The project at Mooresville (N.C.) Golf Course called for the development of a new front nine, with the removal of a 16-acre pond to allow holes to route across the land. In Charlotte, N.C., Carmel Country Club opened its North Course following a 10-month renovation that features Champion bermuda greens and 419 bermuda on the tees, fairways and rough.
The redesigned course at Mooresville (N.C.) Golf Course has reopened for play following a project led by golf course architect Kris Spence and his design associate Jim Harbin, Golf Course Architecture reported.
The original nine holes at Mooresville Golf Club were designed by Donald Ross—one of his final projects before his death in 1948. A back nine was added in the early 1970s, designed by J Porter Gibson, Architecture reported.
Spence’s plan called for the development of a new front nine, with the removal of the 16-acre pond allowing for holes to routed across and through this newly available area. Some holes would be moved away from a busy intersection and road, and there would also be greater hole separation throughout the front nine, Architecture reported.
“The old site had too many restrictions and safety issues for restoration to work,” said Spence. “While the solution we came up with did not preserve Ross’ old holes, it required me to take off the restoration cap and design new holes as I felt Ross would based on my years of working with and studying his courses.”
Construction commenced in January 2015, with grassing taking place before the autumn. Turf establishment began in the spring of 2016 and continued over the summer ahead of the course’s reopening, Architecture reported.
The reworked holes feature raised and low profile greens, depressed grass faced bunkers and follow the lay of the land—all features of Donald Ross’s work. The course’s greens use TifEagle ultradwarf, while the tees feature Zorro Zoysia. The fairways and roughs use 419 bermudagrass, and there is approximately 20 acres of natural fescue low mow area throughout the course. The project also added 10.5 acres of practice area with defined target greens, short game area and expanded putting green, Architecture reported.
In Charlotte, N.C., members are returning to Carmel Country Club’s North Course in the wake of a 10-month renovation to find a more open, larger, clean layout with new routing and improved sight lines.
The redesigned North Course which features Champion bermuda greens and 419 bermuda tees, fairways, and rough, now has a more traditional, classic feel to it in contrast to the South Course’s more modern style, said John Schultz, General Manager.
“The early impression from members is that they love how open and clean the course is now,” Schultz said. “All the holes are improved and John (Fought) and his team made some of the best holes even better. The new sight lines and vistas make the course more playable with a lot of rise and fall. It has the appearance of being a lot bigger.”
The North Course, a George Cobb design, debuted in 1950 as Carmel’s original 18-hole golf course. It was last redesigned by Tom Jackson in 1998. Following Fought’s renovation, the par 71 North Course now plays anywhere from 4,118 to 6,807 yards and features seven tee boxes.
“Our goal with the increased tee boxes was to reach all the different groups among our 1,400 members—whether juniors, women or seniors,” Schultz said.
The renovation has met with “rave reviews” from the membership, said club president Dan Richardson. “The new layout provides a tough but fair test,” Richardson said. “The classic feel that John designed offers our membership a course that will be enjoyed for decades to come.”
As many as five of the North Course’s holes were re-routed to compensate for building out the club’s practice facility, which now includes a large new short-game area with three new greens: the Fought Green, Jones Green, and Niblick Green. Its features include elevation change, three bunkers that can be utilized for all types of shots, and can even be used as a three-hole par-3 course for special events.
C&RB covered Carmel CC’s South Course renovation in the November 2011 issue.
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