Ault, Clark & Associates will develop a pair of courses in the east, adding to a busy schedule.
The Links of Lake Anna, which was to be developed by Alan Mendelson, is now in the hands of a new group, with a new master plan that will be submitted to the county this summer. It also has a new name, the Cutalong Club and has been reduced from 27 holes to 18.
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According to Tom Clark, the same formula of using design concepts based on some of the most famous holes on the British Isles (Redan, the Punch Bowl, the Eden, the Cape, and the Biarritz) will be employed.
After 15 years, and several ownership groups, the Heritage Green project in LaPlata, Md., finally received master-plan approval and is moving forward with final architectural and engineering plans. The 18-hole golf course community is on the site of a sand and gravel operation and has many unique land forms and also a large section untouched, mature hardwood forest.
Once developed, this should be the flagship of Charles County, Md., according to Clark.
Remodeling
Tom Clark of Ault Clark & Associates is active in remodeling. Remodeling work continues as courses scramble to keep up with all the new facilities that opened during the boom in the late 1990s and early 2000. Clark is currently involved in remodeling for the town of Herndon, Va., at their Herndon Centennial Golf Course, which was one of the very first projects he and Brian Ault worked on their own in the late 1970s.
“I am currently redoing all the greenside bunkers and adding chipping and bailout areas,” Clark says. “We are also undertaking extensive drainage work to insure the course is open 365 days a year.”
The course appearance is already taken on a whole new look, under the direction of golf superintendent Mike Mueller and director of golf Gene Fleming, down to town officials and project directors Dana Singer and James Milanese.
Clark also is working in Hershey, Pa., at the Spring Creek Golf Course, which was the original Children’s Course, developed by Milton Hershey.
“We are improving the routing and re-grassing and irrigating the course, which is the first step … hopefully, in carrying out improvements to the George Fazio East Course, and Maurice McCarthy’s West and Parkview Courses,” he says. “Hershey is a wonderful family destination and now that the trust has taken over the operation of the facilities, I think you can already see a marked improvement in conditions and operations.”
Under the guidance of James Miles and Brian O’Day, a new clubhouse and club area is currently under construction, with Mark Malasavage at the helm of maintaining all the facilities.
Clark returns, this spring to Hamilton Country Club, in Ancaster, Ontario, host of the 2003 Canadian Open.
“With another Canadian Open on the way, we are looking at some additional improvements to the original colt course in the way of bunkering and tees, and also we are in hopes of making the nine-hole Robinson Course more compatible in length and character,” Clark says. “We will also be looking at the practice facilities and potentially a short course in addition to the one they already have.”
Clark has been working at this club since the 1980s and has been involved in the rebuilding of several greens, all the bunkering, and new tee and fairway work throughout the facility as well as the development of a new practice area.
One of the two larger-scale remodeling projects Clark is currently involved in is the remodeling of Pine Lakes at Elizabeth City, N.C. Under the new ownership of William Taylor of Norfolk, Va., who was a member and resident of Pine Lakes, the course will see a complete rebirth from the clubhouse to the swimming pool, and also the name – which will change to The Pines at Elizabeth City.
“We are completely remodeling the entire golf course which closed down December of 2004, and hope to reopen late this fall,” Clark says. “We haven’t been blessed with the best of weather, but Malphrus Construction of Hilton Head, S.C., is making every effort to complete the project on time.
“We have rerouted most of the holes, added an excellent practice area, and lengthened the course by close to 800 yards.”
With new lakes and a healthy budget for pipe, the course should now be playable 365 days a year.
“We’ve kept the greens relatively small, but have added a tremendous amount of teeing area and bunkering, and with the existing trees, which have all been pruned, the overall appearance and playability of the course will be outstanding,” he adds.
Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club in Kilmarnock, Va., also will close this fall for a complete remodeling of its golf course. This course is right on the river, and with six new ponds, will now have the luxury of being playable year round.
“I have also lengthened the course for the lower handicappers, and shortened it for the higher handicappers,” Clark says.
The back nine holes will virtually be a new rerouting, with the exception of holes 17 and 18. Clark says this project should bring additional interest to the Northern Neck.
Clark recognized in Arkansas
With the recent state rankings, Clark garnered six of the top 10 courses in Golf Digest’s poll, with Isabella Golf Course leading the way as the No. 1 course. He also placed Ponce de Leon Golf Course No. 3, Diamante No. 4, Big Creek No. 5, Balboa No. 7, and the Country Club of Little Rock No. 8.
In the Arkansas business poll, the courses of Hot Springs Village garnered the top seven places, with Isabella and the new Granada course leading the way, and Desoto taking ninth place, with Big Creek at 11, and the Country Club of Little Rock and Coronado taking 17 and 18, respectively.