Pacific Coast Design co-creates new public Brisbane course

The BMD Group, Urbex (subsidiary of BMD Group) and Pacific Coast Design (PCD) are designing and developing a new 18 hole public Golf Course for the City of Brisbane near the Bulimba Creek, Minnippi.

The project is quite complex in that an old tip site near the Creek had to be restored, new residential areas developed and a new 18 hole golf course laid out along a major flood plain.

The golf course is planned as a Par 72 of 6,123m length layout with three holes over the old tip, three holes through the proposed residential area and the balance laid out along the flood plain adjacent to Bulimba Creek.

Pacific Coast Design Director Phil Ryan said the course would turn out a real treat for golfers.

“The layout winds through some very special country, along Bilimba Creek with an established tree-scape that will make it feel like an old golf course from day one,” he said. “A real golf journey over 6123m with a great mix of golf holes where the use of trees and hazards blend with an open shortish grass rough so as to make for an enjoyable round of golf.”

A landscape plan has been developed to complement existing native vegetation, maintain and extend local marine couch and careful tree planting to ensure greater local squirrel glider movement which will be beneficial in preventing in-breeding.

The golf course development within the flood plain is a great opportunity of improving the flood management of the entire catchment area and a lot of time, effort and funds have been put into better presenting the area to assist with flood management issues. Vegetation fences (low / bushy vegetation) across the flood plain are being avoided to assist with water movement and stop blockage points (plastics / rubbish etc catch on such and form such blockage points, holding up the water). Local low points, drains and fairways are being contoured to assist flow whilst still minimizing regular inundation.

The recommendations from previous flood / golf impact reports (Brisbane Region) have been taken into account in relation to grass selection and the team recently (February 2017) had a two day workshop which also involved visiting other City of Brisbane Golf Courses impacted by flooding. Such visits supported the open grassland and tree approach being planned for the Cannon Hills Community links.

PCD Director Ryan said the site offered a great deal of challenges for the design team but believed the end result would make the project a source of pride for the City of Brisbane residents.

“A lot…of work has been done by the team to not only protect the valuable trees and local environments on site but through technically challenging design to greatly improve the floodplain impacts on residents upstream, and enhance this neglected valley with a makeover.”

Further workshops are intended prior to construction of the balance of the golf course in the second half of this year, three holes have been completed (to bulk design) with the restoration of the tip site in late 2016.

“PCD cannot speak highly enough of the team involved with the project led by BMD Group and Urbex as well as a long list of other consultants,” Ryan added. “The scope and detail given over the past years to ensure this project is realised has been exhaustive and certainly ranks as the most technically challenging project undertaken by PCD.