Hills • Forrest • Smith create master plan for popular Indiana municipal course

Steve Forrest, ASGCA, and Shawn Smith, ASGCA, of Hills • Forrest • Smith Golf Course Architects have completed the creation of a master plan for the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Parks and Recreation Department to improve the 18-hole Foster Park Golf Course. The firm was selected in early 2022 to develop a plan for the course.

The municipal, daily-fee facility has been a part of the city’s recreational offerings since it opened in August 1928. With no significant improvements to the course since the mid-1960s and the 100-year anniversary beginning to appear on the horizon, the Parks and Recreation Department opted to begin the process of restoring the popularity of the aging facility.

With the course experiencing regular closures due to the flooding of the St. Marys River, the design team wanted to explore routing adjustments that would minimize the negative impact of rising waters. This approach, with the addition of lakes for stormwater detention as well as the reorientation of several holes from north-south to east-west configurations, will allow for the controlled management of damaging stormwaters.

Forrest and Smith also looked for other opportunities to add value to the municipal facility. Receiving input from the Fort Wayne residents and regular users during townhall meetings, the final master plan listed a number of benefits: 

• Keeping the existing clubhouse in the same location while creating space for a 13,500-square-foot event venue and 4,800-square-foot outdoor dining or multi-use terrace.
• Additional parking for as many as 48 cars, a 45 percent increase in total spaces.
• Enhanced practice facilities, including a full-length driving range with 67,000 square feet of tee space/34 hitting stations, target fairways, greens and bunkers, short-game area on the way to the first tee, and practice putting green on the location of the existing ninth green. Plus, the addition of a 23,000-square-foot putting course.
• The addition of two strategic (relative to golf play) stormwater detention lakes and a small detention pond (near the existing ninth green) and a creation of a large lake between the new 14^th and 18^th holes.
• A new golf course routing to accommodate the proposed stormwater detention lakes as well as the new practice range. The par-72 course will feature five sets of tees ranging from 4,800 to 6,800 yards. Each nine will support two par 3s and two par 5s playing in multiple directions on each nine.
• Restoration of a portion of the historic Honeymoon Trail along the river and realignment of the loop trail through the Oak Grove near the Bridal Glen.
• Reversal of the play direction of holes along Hartman Road to keep sliced shots inbounds.
  

“We have really enjoyed working with the knowledgeable team from the Parks department,” Forrest said. “They have understood and supported our vision for the reimagined golf course and its new amenities every step of the way. We look forward to the remaining planning, permitting and implementation phases as we strive to have everything in place for a fantastic 100th anniversary celebration.”