Tom Fazio is returning to Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia, to combine and create nine-hole tracts. The acclaimed designer has completed plans for nine holes that will join his existing Bluff nine on The National course to create an entirely new 18-hole layout.
The original, Fazio-designed 18-hole National course opened in 1997. In 2000, its two nines — The Ridge and The Bluff — were joined by an additional nine holes called The Cove to allow for various combinations of play.
The existing 27 holes make use of the natural rolling terrain, highlighted by hardwood forests, streams, ponds and views of Lake Oconee. The combined nines also provide plenty of challenge, with any of the pairings boasting more bunkers than any of the five other courses at Reynolds Lake Oconee. For these and many other reasons, The National course has consistently been cited by Golfweek as one of America’s Top Residential Courses.
The future 18-hole course will utilize the current Bluff course along with adjacent land distinguished by a creek, large natural boulders and an existing pond. The land slopes gradually down toward a cove of Lake Oconee with more than 100 feet of elevation change. This will be the only course at Reynolds Lake Oconee to traverse both sides of the peninsula and touch the lake from both Richland Creek and the Oconee River.
"My goal is always to create distinctive, one-of-a-kind golf courses,” Fazio said. “There’s a lot of terrain variation — lots of ups and downs, ins and outs, twists and turns — which is great for golf. That’s what makes this such a fine natural setting.”
The first five holes will be from the Bluff routing, followed by nine all-new holes, including a new ninth green that will sit along Lake Oconee. The final four holes will connect back to The Bluff.
“Members will enjoy this golf course because it will have character and never play the same," Fazio said. "This new course will provide a challenge and have endless possibilities of capturing your emotions and feelings.”
The new 18-hole experience is projected to open in late 2024 and be private, accessible only to Reynolds Lake Oconee members. With the addition of the new course, Reynolds Lake Oconee will now have seven golf courses with two private 18-hole courses — including this new course and Creek Club — as well as another 90 holes available for member and resort guest play — The National, The Landing (Bob Cupp), Great Waters (Jack Nicklaus), The Preserve (Cupp), and The Oconee (Rees Jones).
GOING SOCIAL
Excellent day @springhavengolf as we near the end of the transformation of the 2nd & 8th greens & surrounds. Next up, the 3rd green and the added double-duty bunker extending to the left edge of the 10th fairway. The @MottinGolf team doing some great work. @sprnghvnsupt pic.twitter.com/U5ITbg3naP
— Jim Nagle (@jimnagle_gca) April 12, 2023
IAN ANDREW LANDS BACK AT OSPREY VALLEY
Ian Andrew is returning to the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley to oversee a course renovation. Andrew worked under original architect Doug Carrick in creating the Osprey Valley layout that opened in 2001.
The club came under the TPC umbrella and was rebranded in 2018. With a goal of elevating its status as a championship test, but also keeping it player-friendly, Andrew intends to renovate and expand green complexes, rebuild and relocate bunkers, and bump up greenside recovery options via closely mown collection and runoff areas.
"This property, and the North course in particular, is a special place for me, having worked with Doug on the original design of this bold and truly fun golf course," Andrew said. "With TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley at the forefront of so much excitement in Canadian golf, I’m thrilled to play a part in this project and look forward to continued collaboration with the Osprey Valley team."
One significant change Andrew plans to make is to remove bunkers from the front-left of the green at the par-5 13th and replace them with a large mound that will partially obscure the green for those playing down the left side. That design feature was in the original plans, but the bunkers were built instead.
An enhanced practice facility, including the construction of a new short-game area will take place under Andrew’s stewardship. An additional 400 yards will bring the renovated layout to 7,500 yards as well.
This is part of the improvements stemming from a partnership announced in 2022 between the TPC Toronto and Golf Canada. Golf Canada’s headquarters will move to the TPC Toronto, along with the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, Golf Ontario’s headquarters, the Club Management Association of Canada’s headquarters and the First Tee’s Canadian home.
Work will commence in August 2023, with the expected reopening in 2024.
ICELAND GROWS ITS GOLFING OPTIONS
Edwin Roald, Iceland’s only member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, is creating another nine holes in his homeland, at Selfoss Golf Course.
The consulting architect at the nine-hole course since 2018, Roald has already taken three existing holes out of play due to a road realignment. He's substituted three others ahead of the nine new coming aboard. Located just under an hour’s drive from the country’s capital of Reykjavik, the new golf holes are being financed by the Town of Selfoss.
“It is a very interesting and attractive piece of property along the banks of the Olfusa River,” Roald told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. “The site for the new holes is on the waterfront and one of the main objectives has been to use the additional land so that golfers arrive at the water at least twice in a round. Some new holes will be on the front nine and some will be on the back to create a figure-eight routing.
"We’re designing a course and providing a playing experience that everybody can enjoy. The emphasis is on our largest core customer group — the high-handicap players. However, for the better players, there will be plenty of strategic interest in terms of angles, firmness of the ground and pin positions."
A true student of classic, Golden Age architecture, Roald is bringing the concept of template holes to Iceland. The par-3 sixth hole, for example, will be a replica of St. Andrews' Eden hole. The 15th is a riverfront par 5 with a reverse Road Hole green entrance, and the 16th is a Redan.
Roald anticipates the full 18 holes to be completed by 2026, with a 14-hole loop to open by late 2024. A new short course, also designed by Roald, will debut in 2025.
