Leicestershire, 10 March 2016 High resolution aerial photography and 3D terrain maps created from airborne laser surveys are being used to design new golf courses. Creative Golf Design, an award winning firm of golf course architects, regularly downloads the highly detailed images from Blueskys online MapShop to provide a map-accurate base onto which course design and improvement plans can be drawn. The Bluesky height (LiDAR) data is also helping them to provide 3D context for their designs, illustrating changes in terrain as well as the location and extent of existing features such as boundary features, vegetation and woodland areas.
The Bluesky aerial photographs provide a map-accurate base for our proposals and a real world context for our drawings, commented Ken Moodie, Director of Chester based Creative Golf Design. This not only improves our understanding of the site, informing the design, but also helps us communicate our design ideas to our clients. Using CAD software to manipulate LiDAR data, we are also able to produce a detailed 3D model and contouring of a development site, or existing golf course, on which we can overlay our design proposals.
Creative Golf Design provides design and consultancy services to the golf industry. The company is involved in the design of new golf courses and also in advising golf clubs on course improvement projects including the development of new greens, tees, bunkers, practice facilities, drainage works, and even woodland management issues. Creative Golf Design uses the Bluesky aerial photographs and LiDAR data to create a masterplan for the golf course or development site prior to commissioning a full topographic survey, and to assist with the preparation of drawings for a planning application.
The datasets used by Creative Golf Design are purchased from Blueskys online Mapshop, which offers complete nationwide coverage of aerial photography from multiple epochs, 3D models (Digital Terrain and Surface Models DTM / DSM), LiDAR data, Thermal Mapping and the National Tree Map. Visitors to the Bluesky Mapshop can also download free of charge geological, land cover and flood maps, as well as places of interest, census areas and collections of themed data such as farming, marine and habitats.
The Bluesky Mapshop is a very straightforward and cost effective way to access a range of data that we have come to rely on in the early stages of a project, concluded Moodie.
About Bluesky
Bluesky is a specialist in aerial survey including aerial photography, LiDAR and thermal data using the very latest survey technology, including two UltraCam Eagles and an Orion M300 LiDAR system. An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies. Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and maintains national off the shelf coverage of aerial photography, DTM and DSM through an on-going three-year update programme. By purchasing a world first sensor for the simultaneous capture of LiDAR, Thermal and Aerial Photography data, Bluesky is in the enviable position of being able to provide customers with unique and cost effective solutions. Bluesky is leading the way in developing innovative solutions for environmental applications, including the UKs first National Tree Map (NTM), solar mapping and citywide heat loss maps and is currently developing noise and air quality mapping products. www.bluesky-world.com
About Creative Golf Design
Creative Golf Design was established in 1998 by Ken Moodie, Director and Principal Architect of the practice and Past President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects. Since then, the company has worked on over 70 golf course projects in many different countries, ranging from small-scale remodelling of established golf courses, improvement to practice facilities and new pitch and putt courses, to large scale championship golf developments. Creative Golf Design has won a number of awards, including the Golf Inc Renovation of the Year 2014 award for design work at the historic Moortown Golf Club. Creative Golf Design uses state of the art computer aided design and earthmovement calculation software, including Autocad Civil 3D, and photo-imaging software to provide high quality plans and graphics. A network of consultants offering complimentary specialist expertise in areas such as real estate masterplanning, ecology, agronomy, arboriculture and irrigation engineering can be introduced to help the client to select a highly skilled design team to meet the special needs of the project. www.creativegolfdesign.com