By Design - Special Edition

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The centerpiece of Lochmoor
Club is its Walter Travis-
designed golf course, which
opened for play in 1918. But as the
years passed, much of its original
design character has been lost, as
a result of maintenance practices,
the evolution of club and ball
technology, and changes made by
well-meaning but under-informed
greens committees.
The clubs leadership wanted to
restore the original Walter Travis design
integrity of the course, while keeping
it relevant to today’s players and
equipment, as well as addressing their
practice range and short game area,
which were both in need of attention.
Paul Albanese, ASGCA, proposed a
‘hybrid’ remodeling plan, a concept
which melds the principles and
design philosophy of Golden Age
designers such as Travis with the
expectations of modern golfers.
With no original design drawings
available, Albanese procured aerial
photographs from 1937 (the oldest
on record), to understand the
essence of the original design. He
also conducted extensive research
into the work of Travis, studying his
biography and accessing resources
from the Walter Travis Society.
An iterative hole-by-hole
design process followed, which
incorporated the original Travis
design philosophy into design
solutions that address contemporary
golf requirements and constraints.
The club now has a long term master
plan which will provide a reference
for all future design changes, enabling
the course to evolve in a coherent,
consistent and integrated manner.
The club implemented part of the
master plan in the fall of 2015 with
the remodeling of all of the bunkers
throughout the course. The project was
completed on time and under budget,
and the entire membership is proud of
the work. They are looking forward to
continuing with other elements of the
master plan in the near future.
Photo: Albanese & Lutzke
Location: Grosse Pointe Woods,
Michigan
Golf course architect: Paul Albanese,
ASGCA, Albanese & Lutzke
Project summary: Historic photography
and documentation provided the
foundation for a renovation of the
Walter Travis-designed Lochmoor
Club, bringing it up-to-date while
adhering to the principles of the
original ‘Golden Age’ design.
Partners: Sandtrapper; ADS Drain Tile;
East Jordan Ironworks; Fairmount Sand
Lochmoor Club
Respecting the past
Historic club restores original designer’s intent