Golfer Johnny Miller and his sons have signed on to make upgrades to the 18-hole championship golf course, lengthening it from 6,775 yards to 7,700 yards, updating bunkering, rebuilding one green, and adding water features.
At Warner Springs (Calif.) Ranch in San Diego’s backcountry, golfer Johnny Miller and his sons, Andy and John Jr., have been contracted to make upgrades to the 18-hole championship golf course, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The plans call for Miller to add tees that will lengthen the course from its current back tees of 6,775 yards to about 7,700 yards. Miller will work on new bunkering that will be more in play for top golfers, rebuild at least one green and add water features, the Union-Tribune reported.
With a rich history that dates back to 1844, Warner Springs was immediately enticing to Miller, once he learned about the property from Byron Casper, a son of the late Billy Casper who is the head pro at Warner. The Casper and Miller families have been close for decades, the Union-Tribune reported.
“It’s an amazing property,” Miller said. “I think it’s going to be easy to make it really good.”
Miller sees similarities between Warner Springs and the Silverado Resort in Napa, where he became an ownership partner in 2010 and did work to freshen up the two courses there. Both the PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour have staged tournaments there, the Union-Tribune reported.
The Warner Springs resort and golf course fell into disrepair after the previous owners filed for bankruptcy in 2011. After a lengthy acquisition process, San Diego hotelier Bill McWethy, of Pacific Hospitality Group, took ownership and made the rejuvenation of the golf course a top priority. The course celebrated its official reopening in October 2016, but for the layout to get more regional attention, McWethy figured he needed a big name, the Union-Tribune reported.
“We decided it was time to take it to the next level,” said Fred Grand, President of Pacific Hospitality. “Johnny has such an appreciation for golf at its highest level. He knows what needs to be done to attract some big-time attention to our project. That, to me, was the biggest motivation in being able to partner with him.”
Miller has worked on the design of about 35 golf courses in his career. He hasn’t been looking for work, but several projects fell into his lap, though he doesn’t think he’d be doing them without the encouragement of his sons. Andy Miller got his degree in architecture, while John Jr. works on the business side, the Union-Tribune reported.
“I’m lucky I’ve got some good boys,” Miller said.
Like many designers in the industry, Miller has come full circle in what he believes makes a good golf course. He admitted that difficulty was high on his priority list before. Not anymore, the Union-Tribune reported.
“The bunkering needs to be where it bothers guys like myself, not the average guy,” Miller said. “You don’t want a lot of forced carries. You want people to get good bounces, not bad ones.
“(Tom) Fazio paved the way for making courses friendlier. We’re making them more playable for kids and older guys. Basically, we have to cater to the guys of my generation because we’re the ones supporting the game.”
The work on Warner Springs as a destination spot continues, said Grand. Ten renovated cottages have opened, with another 12 available soon. There is a new market, 24-hour availability of gas, and work on the permitting to open the hot springs and pool areas is ongoing, the Union-Tribune reported.
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