This is an important time for the golf world, says course architect Rees Jones. "All the very significant golf courses are going through restoration, because technology is so much better," he recently told officials at the Big Island's Mauna Kea Golf Course in Hawaii, where he's heading up a revamp. "It's exciting to make better experiences," Jones added. Indeed, modern touches like innovative types of turf and eco-friendly features are improving play on older courses and winning fans at newer ones, like the following.
Terranea Resort
Palos Verdes, Calif.
(310) 802-7464; terranea.com
The 102-acre, $475 million Terranea Resort is set to open along Southern California's picturesque Palos Verdes Peninsula this June, along with a nine-hole, par-3 course promising stunning ocean views. Designer Todd Eckenrode envisions attracting players with a broad range of skill levels. "Not everyone has five hours to spend on a full-length, 18-hole round of golf, but virtually anyone can find the time to play a quick nine holes in an hour or so," he notes. "If nothing else, it's a great excuse to come visit the site, enjoy the outdoors and take in the views."
Features such as a short-game practice area with chipping and putting greens are popular with beginners and families. Moreover, says Eckenrode, every hole will offer generous tee space, allowing for instruction to carry on throughout the course without interrupting the play of more skilled golfers. For those who prefer a more competitive venue, the Trump
National Golf Course is just three miles away.
Terranea's eco-friendly design features an irrigation system that uses "bioswales," which function much like wetlands. Gently sloped channels built into the landscape collect and organically treat pollutants while enhancing water quality and providing a habitat for birds and aquatic species. All pesticides and fertilizers used on the course either are organic or cause no residual damage.
A total of 60,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event space will include the 18,000-square-foot Palos Verdes Grand Ballroom, the 6,600-square-foot Marineland Ballroom and several multifunctional spaces with panoramic views of the Pacific, for a grand total of 33 meeting rooms. Nine outdoor areas will add 75,000 square feet of space for events.
A 25,000-square-foot spa, three swimming pools, two restaurants and a secluded cove perfect for snorkeling also are on site.
Mauna Kea Golf Course
Kamuela, Hawaii
(800) 735-1111;
maunakeapreview.comIn October 2006, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel along the Big Island's western Kohala Coast was racked by an earthquake and forced to close for major repairs. Approximately $150 million and two years later, the resort and its adjacent Mauna Kea Golf Course sport a new and improved look.
The 18-hole course, originally constructed out of lava rock in the 1960s by Robert Trent Jones Sr., has been restored by his son's company, Rees Jones Inc. The method behind the makeover was to retain the essential strategy and challenge of the original design, while implementing cutting-edge golf technology to modernize play.
For example, the greens have been replanted with ultra-dwarf Tifeagle Bermuda grass for higher quality and more consistent putting surfaces; Tifway 419 hybrid Bermuda grass, a popular pick for warmer, drier climates, was reserved for tees, fairways and roughs. Bunkers were outfitted with new irrigation systems, and overall drainage improvements were made to help maintain course upkeep. To up the level of play, overall yardage has increased by approximately 200 yards, while multiple tees offer challenges for players of all skill levels.
On hand is a pro shop, a clubhouse restaurant and new locker rooms. Approximately 5,000 square feet of indoor meeting space is available at the resort, with another 60,000 square feet for outdoor functions.
Torrance Course
Fairmont St. Andrews, Scotland
(866) 840-8208; fairmont.com/standrews
Gary Stephenson, founder of The Linksmen design firm of Celina, Texas, is leading a major renovation of the 18-hole Torrance Course at the 209-room Fairmont St. Andrews. Opened in 2002, the cliffside, links-style course originally was designed by European Ryder Cup champion Sam Torrance and World Golf Hall-of-Famer Gene Sarazen. By summer, the reconfigured fairways will be poised to host the Local Final Qualifying event for the 2010 Open Championship.
Work on the course includes rebuilding all tee areas and redesigning bunkers. Select tees have been relocated to different holes to improve visibility and play.
A recent $20 million renovation of the resort saw the improvement of guest rooms, the spa and the lobby, as well as the 15,000-square-foot conference center, with its 6,000-square-foot ballroom, a boardroom, 14 meeting rooms and a theater with seating for up to 120.
A few miles south of the property is the resort's 18-hole, par-72 Kittocks Course (formerly the Devlin Course), where St. Andrew's medieval architecture and the dramatic cliff lines off the North Sea provide a stunning backdrop.
M&C Web Exclusive: More Great Golf
Following is a look at four more courses set to open this year.
Bonnet Creek Golf Club
Orlando
(407) 597-3600; hilton.com
Come October, the 482 acres of Orlando's Bonnet Creek, which is flanked on three sides by Walt Disney World Resort, will be the site of the first Waldorf=Astoria property outside of New York City, a 1,000-room Hilton hotel and an 18-hole Rees Jones-designed championship golf course, known as the Bonnet Creek Golf Club.
The 72-par course will feature a pro shop stocked with designer gear, gifts and cutting-edge equipment, with the option of personalized club-carrying services and private PGA-certified instruction.
Highlights of the 497-room Waldorf=Astoria are its 24,000-square-foot spa featuring 23 treatment rooms and Guerlain Methode skin-care treatments, a landscaped pool area with butler service on hand, and several restaurants known to the brand's New York City clientele, such as the Peacock Alley restaurant, the Bull & Bear Steakhouse and Oscar's Brasserie. At the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, five additional dining options, ranging from coffee bars to full-service restaurants, are available for guests.
Between the two properties, a total of 150,000 square feet of meeting space and prefunction areas can be booked, the largest of which will span 36,000 feet, within the Hilton hotel.
Makai Course
St. Regis Princeville Resort
Kauai, Hawaii
(808) 826-9644; stregisprinceville.com
By the end of this summer, the 252-room Princeville Resort at Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii, will re-emerge as the St. Regis Princeville Hotel, alongside the renovated 27-hole Makai Course.
Millions were spent on the redesign, led by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course's original architect. Expect bunkers to be reshaped, cart paths and comfort stations refurbished, and a number of practice features added, such as two new practice tees, a fairway bunker and a teaching tee.
A new turf type, called Seashore Paspalum, has been introduced to the fairways. "Since it's a salt-tolerant grass," said a spokesperson, "it can kill off weeds with salt, which allows us to cut back on using herbicides." In addition to being healthier for the environment, the turf grows better than most during the winter months, allowing for more efficient year-round play.
A few months following the grand reopening of the hotel and golf course, a new clubhouse will debut. The structure will feature a spa, a restaurant, locker rooms, a snack shop and banquet space. Within the hotel, 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 6,600-square-foot ballroom for groups of up to 500 people and the 2,800-square-foot Bay Terrace, will be available for events.
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
Tucson, Ariz.
(877) 572-2770; theresidencesdovemountain.com
This 6,200-acre development lies 20 miles northwest of Tucson, Ariz., in the heart of the Sonoran desert. Though guests will have to wait until this fall to experience the 226-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Resort and Spa, golfers can sample the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club's fairways, which are hosting the 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship in February, as soon as this month. Debuting alongside the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed course is a brand new 45,000-square-foot clubhouse, with dining options, pools and a practice facility.
Sustainable technologies have been implemented at the property for eco-friendly course upkeep, such as recycling water for replenishing greens and landscaping, and the preservation of natural marshes and coves for wildlife to flourish. Still to come are an additional nine holes, scheduled for a 2010 groundbreaking.
Westin Roco Ki Beach & Golf Resort
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
(954) 624-1771; westin.com/rocoki
Along the Dominican Republic's eastern coast is the soon-to-debut Westin Roco Ki Beach & Golf Resort. The property will feature the 18-hole Nick Faldo Legacy Course (Faldo's first foray in the Caribbean), visually complemented by natural design elements such as beaches, jutting cliffs and mangrove forests. Of note is the course's challenging 18th hole, dubbed Los Dos Rezos ("The Two Prayers"), which requires two shots to surpass its twin water carries.
The resort's 337 accommodations include 32 roomy bungalows, 20 cliffside villas and 56 resort condominiums, in addition to standard guest rooms. An 18,000-square-foot Heavenly Spa by Westin offers 15 treatment rooms and ample space for yoga, meditation and salon treatments. For attendees who prefer a more active form of relaxation, a water sports center, four swimming pools, six lighted tennis courts and a lagoon in which to explore tropical marine life are at their disposal. Also on site are seven restaurants and four bars.
Spaces to meet include a 20,000-square-foot conference center with 14 rooms, which can accommodate up to 700 people for a banquet. In addition, the resort's 3.5 miles of white sand beaches provide ample space for outdoor gatherings.