The project will keep the 50-year-old Crownsville, Md. property, which is now owned by Anne Arundel (Md.) County and managed by Billy Casper Golf, closed until the spring of 2020. Planned improvements include a new clubhouse, new bentgrass greens, a new short-game practice area, an expanded driving range, a creek restoration, a new double-row irrigation system, all-new maintenance equipment and new golf carts. And the golf course will be redesigned with no bunkers, to eliminate “astronomical” maintenance costs.
When Anne Arundel (Md.) County took ownership of the Eisenhower Golf Course in Crownsville, Md. in July, Damian Cosby saw an opportunity, the Capital Gazette of Annapolis, Md. reported.
A PGA professional, Cosby is Chief of Maintenance and the Director of Golf for the county, the Gazette reported. He had previously been the head pro at Eisenhower and knew quite well its good points and bad—the course had provided a valuable service to the community for almost 50 years, but had also fallen into disrepair.
But now the 6,659-yard course has closed so work can begin on a $5 million restoration project, the Gazette reported. The course is scheduled to re-open in the spring of 2020. Cosby, with the support of Recreation and Parks Director Rick Anthony and County Executive Steve Schuh, is the point person on the project.
“We’d been band-aiding the golf course the last 25 years, basically, with no permanent fixes to things,’’ Cosby told the Gazette. “It showed in the facilities and the product we were giving to people.
“So the thought process from my perspective was if we’re going to do it, let’s do it the right way, so when we’re finished we can present to the public a totally rehabilitated, refurbished product that’s going to be set up for the next 20 to 30 years,’’ he added.
The improvements, the Gazette reported, will include a new clubhouse—the current one had severe water damage and mold growing on its drywall, forcing staff to work out of a trailer on the property instead. Other scheduled improvements include new bentgrass greens, a new short-game practice area, an expanded driving range, a creek restoration, a state-of-the-art, double-row irrigation system, all-new maintenance equipment and new golf carts.
But the biggest news for golfers, the Gazette reported, will be a rerouting of holes 5 and 6 and the fact the renovated course will have no sand traps.
The Eisenhower course was built in 1969 and designed by Ed Ault, the Gazette reported, and will now be redone by Andrew Green, who has performed restoration work at nationally known courses including the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio and Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. Locally, Green has been involved with improvements at Chartwell Golf & Country Club in Severna Park, Md. and the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
When Green first walked the land at Eisenhower, the Gazette reported, he quickly realized the project he’d been hired for would not require much moving of dirt.
“I would say it’s some of the best golfing ground in the region,’’ he told the Gazette. “It was very impressive. The existing layout, the hole corridors, greens locations, they were just spectacular. I think it’s exciting to see that kind of land utilized in this manner and allowing us to really situate all those natural assets.’’
To Green, redesigning Eisenhower minus sand traps makes perfect sense, especially from a maintenance standpoint, because the cost of sustaining the bunkers is “astronomical.’’
“We thought about, from a sustainability standpoint, is there a way to utilize other things to give us a lot of creativity and interesting golf problems without the sand,’’ he told the Gazette. “It helps in being fiscally responsible to the county and it also allows us longterm maintenance benefits, and I really think it creates a unique environment and a fun place to play golf for all the constituents.’’
Dan Evers, Regional Director for Agronomy for Billy Casper Golf, which manages Eisenhower and Compass Pointe, the county’s other golf property, told the Gazette that removing all sand traps will benefit maintenance crews and golfers alike.
“It’s a totally different concept for golf, but it’s pretty interesting,’’ Evers said. “From a maintenance standpoint, we used to have a crew of four just for bunkers. The important goal is to make it easier to maintain, so we’re out of the golfers’ way and the golf course is as presentable as possible.’’
Green’s most important work will involve holes No. 5 and 6, the Gazette reported. The sixth hole, a 406-yard par 4, has been a source of frustration for golfers for years. Green referred to it as “awkward.’’ The hole doglegs to the left and requires two forced carries. And the fairway was inconsistent.
When the course re-opens in 2020, No. 6 will be a par 3. No. 5, for almost 50 years a 162-yard par 3, will come back as a par 4.
“Those are the only holes we’re really working on adjusting the routing,’’ Green said. “Otherwise, we’re just working within the hole corridors. We’re tweaking a few of the green locations, pushing a few things one way or another, trying to get the most variety out of the property and maximize its potential.’’
Added Evers: “Obviously, the golf course has aged and is not as competitive in the marketplace as other golf courses that are newer. Also, it’s not as efficient; the irrigation system’s pretty old, the greens are getting worn out. Just as far as being a more sustainable operation, the renovation’s going to be huge for that.’’
Guy Thacker of Severna Park, Md., who has been playing at Eisenhower since he decided to take up golf 40 years ago and is now a regular player with the course’s senior men’s league, told the Gazette he and his league mates are looking forward to the changes that the renovation will bring, even it means they, like the various other leagues that use Eisenhower, will have to make other arrangements for where to play in 2019
“The location is terrific,” Thacker told the Gazette about Eisenhower. “Over the years, this course has served a lot of people very well.
“The renovations that will happen, I hope they do a thorough job so, essentially, it will open up a new golf course for the Annapolis area,’’ he added. “There’s components of this course that need a lot of work. There’s a lot of water that runs through this course. Over the years, that’s been a problem.’’
“Good riddance,’’ Thacker added, when asked about the big change to No. 6.
Bob Fretwell, the head PGA professional at Eisenhower from 1983 to 1990, told the Gazette that during that time, the course “did 55, 56,000 rounds every year I was there.
“It was not unusual in season to have 225 to 250 rounds a day every day,” Fretwell added. “It was a busy place and a great golf course.’’
The head superintendent at that time was Lou Rudinski, who had previously worked at Baltimore (Md.) Country Club, the Gazette reported. Rudinski kept the course in pristine condition, according to Fretwell.
Additionally, Fretwell said, the county’s Parks and Recreation Department did a good job integrating the club into the local community via golf camps, visiting schools and the like.
“The course was big in the 80s, and I think it still has some of the same qualities,’’ he said. “The club was for the average person, so they could come and join a group of people and play. I don’t think that’s changed at all.’’
When Eisenhower GC re-opens in 2020, Cosby promises a course that will play firm and fast, the Gazette reported. Reducing the amount of forced carries was paramount in planning changes to the golf course, he added.
“With our demographic—a lot of seniors and a lot of ladies—they don’t carry the ball 200 yards in the air,” he explained. “We want them to be able to play in the air or on the ground. We wanted those options everywhere.’’
As for what golfers can expect to pay for the new version, Cosby told the Gazette that a huge price hike is not in play.
“It’s still a daily-fee, municipal golf course, so it needs to be priced appropriately, and that was always our goal,’’ he said. “We’re gonna be who we are. This is a $50 to $60 weekend golf course, and that’s who we plan to be moving forward.’’
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.