The word “impossible” gets an entrepreneur going...
“It’s so easy to say no, it’s impossible. We have had the benefit of working with people who have dared to say yes,” says Krister Widström who, along with Björn Örås, startde up the Bro Hof Slott project. They know each other well from their Poolia days in the middle of the 1990s and have dedicated five years of their lives to the Bro Hof Slott project.
They realised that there was no really good competitive golf course in Sweden, preferably combined with a hotel and conference facilities.
They drew up their requirements in 2001 – a waterside area of 200-500 hectares, max 30 minutes from Arlanda airport and the centre of Stockholm. They visited all the municipalities in Stockholm and negotiated with both private owners and businesses. And found Bro Hof Slott!
Worry that the area would fall to ruin
The time was right for someone who wanted to invest in the decaying land, which had been a model agricultural area at the beginning of the 20th century.
You could take a steamer here from the city hall, and Bro was a big transport hub until the rail network was extended. When it was purchased, in November 2002, there was worry locally about what would happen to what was then called Brogård.
The area was of public interest, with national status for its nature, culture, outdoor activities and protected shoreline. The owners at that time were KF, who had bought the land from Ebba Reuterskiöld in 1968 and leased it out whilst waiting for a road to be built.
The years passed, agriculture diminished, it became storage for KF – but there was no road.
Thanks to great involvement
Krister Widström is MD of Bro Hof Slott
Bro Hof Slott’s planning for the area began in January 2003 and the detailed development plan was finished in the autumn of 2004. The course will be ready for play in the summer of 2007. It will then be Sweden’s best course.
”People said it was impossible. And just sets a real entrepreneur off,” smiles Krister Widström. Work has gone really well thanks to a group of professional, committed people who want to create a unique course with us.”
Krister Widström is a graduate in economics and business administration.
His background is from SAS and as a tour manager and site manager for Fritidsresor; he started at Poolia in the middle of the 1990s where he was a consultancy manager, MD of a number of subsidiaries and international manager.
Listen to find the right way
Neither Krister or Björn had any previous experience of detailed development plans or building golf courses, so in order to succeed with a project of this scope they had to find people with the right competence.
“Knowledge is vital and a prerequisite for success! We have looked for the best in each area and eventually found them,” says Krister. The most difficult thing was knowing who to talk to about each issue.
“It has really been about listening in order to find the right people, the ones who can deliver. It’s also about daring to get rid of people who don’t fit. And making all the pieces fit together,” continues Krister.
Dialogue with conservationists and authorities
“We sat down and listed which organisations and authorities we needed to negotiate with. There were local history societies, birdwatchers, conservation groups and the County Administrative Board.
“They soon realised that together we could create improved natural and cultural environmental conditions, which was considerably better than leaving the land to decay. We have had a fantastic dialogue, which has carried on between the authorities’ inspections to make sure that the development plan is adhered to.”
Seventy hectares of Bro Hof Slott’s land has become a nature reserve.
“We have been modest but clear and explained our aims to all we have met. ‘We want this – what do you want?’ After that we have looked for arguments and compromises, in order to realise our vision. ‘You can have this, if we can do what we want here’.”
Bro Hof Slott has had a fantastic dialogue in order to create better conditions for the course’s natural and cultural environment.
Bro Hof enlisted the help of Hans Sandberg from BioMedia, who has written a handbook in how to create a nature reserve.
“He has been an incredible asset, created good documents and reports that have been part of the process, including our maintenance plan for the new nature reserve,” Krister points out.
Competition for renowned golf architects
When the land purchase was confirmed the next stage could be launched. Björn and Krister travelled around the world to look for a course architect. They met all the internationally famous and renowned ones.
“Many of them were a little sceptical initially, but after we had presented our project they all actually became very interested. We chose six of them, and all of them did a course proposal sketch, free of charge!!”
In the end they chose Robert Trent Jones II. His team had the reputation, the competence and the experience of creating a real championship course.
“The area in Upplands Bro is now a real golfing mecca. It already has Bro Bålsta’s fine course, and the pay & play course at Sofielund. Nor is it far to Kungsängen PGA. Just that makes it worth taking a trip to Bro,” rounds off Krister!