More Golf Course Renovations Take Shape

The Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Fla., Coldstream CC in Cincinnati, the Summit Club at Armonk (N.Y.), and The City of Charleston, S.C.’s Municipal Course have undertaken projects that include strategic tree removal and improving drainage, bunkers and cart paths.

While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on businesses across the country, the golf industry has experienced a banner year. Proof of the industry’s health can be found in myriad renovations taking place across the country.

When Tom Pearson was hired to renovate The Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Fla,. he knew he was modernizing a course originally built by Charles Ankrom almost a half century ago (in 1971) and played by an older membership, TCPalm.com reported. That’s why he opted for fun and exciting over difficult and long with the $3 million renovation of the par-71 layout. The length of the course from the back tees has been stretched more than 100 yards, to 6,574 yards.

“We took advantage of a few areas to make the course longer, but the membership isn’t all 300-yard tee shot hitters,” Pearson said. “We were able to get a couple of par-5s longer than 600 yards. We’re trying to get more youth into the facility.”

Pearson said what he learned most from his former boss, Jack Nicklaus, is the value of players utilizing strategy on a golf course, TCPalm.com reported. No golfer had a sharper mental game than the Golden Bear.

The current membership wanted Pearson to get down to the “bones” of the course to fix overdue drainage issues, TCPalm.com reported, and that gave the 71-year-old designer a clean canvas to work on.

“We don’t want golfers to just grip it and rip it,” Pearson said. “We want people to think about the shots they’re going to hit. We added some fun and exciting shots over water while also creating bailout areas for the high-handicap golfers.”

The biggest impact the coronavirus pandemic had on the renovation was Yacht & Country Club members lost an opportunity to play private clubs while their course was closed since April 5, TCPalm.com reported.

“I’ve got a lot of members who can’t wait to get on the new course,” said Ron Chesler, the club’s General Manager. “We made it modern and we added some native areas, which we never have had. It’s a fresh look. What a difference.”

Golf course architect Keith Foster is nearing completion of renovation work at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, Golf Course Architecture reported. The club initiated the project having recognized the need for improvements to bunkers and cart paths. Around the same time, it hired Jon Williams as Golf Course Superintendent, who highlighted other areas that needed work, including tree management.

“When I started at Coldstream, I quickly realized how great the golf course and property was,” said Williams. “But just like many great courses out there, it was heavily treed through the 1970s and 80s, which has now become the biggest challenge that many superintendents face: getting clubs to recognize how trees have slowly altered the way the holes play, the impact they have on maintenance costs and the challenges they cause to the quality of playing condition. The best course of action to combat these issues is to hire an architect to help the club build a master plan.”

The club also sought input from the USGA, who visited and agreed the club needed a master plan to include tree removal, reseeding of fairways and rough, new bunkers, drainage and cart path work, Golf Course Architecture reported.

“The club knew Keith would honor Dick Wilson’s original design and help guide them throughout the process,” said Williams. “Keith’s first visit to Coldstream was on January 2, which was a blistering cold day with a high of minus seven degrees. Without any hesitation, Keith insisted that he walk the course a couple of times. From that day on, he was able to build the right master plan for the club and present further enhancements that would position the club for the future.”

Contractor McDonald and Sons began construction in July 2020, with Foster’s plan paying respect to the original 1959 design by Wilson, Golf Course Architecture reported.

“The program at Coldstream was focused on producing a worthy and honoring effort by reintroducing the original broad and sweeping scale,” said Foster. “This was accomplished by select tree removal and then substantial fairway expansion. This allowed us to then reintroduce Wilson’s bold and iconic bunkering back into the course, which is the most compelling part of the program. The subtle tee repositioning and softer style will nicely set up each hole while the increased fairway width will create enhanced strategy for all levels of play.”

One hole that captures the essence of the Coldstream renovation is the fourth, which now has wider and bolder fairways, a return of Wilson’s deep bunkers and a seamless connection between the green and the fifth tee, Golf Course Architecture reported.

“Our work also included cleaning up green shapes at each hole and adjusting surface contours where appropriate, notably at the second, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 12th, 15th and 16th holes,” said Foster.

With new and repositioned tees, wider and unobstructed fairways, and repositioned fairway bunkers, longer hitters will have to think more about their tee shots than they previously did, Golf Course Architecture reported.

“The master plan, which is now called the Guardian Project, has been a collaboration of many fantastic contractors, along with Coldstream’s staff,” said Williams. “Pre-construction work included tree removal and installation of mainline drainage pipe. Once the heavy construction work began, the membership was gracious enough to allow us to close down the course and execute work to the fullest.”

The irrigation system was updated by Michael Kuhn Irrigation Consulting and Thielen Turf Irrigation, Golf Course Architecture reported. Work also included the construction of more naturalized cart paths and Golf Preservations Inc has added additional fairway and rough drainage piping.

The club will hold a reopening ceremony in June 2021, Golf Course Architecture reported.

The new Summit Club at Armonk (N.Y.), formerly Brynwood Golf & Country Club, announced that renovation work is underway by architect Rees Jones, whose master plan will bring significant upgrades and new design features to the golf course. The current project is the first phase of a complete transformation of the property that will include extensive recreational and fitness amenities, a new clubhouse and 73 luxury condominium residences.

The Summit Club at Armonk represents a visionary rebranding of the traditional country club environment and will appeal to new members as the golf lifestyle reimagined.

“The Summit Club is being designed as a 21st century lifestyle community with a focus on golf, tennis, fitness and wellness within a resort-like environment,” said Jeffrey B. Mendell, Managing Partner. “Members will enjoy first-class hospitality and services similar to being on a great vacation without leaving home.”

The most significant course improvements include three new holes on the back nine, the rebuilding of all fairway and greenside bunkers along with the adjustment of some bunker locations to give players additional shot options, reshaping of several greens complexes in order to create new greenside chipping areas, plus the reshaping of a number of landing zones on a few holes to improve their playability.

The Summit Club at Armonk course will play to 6,700 yards from the back tees with a par of 71. The golf range and suite of practice facilities also are being upgraded. The renovated course plans to reopen April 2021.

“The extensive golf course improvements will make The Summit Club at Armonk a place that all levels of golfers can enjoy in a natural landscape that offers dramatic elevation changes and stunning panoramic views of the New York countryside,” said Rees Jones.

The City of Charleston, S.C.’s Municipal Course is wrapping up a $3 million upgrade and renovation project, WCBD reported.

The project included redoing all of the greens, tees, bunkers, all new fairway grass, Golf Course Architect Troy Miller told WCBD.

“So tee to green the golf course has been completely re-grassed and you’ll notice a lot of changes visually,” he said.

As the man who is overseeing the project, Miller says the renovations will allow for more teaching moments for younger golfers while still providing a challenge for some of its most senior players, WCBD reported.

“This really has an opportunity to become a crown jewel of that park system,” Miller said. “And it’s a great opportunity to provide golf at an affordable level for all of our residents.”

Several holes were raised and elevated while ponds were excavated to prevent flooding, an issue that has plagued the course in the past, WCBD reported.

“By using some of that material to elevate these fairways, greens and tees, we’ve been able to improve the drainage and improve the conditioning of the golf course,” Miller said.

The projects restored many of the Raynor Macdonald course’s original features dating back to its 1929 opening, WCBD reported. It’s something Miller thinks golfer will flock to.

“This place has always had great bones and we didn’t change that,” Miller said. “The only thing we really did was knock 90 years of dust off of this place and show what it was originally intended to be.”

The course is set to reopen on December 9.