“Since joining Chart Hills Golf Club as director of golf in December 2019, I have been extremely fortunate to have played a central role in what has transpired to be one of the UK’s most extensive golf course renovation projects in recent memory,” stated Anthony Tarchetti, general manager at Chart Hills Golf Club.

A fully qualified PGA professional, Tarchetti found his way into the golf industry through his ability on the course. After qualifying as a PGA professional at 21 he spent seven years playing on the European Tour, Challenge Tour and EuroPro Tour, competing against some of the world’s best players.

Off the course, Tarchetti spent his younger days working at various golf clubs in his home county, Kent, before settling at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich.

Initially working as a PGA professional, he quickly developed his skills and moved through the ranks to take on more operations-based roles; culminating in a significant tenure as the former Open Championship venue’s director of golf.

“In the 12 years I spent working at Prince’s, I gained experience in almost every facet of the business. Looking back, this was a massive help for me, as it allowed me to fully understand what was required to run a successful golf club operation.

“I am proud to have developed my career in the way I did and I’m extremely grateful for the guidance that I received from the management and ownership at Prince’s throughout my time there.”

After several years on the front line at Prince’s, it was in December 2019 that Tarchetti was made aware by the club’s owners, Ramac Holdings, that they would be completing the purchase of nearby Chart Hills Golf Club. It was made clear right from the start, that this was going to be a big project, and that Tarchetti himself would play a huge role in overseeing the redevelopment.

“Being offered the chance to oversee a huge renovation project at a club with the prestige that Chart Hills had was incredible,” he recalls. “It was a job that involved a large amount of operations know-how, and it came with significant responsibility.

“Everything that I had learned at Prince’s in the 12 years prior stood me in great stead for this opportunity – I grabbed it with both hands! And of course, I had, and continue to have, an amazing support network through the management at both Ramac and Prince’s.

“When I first arrived at Chart Hills, I was in complete shock at the conditioning. The Chart Hills that I knew and loved was the magnificent Sir Nick Faldo-design that had played host to numerous European Tour Qualifying Schools – it was revered around the country. There were various factors in play, including a severe leather jacket problem, minimal investment, low staffing levels and no plan set out for the future.

“I was lucky in that when I arrived, the small team that was in place were on-board with our vision. They had been desperate for progressive owners to come in and were committed to the development. Each member of staff shared our passion and desire to return Chart Hills to its former glory. They’ve been fantastic throughout.

“While the task ahead was clearly massive, there was a huge opportunity in front of us at Chart Hills. The club was once regarded as one of the most impressive in-land tracks in the country, so the foundations were there. In simple terms, the course was built in an American style, which just didn’t work with the volume of rain that we experience through the winter in the UK.

So, over time, the grass health deteriorated and became infested with leatherjackets, which ultimately killed most of the turf.

“Inheriting a golf course with almost no grass on the fairways was obviously a massive problem, so we set about creating a full-scale renovation plan to redevelop Chart Hills into the internationally recognised golf venue that it should be.

“17 of the 18 holes needed to be totally renovated. Initial planning indicated that a complete redevelopment project would take more than two years to finish, with the hope of a late summer opening in 2022.

“However, the emergence of the COVID pandemic and forced closures of the club due to government restrictions, presented an opportunity to dramatically accelerate our time frame.

“We made the decision to officially close the golf course in July 2020, with no reopening scheduled until all 18 holes had been completely renovated. The focus of the project was to completely relay the fairways, to produce carpet-like surfaces that were playable year-round.”

After making that decision, Tarchetti and his team then set to work on one of the most significant renovation projects in recent years. The first stage of the process was to completely strip the turf from each fairway around the course, exposing the bare clay.

Once the top layer had been lifted, the greenkeeping team set about installing thousands of metres of irrigation piping, before more than 33,000 tonnes of sand was shaped onto the fairway areas to produce a four-inch capping. The finishing team then came in to spread Creeping-Rye seed across the sanded zones before the watering and fertilisation processes began.

Once the final seed was in the ground, the team were able to turn their attention to the clubhouse, and other exterior areas that were also in need of redevelopment.

“We also made great headway off the course, remodelling the entire venue. We completely redecorated the clubhouse, built a brand-new club shop, modernised the bar area, improved the car park and signage, and upgraded the practice facilities to include a state-of-the-art simulator room.

“The undertaking was massive and spanned over a stretch of 11 months. It was amazing to see the grass begin to grow, having been witness to every single step of the project. It also brought a real air of excitement around the club, knowing that we would soon be able to welcome our members back to the course.”

On June 1 this year, Tarchetti and his team officially reopened the doors at Chart Hills, allowing members to enjoy the fruits of the team’s labour. The course was in immaculate condition, with the new carpet-like fairways bedding in nicely.

“It was a delight to welcome our members back to the course,” said Tarchetti. “We are absolutely determined to deliver a world-class product that will stand the test of time. It’s also important to note that this is by no means the end of the development.

“We are very much travelling along a road of continuous improvement at Chart Hills, with numerous additional projects already in the pipeline.

“I never imagined myself overseeing a project of this scale, but to be honest I have loved being a part of it. In some ways we were lucky, because the layout was fantastic, and we had the opportunity to almost start again with the construction, but the amount of hard work that has gone in to getting Chart Hills to where it is today is staggering.

“I’m extremely proud to have overseen this process, and I am looking forward to the future at the club, which is sure to include a number of additional projects and developments. This is by no means the finished product, so it will be a joy to continue working towards the club’s full potential.”