It’s di;cult to
imagine a bigger
contrast than the one
between ;rst-place winners
in Golf Inc.’s 2017 Renovation of the Year
competition.
One winner is a 92-year-old classic private course perched on an iconic seaside
peninsula. ;e other is a mid-century
modern par- 3 layout winding through a
newly revived resort in the arid desert.
Both are outstanding examples of what can
be done with imagination, perseverance
and a commitment to excellence.
;e top award in the private club category goes to the Dunes Course at Monterey
Peninsula Country Club, a Fazio Design/
Jackson Kahn Design remake of the 1925
Seth Raynor course in Pebble Beach, Calif.
;e comprehensive renovation was part
of an e;ort that not only restored strategic
and visual variety to the iconic property
but also reduced irrigated acreage by more
than 20 percent.
;e public course winner is ;e Short
Course at Mountain Shadows, a 1961 Jack
Snyder design in Paradise Valley, Ariz.,
transformed by one of Snyder’s protégés,
architect Forrest Richardson. ;e key to
ting the reimag-
ined course, play-
able for all ages and skill
levels, onto a 33-acre site sur-
rounded by residential and hotel develop-
ment.
In the private club category, Moraine
Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, was
the second-place ;nisher, and TPC River
Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., took third
place. ;e judges also selected two private
clubs for honorable mention: Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville, Mich.,
and Country Club of Asheville in Asheville, N.C.
Among public courses, Los Robles
Greens Golf Course in ;ousand Oaks,
Calif., took second place and Mooresville
Golf Club in Mooresville, N.C., was third.
Honorable mentions went to Squaw Creek
Golf Course in Willow Park, Texas, and
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III in Hilton
Head Island, S.C.
Scores were based on how well each
project achieved its stated goals, the level
of improvement in playability and maintainability, and course aesthetics. Winners
were chosen through a blind judging, with
all identifying references removed from
the entries.
From bringing
new life to Golden
Era designs to
making modern
layouts more
environmentally
friendly, this year’s
award winners
have something for
everyone.
BY KEITH CARTER
RENOVATION
YEAR
ROF THE