World-renowned course architect Tom Doak is set to continue his love affair with Australia after his company Renaissance Golf Design was handpicked to “restore the lustre and uniqueness” of Yarra Yarra Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
The Yarra Yarra club committee unanimously agreed to appoint Renaissance Golf Design as consulting architects for the much-needed renovations, expressing their confidence that Doak’s team “can return our course back to its unique position on the Melbourne Sandbelt.”
“The club’s committee is very keen to see the course returned to its former glory, so that we can ensure the relevance of Yarra Yarra into the future. It is imperative that we have a challenging golf course of a standard that will attract and retain members,” says club president David Blake.
“Renaissance Golf Design is an outstanding appointment for Yarra Yarra which will allow our club to restore the subtleties of Alex Russell’s original design as well as ensuring our course’s relevance today and in to the future,” adds captain Alan Easton.
Doak [above], recently appointed in a similar role at Sydney’s Concord Golf Club and all but over the line to re-design The National’s Ocean Course, is looking forward to the project,
“Yarra Yarra is one of the finest courses designed by the esteemed Alex Russell and stands up extremely well in a neighbourhood noted worldwide for fine and unique golf courses,” he says. “Mr Russell surely made the most of an elegant piece of property. It is with great pleasure that we have been appointed by the Yarra Yarra Golf Club.”
Yarra Yarra Golf Club moved to its current East Bentleigh location in 1928 and entrusted the design and construction to Alex Russell, the Australian partner of the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie, in what is regarded as the golden era of golf course architecture.
While many of the original design elements remain in 2017, the Yarra Yarra layout no longer reflects the original design, integrity and intent of Russell, with many of his subtleties hidden. In July 2016, the club embarked on an exhaustive process to appoint a consulting architect to restore the lustre and uniqueness of our original design. They’ve now found their man.
“Yarra Yarra is excited for our future,” says Blake. “We have appointed one of the world’s most respected golf course architects who has been responsible for the creation and restoration of some of the finest golf links around the globe. The committee believes that the appointment of Renaissance Golf Design allows our club to revive what was once one of Australia’s premier golf courses.”
