Tag: Renovation

Saint John’s Resort to open new 18-hole layout, short course and more in 2024 outside Detroit

The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort is slated to open in the spring of 2024.

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A new golf course, the Cardinal, will open in the spring of 2024 at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, Michigan. Designed by Raymond Hearn, the 18-hole Cardinal was laid out as an entirely new routing on land formerly used for a 27-hole layout at the Inn at St. John’s.

Alongside the new 18-hole layout will be a seven-hole short course, a two-acre putting course and a shortgame practice area. All that will wrap around the resort’s driving range and a Carl’s Golfland retail store.

It’s all part of a renovation to the property formerly owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. The property was donated in 2021 to the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation and has been rebranded as Saint John’s Resort. The $50-million transformation includes updated rooms at the resort’s hotel, a 6,200-square-foot pavilion, a ballroom and more.

GOLFWEEK’S BEST 2023: Modern courses | Classic courses

Saint John's Resort Cardinal
The routing for the new Cardinal golf course at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, Michigan (Courtesy of Saint John’s Resort)

The Cardinal will be the first new high-end, public-access layout in the Metro Detroit area in more than 20 years.

“The land, with its natural glacier forms and beautiful 100-year-old trees, was a great foundation to work with,” said the Michigan-based Hearn. “We were able to save many of the old mature trees and create a routing that kept them in play around green sites and along fairways, which is a bit unique in today’s golf course architecture that focuses more on tree removal.

“This also allowed me to draw on my inspiration from previous Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow and Willie Park Jr. projects as well as one of my favorite courses, the Old Course at Sunningdale by Willie Park Jr. Our goal was to create a fun golf experience, and I believe we have achieved that and then some with this project.”

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Robert Trent Jones Jr. to renovate and complete North Course at municipal Corica Park in California

The architect’s firm will adjust the front nine and build a back nine for the municipal layout in California.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. has signed on to renovate and complete the North Course at Corica Park in Alameda, California. The layout – just south of Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco – is scheduled to open in December of 2024.

The front nine of the North Course, most recently renovated by Marc Logan with input from Golf Digest architecture editor emeritus Rob Whitten in 2021, will remain open for play during the Jones Jr. renovation. Logan’s plans to build a back nine were halted during a legal battle between himself, the course operators and the city of Alameda, and the course was never completed. Those legal issues were resolved in January 2023.

Jones’ firm, Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, will make adjustments to the existing front nine while constructing the new back nine. Work is scheduled to begin in June. The original 18-hole North Course was designed by William Park Bell and opened in 1927.

Corica Park is home to AmateurGolf.com, a partner of Golfweek. AmateurGolf.com also covered the announcement.

The municipal Corica Park also is home to the South Course, originally designed by William Francis Bell Jr. (son of William Park Bell) and opened in 1957. That 18-hole layout was renovated by Rees Jones, brother of Robert Trent Jones Jr., in 2018.

The project was initiated by Greenway Golf, the long-term lessee, developer and manager of the 333-acre golf complex. Greenway Golf is owned by Avani and Umesh Patel.

“The Patels and Greenway have a remarkable vision for municipal golf courses, one that evolves the role municipal golf can play in mitigating climate change and creating green spaces for everyone to enjoy,” Jones Jr. said in a media release announcing the news. “Our goal is to deliver on their vision of a memorable, challenging golf experience for all players, while taking a holistic approach to design and sustainability of the natural environment.”

Greenway Golf said in its media release that it has worked for 10 years to upgrade the facility, which also includes the Mif Albright Par-3 Course, the Lucius Bateman Driving Range and an extensive practice facility.

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Sahalee Country Club in Washington completes bunker renovation

Landscapes Unlimited reshaped and moved bunkers at the highly ranked course ahead of the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Sahalee Country Club in Washington recently updated its three nine-hole layouts, primarily reshaping and strategically moving bunkers on the host course for the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Sahalee’s South and North nines combine to tie for No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best list of private courses in Washington. Located 30 minutes east of Seattle, the course also ties for No. 168 on Golfweek’s Best list of top modern courses in the U.S.

The work was completed by Landscapes Unlimited, a golf course development, construction and renovation company. The renovations were the first phase of a master plan developed by Rees Jones, Inc. The tree-lined courses originally were designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1969, and they were renovated by Rees Jones from 1996 to 1998.

Landscapes Unlimited changed the sizes, shapes, locations and depths of bunkers. New drainage and modern liners were added along with new sand to improve maintenance and provide a longer life span.

A view of the 18th fairway during the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

“Sahalee is a Pacific Northwest treasure,” Jake Riekstins, chief development officer of Landscapes Unlimited, said in a media release announcing the completion of the job.  “Any time there’s an opportunity to smartly add modern infrastructure to a storied golf course while achieving a golden age style, the results are ‘wow’ experiences for different generations.”

The course also was home to the 1998 PGA Championship won by Vijay Singh, as well as the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational (Craig Parry), the 2010 U.S. Senior Open (Bernhard Langer), the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (Brooke Henderson) and the Sahalee Players Championship.

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TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North course to be renovated this year by architect Ian Andrew

Andrew plans to expand green sites and move bunkers and tees, adding length with a focus on strategy.

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley announced this week that it will renovate its North course and practice facilities starting in August 2023. Architect Ian Andrew will lead the project that is scheduled to wrap up in 2024.

Work will include expansion of the green sites with expanded run-offs, plus relocated bunkers and tee boxes. The practice facility will be overhauled with new short game areas and practice greens, and a new clubhouse and accommodations will be constructed.

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is home to two other courses as well, the Hoot and the Heathlands. The North – originally known as Toot – was designed by Doug Carrick and opened in 2001. TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley joined the PGA Tour’s TPC Network in 2018 and is the site of the Osprey Valley Open of the PGA Tour Canada series on the Heathlands course.

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley North
TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North course in Canada (Courtesy of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley/Chris Fry)

“For more than 20 years the North course has been known to golfers as a welcoming and wide modern course that players of all skill levels can enjoy,” TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley president Chris Humeniuk said in a media release announcing the news. “With this renovation, the course will be elevated into a compelling test for high-level championship play while retaining its identity as fun, friendly and accessible for all players.”

The media release said the club began collaborating with Ian Andrew Golf Design in 2022 with a focus on enhancing competitive features, providing additional shotmaking options and strategic demands to the parkland course. The layout will be stretched from 7,151 yards to more than 7,500.

The Canadian Andrew worked as an associate for Carrick on the original design of the North. He has since started his own firm, and his work across North America includes renovations to St. George’s Golf and Country Club and Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Canada.

“This property, and the North course in particular, is a special place for me, having worked with Doug on the original design of this bold and truly fun golf course,” Andrew said in the media release. “With TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley at the forefront of so much excitement in Canadian golf, I’m thrilled to play a part in this project and look forward to continued collaboration with Chris and the Osprey Valley team.”

In 2022, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and Golf Canada announced a partnership to build what they call a new Home for Canadian Golf, including Golf Canada’s national headquarters, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, the national headquarters for the First Tee – Canada and more.

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Eureka Earth shares ‘majestic’ aerial image of Augusta National’s revamped Par 3 Course

With the Masters less than two months away, Augusta National’s renovated Par 3 Course appears ready to shine.

It’s only 51 days until the Masters, and all the work Augusta National Golf Club has done since Scottie Scheffler donned a green jacket in 2022 is coming even more sharply into focus, thanks to the latest aerial photography by Eureka Earth posted to Twitter.

And it’s not just the main 18-hole course, where the 13th tee box has been moved some 35 yards deeper into the pines on the legendary par 5. Augusta National’s Par 3 course has seen even more dramatic renovations in recent months. The club has not shared details on the changes, but previous reporting and images appear to show a new routing for at least the first several holes of the Par 3 Course.

The Augusta Chronicle reported in July that the club had filed documents with the Georgia city’s Planning and Development Department outlining plans for two new cabins, with cabin being a relative term. One of the cabins was listed in engineering drawings as being a 6,284-square-foot structure, with the other measuring 5,556 square feet. Both border the Par 3 Course.

The Chronicle reported the cabins’ locations would change the Par 3 Course’s first four holes, according to the plans. The new No. 1, instead of playing northward, appears on a city-filed map to point northeast toward the pond, with the new No. 1 green placed on or near the old No. 4 tee. The new No. 2, instead of playing west-to-east, points northwest. The new No. 3, instead of playing southward, faces southeast back toward the pond. The new No. 4 tee, on the opposite side of the No. 3 green, seems to be placed to allow fewer shots to travel over open water to reach the green. The fifth hole would appear relatively unchanged, according to maps.

The Chronicle also reported that other plans filed separately with the city show a new concessions and restroom facility between the main course’s eighth and 18th holes. Aerial images from Eureka Earth have corroborated the Chronicle’s reporting.

As for the rest of the Par 3 Course? When the whole Par 3 Course was basically dug up in June, it wasn’t clear what all the club had in mind. The club has since remained mum on details, as is customary. But come April 5, when the world tunes in to watch the annual Par 3 Contest with families dressed in white caddie bibs as their players try for crystal hardware, the rest of the world will get a first televised look at a very different nine-hole layout.

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Photos: Renovations add shine to Cape Club of Palm City, formerly Fox Club Florida

Check out the aerial photos of the renovated Cape Club of Palm City in South Florida.

The Cape Club of Palm City, located about 90 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale depending on traffic, was purchased in 2022 by an ownership group led by Massachusetts real estate developer Michael Intoccia, and the now-private facility has been hard at work on the property formerly known as Fox Club Florida.

In a South Florida market where entry fees for private golf clubs regularly climb into six figures, the Cape Club of Palm City is currently offering a comparative bargain with a $25,000 initiation fee. While that’s not loose change in every player’s pocket, it’s a relative steal in recent years for a solid, major-market course where ownership has committed to improved playing conditions and member facilities.

After five months of renovations and grow-in that are still ongoing, golfers who played the daily-fee Fox Club Florida might be hard-pressed to recognize several of the holes. Massive cleanup efforts included removal of overgrown brush and assorted native flora both in the line of play and especially on the perimeter of several holes. Turf was replaced, greens were resurfaced and sometimes recontoured, all the bunkers were overhauled and the range was renovated. Playing adjacent to Interstate 95 at the northern edge of Martin County, the layout now provides an upgraded Florida golf experience through slightly expanded corridors with water in play on almost every hole.

The Cape Club of Palm City’s course, which has been bought and sold several times, originally was designed by Roy Case and opened in 1989. It was redesigned in 2004 by Darren Clarke and Eoghan O’Connell. This most recent work was done in-house.

The new ownership also plans to install cabins along the ninth hole, which played as No. 18 before the nines were flipped in the recent renovation. All facilities including the clubhouse have seen marked improvements.

The Cape Club Collection of private facilities includes two other courses, both in Massachusetts: the Cape Club of Sharon and the Cape Club of Falmouth.

Check out several photos below of the Cape Club taken this week during an outing for Golfweek’s Best course raters.

Cape Club of Palm City, formerly Fox Club Florida, set to open renovated course in November

The club, less than an hour’s drive north of West Palm Beach near Port St. Lucie, was formerly known as Fox Club Florida.

The private Cape Club of Palm City in Florida is set to open Nov. 18 after a renovation to its golf course and clubhouse. The club, less than an hour’s drive north of West Palm Beach near Port St. Lucie, was formerly known as Fox Club Florida and was acquired by the Cape Club Collection in May.

The new owners have enhanced agronomic conditions on the course, renovated bunkers, added new cart paths and improved the landscaping around the course and clubhouse, as announced in a media release. The clubhouse’s renovated interior includes a new dining room, bar, grand ballroom, expanded back patio with fire pits and a new bridal suite among other improvements.

The Cape Club Collection includes two other courses, both in Massachusetts: the Cape Club of Sharon and the Cape Club of Falmouth.

The Cape Club of Palm City’s course originally was designed by Roy Case and opened in 1989, then it was redesigned in 2004 by Darren Clarke and Eoghan O’Connell.

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Red Rocks Country Club near Denver completes course renovation, adds huge practice putting green

A huge practice green was added to serve as a 19th hole and casual gathering spot.

Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison, Colorado – just southwest of Denver – has reopened its golf course after a renovation by Kevin Atkinson of Atkinson Design Group and Landscapes Unlimited.

The greens, tees and bunkers were rebuilt throughout the private 6,800-yard course, and Landscapes Unlimited oversaw grassing, irrigation and work to the cart paths. All the efforts were part of a multi-phase program within a master plan.

One major addition was a 45,000-square-foot putting green near the clubhouse that serves as a 19th-hole and gathering spot.

“Collaborating with Kevin and Red Rocks’ team to reimagine the course layout, construction and infrastructure resulted in a stout golf experience for members and guests,” says Dave Linngren, vice president of the West Region for Landscapes Unlimited, a Nebraska-based firm that works in course development, construction and renovation.  “Each hole requires strategic management but is neither designed nor constructed to unfairly bite golfers.”

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Two-year renovation at popular New Jersey muni track complete, work set to start on second course

The course was built in the 1970s and designed by prolific golf course architect Hal Purdy.

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The East Course at Middlesex County’s Tamarack Golf Course is playable again after extensive restoration and improvements. The 50-year-old public course reopened Monday following the two-year project which included improved drainage, a new irrigation system, rebuilt tees and bunkers, and plantings. The course sits about 40 miles southwest of Manhattan.

Attention now turns to the facility’s West Course which will close in mid-October to undergo similar upgrades. That project is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

“I am extremely proud of the dramatic transformation our golf courses have undergone and am eager to see the enhancements to come,” Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald Rios said in a statement. “Not only will this investment in the Tamarack golf course enhance the quality of life for our residents and attract new visitors to our beautiful county, but these renovations will also improve everyone’s playing experience.”

Tamarack is managed by Indigo Sports, part of the national company Troon Golf, which manages 17 public, semi-private and private golf courses in New Jersey. Indigo also manages Raritan Landing, the county’s other golf course, in Piscataway.

County Commissioner Charles Tomaro called Tamarack ” a world-class facility for our golf-enthusiast residents.”

“Middlesex County has always placed a high value on working with first-in-class partners to deliver high-caliber facilities to our residents,” Tomaro said in a statement. “The partnership between Middlesex County and Indigo Sports is a testament to that philosophy.”

“We could not be happier with the outcome of the renovation work on the East Course,” said Jeff Bebbino, regional manager for Indigo Sports, in a statement. “Middlesex County’s commitment to great golf and affordability to residents is on full display this fall at Tamarack. We’re thrilled to get to work on the West course next and showcase two fantastic layouts in Central New Jersey.”

Located at 97 Hardenburg Lane, Tamarack Golf Course’s two 18-hole layouts were designed by golf course architect Hal Purdy, one of the most prolific golf course designers in New Jersey, whose other creations include the Rutgers University Golf Course in Piscataway, Warrenbrook Golf Course in Warren Township and Fox Hollow Golf Club in Branchburg.

The restoration of the Tamarack courses was designed by Massachusetts golf course architect Mark Mungeam.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com.

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Highly rated Pasatiempo Golf Club in California to undergo restoration by Jim Urbina

Jim Urbina plans to restore Alister MacKenzie’s original intent for the highly rated public-access layout.

Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California, announced Wednesday that it will undertake a renovation of the greens and bunkers on its course designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie and opened in 1929.

The club has hired architect Jim Urbina to restore the original style of push-up greens as intended by MacKenzie and to restore the bunkers with modern construction methods. The project will take part in two phases, and the club will keep one nine open during the nearly two-year restoration. Work on the front nine is scheduled to begin in April 2023 and wrap up in December that year, then the back nine will be closed April through December in 2024.

“The future of the golf course, in terms of sustainability, requires a full restoration of the greens with modern infrastructure and drainage,” Pasatiempo superintendent Justin Mandon said in a media release announcing the restoration. “Over its nearly 100 years of play, and particularly the more recent increase in the volume of rounds, coupled with the addition of alternative water sources and lack of infrastructure, has led to the rapid evolution of the greens.

“The club’s restoration committee has been working on this project for several years, visiting and consulting numerous golf courses with recent histories of successful restoration work. That information, along with our unique variables, allowed us to develop a scope of work, timeline and process we believe will give us the highest degree of success.”

Pasatiempo
Pasatiempo Golf Club (Courtesy of Pasatiempo)

The club announced that opening-day photos from 1929, combined with onsite evaluation of the original sub grades, will be used to guide restoration efforts that will incorporate lasers to reconstruct the greens to exacting tolerances and to USGA specifications. The new greens will be seeded with bentgrass. The green surrounds will be resurfaced and sodded to assure proper sloping and contours, with modern infrastructure installed to improve drainage.

The daily-fee Pasatiempo ties for No. 34 on Golfweek’s Best list of classic courses built before 1960 in the United States. It also is the No. 2 public-access layout in California, and ties for No. 12 among all public-access courses in the U.S.

The layout has undergone several smaller restorations since 1999. The club was founded by World Golf Hall of Fame member Marion Hollins and was built by Robert Hunter. MacKenzie would go on to live aside the layout’s sixth fairway.

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