A new classic

Golf course architect Michael Hurdzan readily accepted the challenge he was given with a recent project: redesign the golf course at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, without compromising its style.

The 18-hole course was originally designed by the legendary golf course architect Donald J. Ross and opened in 1914. It was redesigned by Dick Wilson in the 1960s but had remained unchanged since then.

“A course needs to be continually updated to look its best,” says Hurdzan, principal at Hurdzan/Fry.

Hurdzan is overseeing three phases of renovations to Scioto. The first two phases, carried out each winter for the past two years, are complete. Last year, the bunkers around the greens were remodeled. The crew took out the old sand, improved tile drainage at the bottom of each bunker, and finished by recontouring and reshaping them. This creates a higher aesthetic level, Hurdzan says.

Then, this past summer, work started on renovating the fairway bunkers and tees. This was finished by April. The last 20 percent – more tee reconstruction, bunker adjustment, tree planting and fairway shifting – will be completed next winter.

The upside of working in the winter is that there are less people on the greens, so there are fewer interruptions than there would be during warm-weather months. However, the Ohio weather can be limiting. This year’s mild winter helped, though.

“Even this winter, we still had to work with frozen ground,” Hurdzan says. “That’s what makes process even more amazing. It’s like trying to do surgery at nighttime with no lights.”

The course has become more challenging only for seasoned golfers, according to Hurdzan. It remains accessible to casual, less-experienced players.

“Mike has been great work with,” says Mark Yoder, golf course superintendent at Scioto. “The goal has been to modernize the course and keep up with the equipment, like the new clubs that can hit so far.”

Besides Hurdzan, Yoder worked with the club’s golf professional, Bill Stines, and the mostly in-house crew to redo the course. A Dayton company, Topp Shape Enterprises, was called in for some of the work. Yoder declined to discuss the cost of the project.

Some of the changes to the course have been controversial, Yoder admits. For instance, a hole on the back tee reaches 300 yards. The average golfer can’t hit that far, he says.

To give an idea of the overall picture, Yoder adds that the scorecard reads 7,100 yards, and it’s a par-70 course.

Through all the changes, it remained necessary to update and improve the golf course without changing its traditional, classic style. The style could be what makes the course one of the top 40 golf courses in the United States, Hurdzan says. It has hosted the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, U.S. Amateur tournament and Senior Open. It’s also gearing up for the Ohio Junior Championships in June.

The course is only becoming more appealing, according to Hurdzan.

“Golfers are enjoying a round of golf more, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do.”

There has been much positive response so far, Yoder adds.

“The real test will be when the pros come.” GCN