The Grove XXIII course in Hobe Sound, Fla., a new private club for which basketball star Michael Jordan is the majority partner, will be designed by Bobby Weed Golf Design. In Swainton, N.J., the course at Sand Barrens Golf Club that was acquired by The Union League of Philadelphia and is being rebranded as the Union League National Golf Club will be renovated by Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design.
The golf course at GROVE XXIII, a private club that is under construction in Hobe Sound, Fla., and for which National Basketball Association legend and avid golfer Michael Jordan is the majority partner, will be designed by Bobby Weed Golf Design, it was announced on January 20. The course is scheduled to be ready for play in 2019.
C&RB has reported on the development and progress of the project since 2015 (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/?s=Michael+Jordan+Hobe+Sound).
Set on the site of a former citrus grove, the golf course has been routed with the south Florida trade winds in mind. The two nines wrap around each other while traversing the site in opposing directions, to ensure that golfers will feel the breeze from every quarter.
The routing also features a unique crossover at the 5th and 14th tees, where golfers can switch from one nine to the other and still finish out a nine-hole loop. This feature will offer the GROVE XXIII membership four nine-hole permutations, significantly enhancing both daily set-up and member tournament format possibilities.
An intimate, contemporary clubhouse will be elevated above the open and expansive 225-acre property, offering long vistas to every golf hole.
Gentle contours will distinguish the site, while a continuous sward of turf will flow from tee to green, allowing golfers to traverse the property naturally from one hole to the next. Copious tight-cut grass will surround the low-profile greens, providing players with a multitude of short-game options. A palette of native rough grasses, scrub/shrub plantings and the occasional specimen oak will provide a distinctive texture to the landscape.
“Knowing the caliber of the membership and Michael’s passion for golf, we are designing a forward-thinking, progressive layout,” said Bobby Weed. “Golf course architects are in the best position to address how technology has changed strategic design.
“This project is an opportunity to update how architects provide all players with a fun and interesting challenge. It will be a course for tomorrow, a course with a refined edge,” he continued. “We are using proprietary player performance data to help establish the dimensions of features and rethinking the tenets of risk and reward that have long guided strategic golf design, but are stagnant today, especially in the face of equipment technology.”
Weed will live on site throughout the duration of construction to personally shape features and supervise the work.
To help with the course routing and construction, the Weed design team has been provided with player-performance data by Darren May, co-founder of “Every Ball Counts” and appointed golf coach and ambassador to GROVE XXIII.
“The team environment encouraged by Bobby Weed allows a free flow of very valuable information,” May said. “To see this information integrated in the course design, and be part of the process, is extremely exciting.”
The Union League of Philadelphia announced that it has selected Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design to renovate the 27-hole championship golf course at Union League National Golf Club in Swainton, N.J. The project will initially address greens complex improvements, but will then expand into a complete re-imagination of the course over a period of several years.
Acquired by The Union League of Philadelphia in October of 2017 (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2017/10/union-league-philadelphia-acquires-sand-barrens-gc/), the 236-acre, 27-hole South Jersey shore golf course formerly known as Sand Barrens Golf Club features native areas, tree- lined fairways, wide landing areas, and large greens. Dana Fry served as the original course architect with his firm, Hurdzan/Fry, in the 1990s.
“This project is very special to me personally because I was involved from day one with the original owners whom I am still good friends with,” Fry said. “Under the guidance and leadership of Jeff McFadden and The Union League of Philadelphia the new goal is simple: We want to take the course to the next level and create a truly world-class golfing experience.”
Added Jason Straka: “Dana and I are honored to be working with such a prestigious and storied organization as The Union League of Philadelphia and its incredible leadership team. We are looking forward to re-imagining Sand Barrens to fit the private club expectations and golf experience The Union League members expect and deserve.”
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