Windsor in Vero Beach, Florida, has unveiled and announced the reopening of its 18-hole, links-style golf course following a complete renovation that began in April. Refreshed by architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his team at Robert Trent Jones II, who originally designed the course, the reopening heralds a new era for Windsor as the community commences its milestone 30th anniversary season this fall.

 

Windsor’s director of golf Jeff Steele and superintendent Jason Schoonover oversaw the project, which also addressed Windsor’s commitment to sustainability.

 

Referred to as “Windsor’s Serengeti” for its undulating panorama of native trees bordering gentle, rolling fairways, the par-72, 120-acre course has been enhanced with a complete re-grassing of all playing surfaces, including the tee boxes, fairways, and greens, as well as the practice areas. Tee surfaces have been enlarged and reoriented throughout the course, while original hole locations and bunker shapes have been recaptured to create more dynamic playing conditions for Members. More tightly mown fairway areas around the green complexes enhance the playability and challenge for players.

 

The short game practice area and putting and chipping greens have also been re-envisioned to create enhanced practice conditions. Greater variety in length and angle of approach shots to be practiced were added, alongside additional target green areas. Putting and chipping green areas have extended surfaces for more diverse practice scenarios.

 

As part of sustainability measures undertaken by Windsor, Jones and his team added a new Rain Bird irrigation system with a computerized smart pump system, which offers better coverage while reducing overall water consumption. A new SubAir system installed under all greens provides the ability to remove water from putting surfaces after weather events. The course now features over 30,000 linear feet of pc drainage technology installed under all fairways and green approaches and surrounds.

 

The team has also undertaken a considerable reestablishment of the vegetation diversity around the natural planting areas, especially in the littoral shelf areas located in the water hazards throughout the course. Additional sustainability measures include the introduction of a more drought tolerant variety of Bermudagrass in the fairways and rough, a reduction of areas required to be mowed that will reduce the overall carbon footprint of the course, and thinning out of overgrown underbrush in the heavily treed areas to promote easier movement of wildlife across the property, among other measures. 

 

“We are beyond thrilled to debut our upgraded golf course to our members as they return for the new season,” Steele said. “It has been a privilege to work alongside Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Bruce Charlton, president and chief design officer, to breathe new life into our cherished course, which has served as a cornerstone amenity and social facilitator in the community for many years. We look forward to seeing members and their guests create new memories as they master the course in the years to come.”

 

“We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to return to Windsor, where I have many fond memories, and ‘polish the gem’ and refresh this prized golf course,” Jones said.  “As the original architect, we kept true to the course’s original design while enhancing the fun factor throughout. The golf hole strategy and overall design theme remains ecologically sensitive with dramatic undulations unique to Florida.”

 

Countryside Golf & Country Club members, staff and the board of directors gathered at a cup cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the renovation to club’s 56-acre Arthur Hills-designed golf course.

 

The eight-month, $5.5 million project added USGA greens and a new irrigation system to the private 18-hole course in Naples, Florida. 

 

“Countryside Golf & Country Club continues to enhance its member experience,” COO and general manager Joe Smith said. “We’re planning on a grand reopening event in January to welcome back our seasonal residents and introduce them to our beautiful new course.”

 

The renovation was led by golf course architecture firm Kipp Schulties Golf Design of Jupiter and general contractor Ryangolf Corporation of Deerfield Beach, along with Ragan Technical Solutions of North Palm Beach for irrigation design and Flynn Engineering of Fort Lauderdale for permitting. 

 

The course was re-grassed with Bimini Bermudagrass and TifEagle Bermudagrass on the greens. The renovation also took advantage of technology that improved since the origination of the course, such as better subsurface irrigation.

 

Schulties said the renovation of the par-70 course went well beyond a facelift.  

 

“Not only did we improve the overall playability, we designed it for the long term,” he said. “The club and its board wanted to do it the right way, and Countryside will be reaping the benefits for the next 20 to 30 years.” 

 

Schulties predicated returning players will be surprised at how much bigger parts of the course now feel. 

 

“Countryside’s course had skinnier fairways and smaller roughs,” he said. “Now, the fairways are 20 to 25 percent larger, and we increased the size of the greens by 30 percent and added collection areas so players won’t be penalized for missing their target.”

 

The renovation reconstructed sand bunkers, thinned overgrown trees and installed new stacked rock retaining walls. Plans also modified the lake and relocated the practice area closer to the first tee, away from the clubhouse, and expanded the short game area and putting green. 

 

Countryside board President Larry Franzen said the club’s members are eager to play the newly renovated course that added more teeing options and flexibility for different skill sets.

 

“It will not only be visually very appealing, but also a joy to play. This was a major revisioning of the course,” he said. “We are excited about the future of Countryside. and can't wait for our first rounds of golf.” 

 

The course renovation continues the momentum of the club’s more than $5 million investment in its new lifestyle, tennis and bocce complex. The recently completed master planned improvement project added a wellness center with cardio and strength training equipment, member recreation areas and locker rooms, as well as two Har-Tru bocce courts and four lighted Har-Tru tennis courts.

 

Countryside is a resident-owned gated golf community with 1,133 residential units, including 221 detached single- family homes. The private community rests among hundreds of tropical Florida trees and a Hills-designed golf course with attractive lakes and beautiful landscaping to provide members with a variety of competitive levels.

 

Bernhard and Company has launched the Great Grinder Giveaway named #WinToSpin. The contest is open to turf professionals currently in a position working in fine turf industry, residing and working in North America. All participants must be 18 years or over. 

 

Entry is free. Participants must complete the form section at https://bernhard.co.uk/wintospin and submit their details to enter the contest. Following @BernhardGrinder on Twitter increases a participant’s chance of winning. A “retweet with comment” on Bernhardgrinders’ pinned tweet will add another entry and mentioning two other turf professionals will equate to an extra two entries into the draw. Entrants can gain a maximum amount of entries per person by completing all of the above steps. 

 

The competition is open until Friday, Feb. 28, 2020.  

 

The drawing will occur within two weeks of the closing date and be announced at 3 p.m. Friday, March 13 on Bernhard Company’s Instagram account, with the video also being uploaded onto Twitter. The first entry drawn at random from all eligible entries will win the main prize of the Express Dual 4100 in addition to the Anglemaster 4100, as well as the chance to travel to the United Kingdom to see the sharpening system in the last stage of build before it gets shipped.

 

“This is a very exciting opportunity for anyone in the turf industry to get in with the chance of winning a set of the latest grinders,” said Gary Ray, business manager, North America. “The lucky winner will be able to keep their mowing equipment sharper than ever, therefore providing them with better presentation, turf health and consistent play. We would also be delighted to give someone the chance to see how their grinder is actually built in the UK.”

 

“We are very keen for someone to be able to experience working with the newest edition of our sharpening system,” Bernhard Company director Steve Nixon added. “The winner will be able to enjoy the benefits of sharp mowers which makes this giveaway even more valuable.”

The governing board of RISE has announced the appointment of Megan Provost as the association’s new president. Provost brings a strong background in national level pesticide industry advocacy and non-profit leadership to the role. She will join RISE on Dec. 16, 2019.

 

“Megan’s deep experience with our industry along with her skill in connecting with the people talking about our products and engaging on our issues ensure that RISE is positioned to create as well as take on new opportunities and partnerships now and in the future,” said RISE governing board chair Gilles Galliou of Bayer Environmental Science. “We’re delighted to have her as the next RISE president.”

 

Provost joins RISE from Farm Foundation, where she was vice president of policy and programs and most recently was interim co-CEO. Before joining Farm Foundation, Provost served agriculture and the specialty industry as U.S. government affairs manager at Dow AgroSciences, LLC, and in that role was a RISE volunteer leader, chairing the association’s legislative affairs committee. She has also worked as legislative assistant to Senator Richard Lugar; special assistant to the administrator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service; and Trade and Southern Crops economist at American Farm Bureau Federation.

 

“I welcome the opportunity to lead RISE during a time of great opportunities as well as challenges,” she said. “I am honored to have been selected to lead the outstanding RISE team, to serve its diverse membership, and to tell the specialty pesticide and fertilizer industry’s important story.”

 

Provost holds a bachelor of science in agribusiness and a master of science in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from The George Washington University Law School. 

 

“With a diverse background that includes both an agricultural and specialty pesticides focus, I’m excited to welcome Megan as a part of our leadership team,” CropLife America President and CEO Chris Novak said. “Now, more than ever, RISE and CLA have an opportunity to partner in communicating the benefits our members provide in protecting food safety and public health. As we enter a new year, I look forward to working with Megan and the RISE Governing Board on issues important to our members.”