By Design – Issue 52, Spring 2021

11 DIGEST Toro donates $50k to Rounds 4 Research program Photo: Tripp Davis, ASGCA Photo: Istockphoto Tripp Davis begins BraeBurn project The Environmental Institute for Golf, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s philanthropic organization, has received a $50,000 grant from Toro for its Rounds 4 Research program. Rounds 4 Research is designed to address a critical shortage in turfgrass research funding by auctioning donated rounds of golf online. “Toro’s support has been critical to the success of the program, which provides long-term benefit to the golf industry and the game,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA chief executive officer. Photo: Illinois Athletics Drew Rogers works with university on renovation Drew Rogers, ASGCA, has been appointed to renovate the golf course at Atkins Golf Club in Urbana, Illinois, which is to be used by the golf teams at the University of Illinois. The course was built in 1999 and was known as Stone Creek Golf Club. It was renamed in 2020 after developers, The Atkins Group, gifted the course to the university. “We have been consulting with Drew to transition the Atkins Golf Club into a course with increased distance and properly repositioned fairway bunkers in order to accurately and fairly challenge the modern collegiate players,” said Mike Small, the men’s head golf coach at the university. Tripp Davis, ASGCA, has started a renovation of the golf course at BraeBurn Country Club in Houston, Texas. Davis' shaper Jason Gold (pictured) is making progress with rebuilding all greens and tees, repositioning and renovating bunkers to a classic style, and making better use of the elevation created during a 1991 renovation. A new irrigation system will be installed, old turf will be replaced with NorthBridge bermuda, the drainage system will be upgraded to improve playing conditions in the winter months, and the practice facilities will be renovated.