By Design - Winter 2017

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G olf course architect, ASGCA Past
President Steve Smyers, ASGCA,
is part way through a redesign
project at Eastwood Golf Course in Fort
Myers, Florida.
Last summer, a major connector road
construction project was undertaken,
which bisected the course’s front nine.
This meant most of the front nine had to
be rerouted, with the entire nine holes
having to be reconstructed.
“I regraded the entire site, improving
drainage, strategy and aesthetics,” said
Smyers. “All of the putting surface and
surrounds were relocated and redesigned,
putting a strong emphasis on subtle
movement within the putting surfaces,
and requiring pitching and chipping from
the greens surrounds. While putting is an
option from around the putting surfaces, it
would not be the best play.”
The changes to the course included new
bunker locations and reworked rough areas
to enhance the strategy and shot making.
The project’s first phase, which included
the redesign and reconstruction of the front
nine, took place this summer. The front
nine reopened for play on 6 November.
The project’s second phase, which will
see the redesign and reconstruction of the
back nine and driving range, is set to begin
in the summer of 2018.
DIGEST
Smyers redesigns Eastwood course
Norby creates two new holes
at Minneapolis course
Redesign
Renovation
A project which has seen the addition of
two new holes at the Theodore Wirth Golf
Course in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has
reached completion.
The work, which got underway in May
2017, has been led by Kevin Norby, ASGCA,
of Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects,
and saw the removal of the former par four
seventeenth and par three eighteenth holes.
Aerial photographs of the course taken in
the 1960s revealed a short uphill par three
hole which had since been abandoned.
This featured a blind approach and a green
surrounded by bunkers.
“We reinstated that hole but lowered
it slightly to increase the green size and
improve visibility,” Norby explained. “The
resulting hole is a really nice replacement
for the par three eighteenth that was lost.”
A new 360-yard par four hole was also
created to replace the lost seventeenth hole.
This will now be the course’s final hole,
and features a slight dogleg right fairway
and four strategically placed fairway and
greenside bunkers.
Golfer plays every Ross
course in existence
Brad Becken, a member of
the Donald Ross Society,
recently completed a
remarkable quest to play
every golf course designed by
Donald Ross. It was at Hope
Valley Golf Club that Becken
became enamored of Ross’s
work, before playing all the
Ross courses in North and
South Carolina. Becken has
now played the 358 Ross
courses still in existence, with
Seminole (pictured) topping
his list of favorite courses.
Quitno discusses
Schaumburg project
Architect Todd Quitno,
ASGCA, of Lohmann Golf
Designs, has discussed
the ongoing project at
Schaumburg Golf Club in
Schaumburg, Illinois.
Speaking to Golf Course
Architecture , Quitno provided
an update on the project’s first
phase. The full interview is
availabl
New practice facility at
The Villages
A new multi-use green
space and 18-hole grass
practice and putting course
has opened for play at The
Villages in central Florida.
Designed by architect Ken
Ezell, ASGCA, the new
facility is surrounded by
water on all sides.
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Photo: Steve Smyers Golf Course Architects
Photo: Peter Wong
Photo: Jon Cavalier/@LinksGems
Photo: Ken Ezell