game facilities to warm up before the round, and time slots are 20 minutes apart to allow groups not to feel rushed.
‘It’s a different form of excitement for me now, to be honest, because it’s now really happening, it’s going to have people on the course playing and coming along as guests. So we’re really on that, I won’t say final stage, but almost final stage, which will be obviously be done when the country club has finished. It’s an exciting moment. I really feel now we got there,’ said La Grande Mare owner Steve Lansdown.
‘It will be groups of four going out every 20 minutes, so, again, luxury golf in the sense of good timing so people don’t feel under pressure, they can enjoy the experience of going around the golf course.
‘But it may well be that if you book as an individual, you’ll be paired with other people that are already booked in as well.
‘We’re looking forward to it, getting people on there, getting people’s experience and seeing how it goes.’
Watch a full interview with golf course designer Robin Hiseman
Details on membership will be revealed once the country club has been completed next year, with the Performance Centre becoming an interim clubhouse in the meantime.
‘The golf course is so interesting. It’s fun, it’s very playable, and it’s challenging. It’s strategic and it’s memorable as well,’ said new La Grande Mare managing director Ben Stimson.
‘We really believe that La Grande Mare can help showcase Guernsey. Guernsey is a wonderful island. There’s so many beautiful things to do here for golfers and for non-golfers, for families.
‘So our anticipation is really to create something where the locals can enjoy and play golf, but also for the other Channel Islands, the UK, the European market, to come over and experience Le Grande Mare.’
Golfers will be able to book their tee times via the website, www.lagrandemare.com, which will launch on Monday 22 June.
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