The Valencia Country Club's driving range has undergone a redesign aimed at putting it on par with the PGA Champions Tour course.
The five-acre practice area, just outside the plush clubhouse, has been under development since June and is scheduled to reopen in October. The tee area is being expanded by 40 percent, and additional target greens and practice bunkers are being developed in the project costing about $600,000.
"We wanted to bring the driving range up to the caliber of the course," the golf course superintendent, Robert Hertzing, said Tuesday. "Our practice facility was mediocre at best. We want the practice facility to be at the level of the clubhouse and the golf course."
The course has been an annual stop on the PGA Champions Tour. The remodeling by Everest Golf Construction in conformance with PGA Champions Tour criteria is intended to better approximate the feel of the 18-hole, 7,076-yard course that was designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Sr.
"What we tried to do is to emulate his shaping in the short game area," Hertzing said. "It's what you'd encounter on the golf course, so you'll have a better practice experience."
The workers moved a wire fence surrounding some Southern California Edison electrical equipment that cut into the driving range.
"It widens the area, and visually it's much larger."
This is the second major remodeling project at the club since it was purchased by the San Diego-based Heritage Golf Group in 2002. Heritage has spent some $2 million renovating the clubhouse and improving course landscaping.
"It's maintaining the value of the club," Hertzing said. "We want to give (visitors) the best product possible."
Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles
