Top club and resort projects show how thoughtful renovation can restore design intent, modernize infrastructure and elevate the player experience.
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Golf course renovations are ultimately about history: preserving and enhancing what came before while ensuring future generations can experience it.
Design trends, construction methods and player expectations have evolved significantly since many of these courses were first built. This year’s Renovation of the Year winners stood out for striking that balance, updating infrastructure to meet modern standards while maintaining original character and adapting to today’s game.
In the Private Club category, Desert Highlands Golf Club took first place after a comprehensive restoration that returned the course to Jack Nicklaus’ original vision while modernizing greens, bunkers, irrigation and drainage systems to improve playability, consistency and long-term sustainability.
Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo Resort earned top honors in the Public/Resort category following a full-scale rebuild that addressed long-standing agronomic challenges, enhanced conditioning and preserved the course’s rugged coastal identity while elevating it to modern performance standards.
This year’s panel of judges included John Sparrow, general manager of Bobby Jones Golf Club; Jerry Lemons, ASGCA and president of Golf Links Inc. and Better Billy Bunker Inc.; Ryan Walsh, golf course superintendent of Woods Hole Golf Club; and Don Mahaffey, owner of Wolf Point Golf Company.
FIRST PLACE
Desert Highlands Golf Club
Scottsdale, Arizona
Owner: Desert Highlands
Developer: Lyle Anderson
Course architect: Jack Nicklaus
Course contractor: Heritage Links
Cost: $9.8 million
The goal of Desert Highlands’ restoration was to return the course to Jack Nicklaus’ original architectural vision that defined the design when the course opened in 1983.
Over time, key architectural features had softened and strategic clarity had diminished. Much of the underlying infrastructure, particularly within the putting surfaces, dated back to the original construction and had become outdated, resulting in drainage limitations and ongoing maintenance challenges.
Working closely with Nicklaus Design, led by Chad Goetz, the primary focus was restoring architectural intent while upgrading infrastructure to modern performance standards.
Greens were completely reconstructed and expanded by approximately 26%, putting surfaces were converted from Bermuda grass back to…
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