A three-month renovation for the course at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort in Panama City, Fla. included the conversion of all 18 greens to Ultra-Dwarf Tif-Eagle Bermuda and new sand and drainage for 23 greenside bunkers. The course at the KemperSports-managed property is the only Nicklaus Design in Northwest Florida. It was originally designed by Bruce Devlin in 1986 as Lagoon Legends and renovated by Nicklaus Design in 2005.
The Bay Point Golf Club at Sheraton Bay Point Resort in Panama City, Fla. and KemperSports announced that The Nicklaus Course at Bay Point will re-open for public play on October 8th, following a three-month renovation process.
The course overhaul for the only Nicklaus Design in Northwest Florida, which began June 25th, included the conversion of all 18 greens from Tif-Dwarf Bermuda grass to new Ultra-Dwarf Tif-Eagle Bermuda, creating a more consistent putting surface that is tolerant of a lower mowing height for faster green speeds year-round.
Complementing the new greens are 23 newly renovated greenside bunkers that saw new sand and drainage throughout, promoting a better playing experience from around the greens.
The greens conversion for the Nicklaus Course, which was originally designed by Bruce Devlin in 1986 (as Lagoon Legends) and renovated by Nicklaus Design in 2005, involved the full-till process, where the old sod was stripped from all 20 greens and 6 inches of soil was removed. New soil and sand were introduced, tilled, and then fumigated to remove any fungus, disease, nematodes, or other issues in the soil to create brand new greens.
After the full-till process was completed, the soil was graded to the original Nicklaus specifications, approved by Nicklaus Design, and sprigged with Tif-Eagle Bermuda. The grow-in process took approximately eight weeks.
Bay Point’s Meadows Course has remained open throughout the process.
“Pairing a championship golf course with the best available ultra-dwarf technology for these greens is a game changer that will elevate the Nicklaus Course to one of the top in the Southeast” said General Manager Ryan Mulvey, who helped to oversee the renovation project for KemperSports, the club’s management partner.
“Our golf guests and members will now be treated to an unprecedented playing experience with this fun and interesting design, making it possible to maintain excellent playing conditions year-round with minimal transition from spring to summer,” Mulvey added.
The par-72 Nicklaus Design championship layout stretches over 7,100 yards from the back tees and has hosted numerous regional and local events, including the USGA U.S. Open Qualifier in 2016. Bay Point Golf Club is also a home course of the Florida State University Women’s Golf Team.
KemperSports was selected in 2015 to manage the overall golf operation at Bay Point Golf Club, part of the Sheraton Bay Point Resort, which opened in fall of 2016 after a $30 million renovation that included upgrades of the clubhouse, restaurant, and a new outdoor patio space, as well as a new fleet of E-Z-GO carts and the only Golf Boards in the Florida Panhandle.
Bay Point Golf Club is owned by Torchlight Investments, LLC.
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