Beginning in 2023, Hadely Wood embarked on a major course improvement program. It is the biggest upgrading of the course in decades, and when it's completed by autumn 2025 it will see its irrigation system replaced, nearly 70 bunkers renovated, tee boxes on more than half the course's 18 holes built or restored (1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 17th), excess trees removed and a drainage system installed.
In short, Hadley Wood will be remade - ensuring Alister MacKenzie's north London masterpiece is well positioned to continue to offer a strategic challenge and maximum enjoyment to its membership and guests for decades to come.
It's also hoped that the vast upgrade program will continue to fuel Hadley Wood's rise up the Top100 courses in England and London, where we currently rank 84th and 6th respectively.
During six-week periods over the summer of 2024 and winter and summer of 2025, the course will partially close allowing for our groundskeepers and top professional course construction and renovation crews to accelerate the vast upgrade programme. The improvements are designed to minimise disruption to golfers by tying renovation project work as much as possible to bi-annual fairway and green maintenance programmes.
Nevertheless, there will be disruption and we thank our membership for their patience during these periods, whom we know will be richly rewarded with an even better golfing experience on a course toughened to withstand periods of draught and excess rain.
While a new irrigation system and restoration work to some tee boxes and bunkers took place in 2023, during late July and August 2024 we will complete all the bunkering on the front-nine and rebuild the 5th, 6th and 10th tees. We will also install primary drainage across the front-nine holes, laying almost seven miles of pipework and deplying some 1,000 tonnes of gravel and rootzone, a versatile sand/soil blend.
While the 5th and 6th tees undergo essentially minor rebuilds, the new back tee on the 10th will not only (slightly) lengthen the par-three, but provide a stunning angle across the lake, significantly enhancing the vista of the 10th hole - and the 3rd hole directly behind it.
On the front-nine, 26 bunkers will be reshaped and renovated to modern construction standards by Brett Hochstein of Hochstein Design, working with our architect, Clyde Johnson of Cunnin' Design. Brett comes to us directly after completing a rebuild of all bunkers at Pasatiempo Golf Club in California, one of Alister MacKenzie's most beloved course designs and his home from 1929 until his death in 1934.
During the winter of 2024/25, a further three holes on the back-nine are scheduled to undergo bunker and drainage improvements, with the remaining six holes being completed in August 2025. Full play on the newly restored course will begin in spring 2026.
The end result will not only be a hardier course, designed to better withstand the vagaries of our British weather, but one where golfers of all abilities will find a superbly conditioned course elevated in its playability, its strategic challenge, its visual presentation and its overall enjoyment. It's something we are confident the entire membership will be proud of.
Indeed, we are committed to creating and maintaining a course to the highest standards of performance, and ensuring that Hadley Wood is the best members' club in the London-Hertfordshire area.
Please click the links below to open up individual holes.
Nb. further minor modifications to Cunnin' Design's plans have been agreed since these drawings were produced.