After a seven-month, $700,000 renovation project, the course that opened in 1911 and is one of three public facilities owned by the city of Tampa, Fla. now has new TifEagle greens, tee boxes, Celebration Bermuda grass, greenside and fairway bunkers and retaining walls and landscaping.
A seven-month, $700,000 renovation project at Rocky Point Golf Course in Tampa, Fla. has been completed and all 18 holes of the public facility will be open for tee times beginning on Friday, The Tampa Tribune reported.
The facelift for the course included new TifEagle greens, tee boxes, Celebration Bermuda grass, greenside and fairway bunkers, retaining walls and landscaping, the Tribune reported.
The par-71, 6,315-yard course is one of three courses owned by the city of Tampa and managed by the Tampa Sports Authority, the Tribune reported. The Sports Authority also manages Raymond James Stadium and is the landlord for George Steinbrenner Field and the Amalie Arena.
The renovations were paid for by the city, which previously did upgrades to Tampa’s other two municipal courses (Babe Zaharias and Rogers Park), the Tribune reported.
The Rocky Point project was completed in phases, to keep nine holes open throughout construction, the Tribune reported. The front nine was worked on during the summer, with the back nine completed from September to November.
Rocky Point opened in 1911. Kennie Sims, a PGA pro and the sports authority’s Vice President of Golf Operations, has said the greens were too old, uneven and slow and in need of repair, the Tribune reported.
“We are extremely proud of this complete makeover of Rocky Point and the difference it will make for every golfer’s experience,” Sims said. “These renovations, combined with our driving range and clubhouse facilities, make Rocky Point a desirable destination for golfers of all levels.”
To mark the reopening, anyone who signs up for an annual sports authority membership or discount card in December will get one month free, the Tribune reported.
Prior to beginning the renovation, unexpected repairs had to be made to the Rocky Point course at the beginning of the year, after a pickup truck was used to make “donuts” on a green and fairway on a Sunday night in January, causing about $10,000 in damage. The driver and an accomplice fled the course on foot after the truck overturned, according to witnesses.
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