Source: The Virginian-Pilot( Norfolk, Va.)
Princess Anne, Va. - Red Wing Lake Golf Course will be closed for more than a year, but golfers who play there will be rewarded for their patience with $5 million in renovations.
The course closed the first week in December and is expected to open in the spring of 2006, said Richard T. "Dick" Nutter, golf course administrator for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation.
"It (Red Wing) has always been the pride of the community, and when it reopens, it will shine and be a source of pride once again," Nutter said.
The George W. Cobb-designed course opened in 1971. It is one of three municipal courses in the city; the other two are Bow Creek and Kempsville Greens.
Red Wing golfer Mike Tanner, who has an interest in golf course design, will play courses in Portsmo uth and Suffolk and the other Beach municipal courses during Red Wing's closure.
He noted that the revamped course, while not changing that much in location of the holes, will nevertheless be more attractive and easier to maintain.
When it rains or if there is a drought, the course must be shut down. Because the greens are relatively flat, water doesn't run off properly, Nutter said. Likewise, the irrigation system is old, manually controlled and didn't always work.
"We lost a lot of grass and a lot of revenue that way," Nutter said.
The greens will be rebuilt, reshaped and reseeded with a special grass. Fairways will be improved for drainage and appearance, but "remain within corridors of mature loblolly pines," he said.
Soil will be shifted to create slopes and some mounding. Some of the dirt needed to accomplish the mounding will be dug from surrounding areas, creating lakes that will not only add to the aesthetics, but will be used for irrigation and provide hazards for golfers.
A new irrigation system will have pop-up sprinklers on the greens and the surrounds, and it will be computer controlled, Nutter said.
"Multiple tees will provide golfers of all skill levels an opportunity to match their skills and abilities to a teeing location," Nutter said.
The $5 million in renovations will be repaid from golf course receipts, Nutter said.
David Paul of Thalia volunteers as a marshal with the dual role of helping players and protecting the course.
"I pretty much solely played Red Wing," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting back."
During the closure, the retiree will play other courses around the state.