The architects at Golfplan-Fream, Dale & Ramsey will break ground in 2009 on the first golf course project in the Ukraine, an 18-hole resort track planned for the sandy shores of Doboletsky Island, one of a series of islands in the Dnieper River in Kiev. Dnipro Plaza is the local holding company developing the Doboletsky Island project, with Russian backing. Course construction begins in the spring of 2009, but that is but one portion of this ambitious development, which includes 5-star hotel and spa, 30-40 villas, public recreational space, and sizeable retail components. At Golfplan’s behest, San Francisco-based land planners Horberger+Worstell have been retained, giving the project an integrative design capability equal to the task at hand.
San Antonio’s Brackenridge Golf Course is preparing to reopen December 1 following a $7.5 million project that completely restored and aesthetically renewed all 18 holes in accordance to the original designs of architect A.W. Tillinghast. Originally built in 1915 and opened in 1916, Brackenridge was the first public golf course built in Texas, as well as one of the first courses designed by Tillinghast. Renovations have been done by John Colligan, of Colligan Golf Design headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The renovation project, constructed by Austin, Texas-based Golf Works, includes sodded fairways (TifSport Bermuda), rebuilt greens (MiniVerde Bermuda) and the extensive restoration and replacing of bunkers, as well as the addition of new ones, all to USGA specifications. Numerous oak and pecan trees have been preserved and with the addition of 160 newly planted specimens, the tree count is roughly 1,500.
Camp Creek Golf Club in Watersound, Fla. – the award-winning Tom Fazio design developed by The St. Joe Co. –hosted the PGA Dixie Section Team Championship, this week, and will host the Anchorage Children’s Home Tournament on November 3. This marks the fourth time Camp Creek has hosted the PGA Dixie Section Team Championship, one of many professional and high-level amateur tournaments held at the course since its opening in 2001. The course hosted a U.S. Open qualifier in 2007 and U.S. Amateur qualifiers in 2006 and 2008, and is regarded as a strenuous test from the 7,159-yard back tees. The Anchorage Children’s Home Tournament is in its fifth year at Camp Creek.
Las Vegas’ Primm Valley Golf Club has reopened the Lakes Course following its recent enhancement project. The enhancement project included a redesign and restructure of all of the Lakes Course’s greens, detailed maintenance around all of the tee boxes and native areas, an upgrade to the fairways and overall irrigation system, as well as the addition of new golf carts. This is the first major undertaking for Primm Valley Golf Club since the Lakes Course opened in 1997 and was joined by the Desert Course the following year. Both courses were originally designed by Tom Fazio.
Bayonet Black Horse in Seaside, Calif., expects all 36 of its holes to reopen on Dec. 20 following the completion of a three-phase, $13 million renovation by Bates Golf Design Group. The firm made dramatic alterations to hole routings, corridors and view sheds. New tees, bunkers and green complexes were installed and all kikuyu and poa annua grasses were replaced with Jacklin T1 Bentgrass.
Marriott Golf named The Rookery at Marco, located in Naples, Fla., as the Marriott Golf Property of the Year. This award is based on performance excellence for current and previous years in various categories such as golf sales, round improvements, program development, personnel development and leadership, and more. The recently remodeled clubhouse and commitment to environmental stewardship including an ESD wastewater recycling system and efforts to receive certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program were cited as the facility’s achievements.
Tucson, Ariz.’s Skyline Country Club hosted a third annual charity golf tournament, Tee It Up for the Troops. The event takes place Saturday, November 8. All proceeds from the golf and tennis tournaments will directly benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, the Fischer House and the Air Force Foundation Tucson Community Cares Program.
