Weed to restore Ross classic

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – Weed Golf Course Design has been retained to renovate the City of New Smyrna Beach’s Golf Course.

The City of New Smyrna Beach initially retained Bobby Weed and his associates to restore the greens and greenside bunkers and now has expanded the scope to include a more comprehensive renovation of the 1950 Ross course.

Weed and Scot Sherman will attempt to breathe new life into a course that captured their eye with its largely untouched green complexes.

“It is apparent nobody altered these push-up greens which have a distinct Ross flavor,” says Sherman, associate ASCGA. “Most greens are typical Ross, with a 4- to 5-foot fill pad surrounded by a variety of contours that offer a lot of short-game interest.”

The public course is located in downtown New Smyrna Beach and is routed to create an enjoyable walking round of golf. Weed Golf Course Design will oversee the renovation of new tees, fairways, fairway bunkers, greens, irrigation, cart paths and add some length to the 6,377-yard, par-72 course.

The course was completed in 1956, eight years after Ross died. The project began in 1947 when a group acquired land on the west edge of town and set about finding someone to design a course for a new community in this area. A visit from J.B. McGovern, an assistant to Ross, encouraged the hiring of Donald Ross and Associates.

Nine holes were opened in early 1949 and four more holes were opened in 1953. The remaining five holes were completed in 1956 about the time the city of New Smyrna had taken over the course.

“Since neither Donald Ross nor his associate ever witnessed the completion of their work, our first goal is to break that trend,” says Weed. “Following that, we hope to raise the agronomic standard of the golf course with updated grasses, irrigation and improved drainage, ultimately making the layout a must play in the region.”

Weed Design will work through the summer in an effort to have the facility re-opened for the 2006-07 winter golf season. The focus will be on quality construction using techniques that are cost-effective.