Courtesy of Reynolds Media Group
Zinkand Golf Design – led by golf course architect David Zinkand – has completed a multi-year bunker and greens restoration project at suburban Chicago’s Old Elm Club.
Harry S. Colt routed the golf course in 1913 during one of his rare visits to the United States. Donald Ross then led the construction, including its greens, during his absence.
Although Colt’s ingenious routing and Ross’s inspired greens remained very much intact, by the early 21st century Colt’s original bunker layout had been lost through successive course renovations. Golf course architect Drew Rogers began initial restoration efforts, recapturing width with tree clearing and expansion of fairways and putting green perimeters. Then, with Colt’s sketches and notes as inspiration, ZGD – as the club’s designer of record – and Old Elm superintendent Curtis James brought the original bunkering back to life.
“We took painstaking care to reintroduce Colt’s preferred bunkering at Old Elm, merging his aesthetic preferences and strategic concepts with modern play and maintenance expectations,” said Zinkand, who spent more than a decade working as a design associate for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. “The course now features bold bunker forms with dramatic ‘ripped’ and ‘torn’ edges that complement the site’s beautifully rolling terrain.”
The bunker restoration work occurred in parallel with the re-grassing of the golf course, including the famed Ross putting surfaces. ZGD touched six of the greens, including the celebrated Redan at Hole 17, incorporating subtle contour modifications to ensure Old Elm continues to deliver on Ross’s cunning intentions.
“It’s an incredible honor to work on Old Elm’s incomparable Colt-Ross hybrid and play a role in ushering the two titans’ design ambitions into the future,” Zinkand said. “We’re proud to have earned the trust of Curtis James, former general manager Kevin Marion and the rest of the Old Elm team as they focus on delivering a unique playing experience.”
