The Elmsford, N.Y., property’s golf course is in the final phase of a major renovation and is expected to be complete in the spring. The club began working on the plan for the restoration in 2010, with work continuing intermittently since 2011. The final phase is focusing on bunker location and reshaping, tree removal and fairway changes.
Knollwood Country Club members and guests will be playing a rejuvenated golf course when they return to the Elmsford, N.Y., club this spring. The A.W. Tillinghast, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks-designed course is currently in the final phase of a major restoration.
Architect Ian Andrew studied Raynor’s original plans and sketches as well as Banks’ construction notes. In addition, the club’s archives yielded an aerial photograph taken in the middle of construction in 1926. The club has been working on the entire course restoration plan since 2010, and the project began in 2011 when the 16th green was restored, and has continued intermittently since. The third green was restored in 2012 and the 12th green returned to its original configuration this past summer.
“The goal of this restoration is to adapt the design concepts of Seth Raynor and Charles Banks to the modern game currently being played by Knollwood members,” said Andrew.
During this final phase of the course restoration, Andrew focused on bunker location and bunker reshaping, tree removal and fairway/target-line changes. The bunker restoration and tree removal projects began this past October and took over two months to complete. In addition, irrigation issues around greens were also addressed.
“Adjusting to the modern game means more than making the course longer,” said Superintendent Matt Neaus. “Maintenance practices are new, too. We now have the equipment to manage things like high-grass face bunkers. The new bunkers are flat-bottomed, are surrounded by sloping-grass walls and are similar to the bunkers Raynor originally had built here. The course will definitely look and play differently.”
“This restoration is going to change how many holes play,” said Head Golf Professional Bob Miller. “I expect the 10th hole, now the number eight handicap hole, to become the number four handicap hole because it’s going to play much harder—especially from the new back tee. The new tee has added about 20 yards to the hole while new fairway bunkers have been placed down the right side of the landing area, which doesn’t bode well for slicers.”
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