After three years of limited new course development, Tom Clark of Ault Clark & Associates, is experiencing a resurgence in new course construction.
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New construction
Blue Ridge Shadows
This eighteen-hole championship course is under construction for owner/developer John Hopkins and Rick Magalis. This facility, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Front Royal, Va., boasts a wide diversity of topography and holes. The front nine winds through a hardwood forest in the upper reaches of the property, while the back nine has a lot of elevation change as it goes back and forth from the flood plain to the upper elevations. Course construction is right on schedule with United Golf of Tulsa, Okla., wrapping things up late this summer or early fall. The course opening is anticipated in early spring of 2006. KemperSports Management has recently been awarded the contract to manage the facility. The course is the second John Deere One-source project in the region.
Williamsburg National
Clark was selected early this year to be the architect for the second course at Williamsburg National in Williamsburg, Va. He admits he is looking forward to the challenge of designing a course to rival the existing Nicklaus Design 18.
“I have an excellent piece of property to work with, that is ideal for the development of a traditionally designed course with no gimmicks,” he says.
The course will be longer than 7,000 yards from the tips, to 4,800 to the forward tees, with three tees in between. It will feature A1/A4 greens and 419 Burmudagrass on the tees, fairways and roughs. There will be a lot of hard fescue in the out-of-play areas. The course is currently under construction, and with good weather, Clark hopes it will be completed this fall with an opening in 2006.
Oak Creek
This new private country club in Prince Georges County, Md., is being developed as not only an enhancement for the Oak Creek community developed by MK Enterprises, but is expected to raise the bar in the private club market throughout the area. Clark had done extensive remodeling at Woodmore making it one of the top courses in Maryland and he says he expects Oak Creek to take over as the “top dog in the neighborhood.” The course club area is adjacent to the historic Bowie Mansion and also crosses historic Church Street with an overpass. This 7,200 plus course, is under construction, but may not finish until next spring, which would mean a fall 2006 opening.
Isabella II
“When you already have the No. 1 course in the state, it’s quite a challenge to add an additional nine that is comparable,” says Clark, who has designed or redesigned all nine of the courses in Hot Springs Village, Ark. “I think we’ve definitely accomplished it with these nine new holes.”
The balanced par-36 features a combination of short challenging holes such as the drivable No. 8 to the uphill, 474-yard ninth hole, which also plays to a par-4. It incorporates the five sets of tees, L93/Crenshaw greens, and 419 Bermuda fairways and roughs. The holes start and finish at the existing club area, providing great flexibility for the operators.
Creekmore Golf Club
Creekmore Golf Club is the centerpiece for a residential development on the outskirts of Kansas City in Raymore, Mo. This is the 21st course Clark has personally designed for Cooper Land Development. The Kansas City area is where Clark has done remodeling work at Mission Hills, Indian Hills, Millburn, Lake Quivera and Leawood South. According to Clark, this site has tremendous potential with rolling terrain, majestic hardwoods and abundant topsoil. With a 125-acre lake under construction, almost every hole will have water views and many will have water for which to contend. The course is intended to be an all-cool season facility, with bent grass greens, tees and fairways and bluegrass/fescue roughs.
“With the openness of the site and abundance of topsoil, we should have no problem maintaining quality conditions year round,” Clark says.
The course is currently out for bids and is scheduled to start in June, with completion in 2006.
Other new courses
Two other new courses should be under construction in the fall of this year. Glade Springs II, another Cooper Land Development project in Daniels, W. Va., will begin clearing holes on the back nine. This course will be an addition to the Stonehaven Course, which Clark completed last year, and the existing Cobb Course, which he remodeled two years ago.
Elkton hopes to begin construction this fall on their new course, which will be developed and built by Angler Development out of Manassas, Va. The course will be the centerpiece for an subdivision and will be handed over to the town for operation and maintenance upon its completion.
“We hope to raise the bar with this course, not only in the region, but throughout the state,” says Clark, who will be acting as the golf architect. “It is a great piece of property.”
