In 1969, Marvin Leonard, of Colonial Country Club and Shady Oaks fame, donated land, 15 miles west of Fort Worth in the sleepy little community of Willow Park, to the then General Dynamics Recreation Association. The GDRA saw fit to hire a Texas-based golf course architect, Ralph Plummer, a former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects for the design of the course and in April 1971, the course was officially opened.
Again, in 2015 the now Corporate Employees Recreation Association choose to engage another Texas architect, John Colligan, ASGCA, along with associate Trey Kemp, for a $2.75 million renovation of the 45-year-old Plummer classic. Squaw Creek reopened for play Oct. 28.
The course was routed along Squaw Creek and around a 14-acre lake constructed by the Soil Conservation Department. The property is rolling with over 60 feet of vertical change and there are many acres of Live Oak, Elm and Pecan, which Plummer used to his fullest advantage.
Presented with all the assets the property had to offer and the great layout, Colligan and Kemp found little reason to alter the overall routing. What technology has done to the course over the years both good and bad was addressed.
Tees were renovated to increase length of the course. Tees were also expanded to handle an increased number of rounds. More forward tees were added to make the course more enjoyable for every level of play.
The fairways were designed to hold shots and for improved drainage. The common Bermudagrass will be converted to 419 and the new irrigation system has been designed to make more efficient use of water.
Greens and their surrounds have been completely redesigned and reshaped to be traditional in appearance and more user friendly for the higher handicap player while presenting more of a challenge to the better player. Green sizes have increased to handle more play and are being constructed to the standard USGA profile. The putting surfaces have very mellow contouring and are being sprigged with MiniVerde Bermudagrass.
The traditional style bunkers on the course have been designed to improve the strategy of the layout and improve the aesthetics, and they were constructed with the Better Billy Bunker liner and Premier White bunker sand for better playability and easier maintenance.
The new course is complemented by the 14-acre driving range and state-of-the-art short game practice facility, which was designed by Colligan Golf Design and opened in 2015. This practice facility has been the catalyst for a new First Tee program for counties west of Fort Worth.
Headed into their 20th year in the golf course design world, Colligan Golf Design has created many new golf courses and renovated many more along with many practice range and short game facilities. CGD has carved out a niche of renovation, restoring historic courses, all of which were designed by the most influential golf course architects of the past 100 years, including A.W. Tillinghast, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, Perry Maxwell, Tom Bendelow, John Bredemus, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Trent Jones II, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Ralph Plummer.
Again, in 2015 the now Corporate Employees Recreation Association choose to engage another Texas architect, John Colligan, ASGCA, along with associate Trey Kemp, for a $2.75 million renovation of the 45-year-old Plummer classic. Squaw Creek reopened for play Oct. 28.
The course was routed along Squaw Creek and around a 14-acre lake constructed by the Soil Conservation Department. The property is rolling with over 60 feet of vertical change and there are many acres of Live Oak, Elm and Pecan, which Plummer used to his fullest advantage.
Presented with all the assets the property had to offer and the great layout, Colligan and Kemp found little reason to alter the overall routing. What technology has done to the course over the years both good and bad was addressed.
Tees were renovated to increase length of the course. Tees were also expanded to handle an increased number of rounds. More forward tees were added to make the course more enjoyable for every level of play.
The fairways were designed to hold shots and for improved drainage. The common Bermudagrass will be converted to 419 and the new irrigation system has been designed to make more efficient use of water.
Greens and their surrounds have been completely redesigned and reshaped to be traditional in appearance and more user friendly for the higher handicap player while presenting more of a challenge to the better player. Green sizes have increased to handle more play and are being constructed to the standard USGA profile. The putting surfaces have very mellow contouring and are being sprigged with MiniVerde Bermudagrass.
The traditional style bunkers on the course have been designed to improve the strategy of the layout and improve the aesthetics, and they were constructed with the Better Billy Bunker liner and Premier White bunker sand for better playability and easier maintenance.
The new course is complemented by the 14-acre driving range and state-of-the-art short game practice facility, which was designed by Colligan Golf Design and opened in 2015. This practice facility has been the catalyst for a new First Tee program for counties west of Fort Worth.
Headed into their 20th year in the golf course design world, Colligan Golf Design has created many new golf courses and renovated many more along with many practice range and short game facilities. CGD has carved out a niche of renovation, restoring historic courses, all of which were designed by the most influential golf course architects of the past 100 years, including A.W. Tillinghast, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, Perry Maxwell, Tom Bendelow, John Bredemus, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Trent Jones II, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Ralph Plummer.
