In a stunning January 2022 reveal, Canadian developer Cabot announced that the two Tom Fazio courses at Brooksville, Florida’s World Woods it had recently acquired would be plowed under and redesigned.
In February 2022, the architects were named for the redesigns. And one year later, the company updated the news with a change of architects and the addition of a radical new layout to join the already planned 36 holes.
Kyle Franz got the nod in 2022 to transform the old Pine Barrens course into Cabot Barrens. That assignment remains intact. The old Rolling Oaks was to go under the knife at the hands of Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, longtime Coore-Crenshaw associates who were praised for their re-do of Orlando’s Winter Park muni.
Mike Nuzzo, of Texas’ Wolf Point renown, was to rework the expansive practice area and was tasked with creating two nine-hole courses. Nuzzo now has expanded duties. He and Franz will team up to reimagine the Oaks course, now called Cabot Oaks, aided by Ran Morrissett. And the two nine-holers? Nuzzo has some extra work to do on those.
The developers gave Nuzzo the latitude to create as many good golf holes as possible on the property he was allotted. Enter The Ten and The Ace. The Ten is composed of 10 mostly regulation holes, with three par-3s, one 560-yard par 5 and six par-4s — four of them in the shortish, 285- to 305-yard range. The Ace features 11 par-3 holes ranging from 85 to 125 yards. The courses can be played separately or combined into a 21-hole layout, the only such kind in the world, forming a course called The 21.
Expected opening for all the new and reimagined courses at Cabot Citrus Farms is December 2023.
TRIPP DAVIS EYES WACO RENO
Tripp Davis and Associates (TDA) has announced its renovation plans for Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas. The rolling, wooded land overlooking Lake Waco first opened for play in 1947 and was designed by native Texas golf course architect Ralph Plummer.
Davis’ focus will be on renovating tees, bunkers and greens while preserving the historic value of the course.
"The golf course is a bit sacred to many here at Ridgewood, thus handing it over to someone else takes some trust," club general manager Bill Horton said. "There is a reason TDA is considered one of the best architects in the business, and I believe it is trust. We can’t wait to play on it."
Construction began at the start of the new year as TDA shaper Jason Gold is working with builder Fleetwood Construction to start the redesign of the greens and bunkers, which are inspired by Plummer's original style.
"We renovated and, in part, restored Preston Trail in Dallas 15 years ago, which is also a Plummer original and I really appreciate his strategic approach and simple but elegant style," Davis said. "We also are repositioning the tees to create a more enjoyable and interesting course for all players, redesigning the driving range, and making a significant change to hole number nine.
The course sits on an amazing piece of land and we will be working hard to keep the natural movement while giving the course more of a classic style and strategy to serve the members at Ridgewood for decades to come."
Ridgewood has an anticipated opening date of late October 2023.
GOING SOCIAL
Stage 1 of our greens replacement project @MountLawleyGC opened last week with holes 1, 7, 8 and 11 in play. The course has always felt a little like the Melbourne sandbelt to us, so unsurprisingly these courses have inspired the new greens shapes and bunkering. pic.twitter.com/KouBnhTLK4
— OCM Golf (@OCMGolf) February 18, 2023
ART SCHAUPETER GOES PUBLIC
Art Schaupeter has signed on to design Bella Ridge, an 18-hole public course in Johnstown, Colorado.
Located 45 miles north of Denver near the cities of Greeley and Loveland, Bella Ridge will unfold atop a former working dairy farm.
"The site is wonderfully set up for a golf course," Schaupeter told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. "There is about 150 feet of elevation change from the south of the property to the north. A deep valley and creek run the length of the site, with the creek to act as a conduit for the delivery of ditch water that will be used to irrigate the course."
Schaupeter explained that the routing will provide multiple loops and different lengths for all classes of players. The opening nine will consist of six- and three-hole loops out and back to the clubhouse. The inward nine will be a more traditional layout.
The closing trio of holes will highlight the back nine, as they will play long, though also downhill. A 400-yard practice range, 20,000-square-foot putting green and a 2-acre short game area are included among the offerings.
