Broomsedge Golf Club is progressing in the Palmetto State, a design collaboration from Kyle Franz and Mike Koprowski.
Scheduled for a soft opening this fall, it’s currently under construction in the Sandhills town of Rembert, east of Columbia, South Carolina.
Franz is best known for his acclaimed restorations in the Sandhills of North Carolina, including Mid Pines and Southern Pines, and was part of the Coore & Crenshaw team that restored Pinehurst No. 2. Most recently, Franz worked in the sands of central Florida, creating the reimagined Karoo course at Cabot Citrus Farms. Koprowski worked with Franz at Southern Pines and Cabot Citrus Farms.
Koprowski discovered the land and bought it on his own before he had any outside partners. He was floored with how ideally suited the land was for golf, amid sand dunes, ridges and forests of Longleaf pines.
Routed in 2022, the course is projected to measure more than 7,400 yards from the back tees. Koprowski and Franz are crafting a course that not only embraces the current trend of playability, but also maximizes setup flexibility while emphasizing the significance of strategy and shot values to modern design. Reminiscent of the top British clubs, Broomsedge will be private, but will welcome some outside play.
FORT MYERS' COLONIAL SET FOR MAKEOUR
Colonial Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida will undergo a full golf course renovation beginning April 1, 2025. Members recently approved the multi-million-dollar project that will focus on enhancing the overall golf experience for members and visitors, including improving playability, aesthetics, and sustainability. The club has teamed up with Gordon Lewis, the course’s original architect in 2002, to lead the renovation. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2025, with an anticipated grand opening celebration to showcase the enhanced facilities.
Key highlights of the project include re-grassing of the golf course with Bimini Bermuda grass; new greens throughout the course; building an additional practice putting green and chipping green; a new irrigation system; tee and bunker renovations; cart path reconfiguration; bulkhead replacements; as well as waste area and drainage improvements.
By transitioning to Bimini Bermuda grass, Colonial Country Club will benefit through lower water usage, higher resiliency, and low maintenance requirements. This environmentally conscious decision aligns with the club’s commitment to preserving natural resources and embracing sustainability.
All 18 holes as well as practice greens will feature state-of-the-art USGA spec greens with Tif Eagle Bermuda grass. These enhancements promise to elevate the quality of play and ensure consistency throughout the course. An additional 6,000 square foot practice putting green will be built to provide membership with more area to practice. This will coincide with a new chipping green area with triple the amount of practice space.
An entirely new irrigation system will be installed to efficiently manage water distribution across the course. During construction, crews will lay all new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, install nearly 2,000 new high-efficiency sprinkler heads throughout the entire course, add a new computer irrigation control system and a new weather station. HDPE piping is very strong and corrosion and impact resistant. The new computer system will allow Colonial Country Club’s agronomy team to operate the watering system remotely from mobile devices or desktops, while high-tech sensors measure soil moisture and salt levels to allow for precise watering.
The renovation will also entail the revitalization of tees and bunkers, enhancing their aesthetics and functionality. Players can anticipate improved tee box conditions and strategically redesigned bunkers to elevate the challenge and enjoyment of the course. Cart paths will also be reconfigured to improve cart traffic flow and improve playability.
A new 650 linear-foot bulkhead surrounding the 18th green will be installed, ensuring structural integrity and enhancing the visual appeal of the course’s signature finishing hole. Three additional bulkheads will be placed at other green complexes to help with safety and playability.
Waste areas will be raised and cleaned out to provide playable conditions throughout the areas between the OB posts. These areas will also see dramatic landscape improvements to add to the aesthetics of the course. And, finally to address historically difficult-to-drain areas, additional drainage will be installed, improving the course’s response to rain events and ensuring optimal playing conditions year-round.
“We are excited to embark on this transformative journey to elevate Colonial Country Club to new heights,” said Dan Casciano, President of Colonial Country Club. “This renovation underscores our dedication to providing an exceptional golf experience for our members and guests while preserving the rich heritage of our beloved course.”
GOING SOCIAL
We are delighted to announce that we have been retained as consulting course architect by The Royal Belfast GC, Ireland's oldest golf club. Designed by HS Colt, the current course opened in 1926 and provides spectacular views of Belfast Lough, the Antrim Plateau & Scotland beyond pic.twitter.com/9OWSwzr7o6
— Clayton, DeVries & Pont (@cdpgolf1) March 7, 2024
BELGIAN TOWN GETS NEW STUART HALLETT DESIGN
Bois d’Arlon Golf and Resort in the southern Belgium town of Arlon will soon open 18 new holes, designed by Biarritz, France-based architect Stuart Hallett. The new course will join an existing nine holes that opened in 2023, crafted by architect Jonathan Davison of Create Golf. The 27 holes are the prime amenity of the former chateau turned 64-room, four-star hotel. Hallett focused on what he what he identified as the “natural holes,” prior to devoting the needed attention to holes on more benign terrain that required some manufacturing.
“I picked out a few green sites on my first visit thanks to some very exciting features,” Hallett told golfcoursearchitecture.net. “I wanted to exploit the natural landscape to build what I believe are some standout golf holes, including the fourth green, holes five, six and 14, and part of 15. The interesting corner appears in both loops; a crossroads in the course routing.
“We worked hard on a couple of the so-called weaker holes on paper, with some good ideas and skillful shaping helping to produce some very interesting holes, such as the third, 11th and 18th. The routing has plenty of variety with five par 3s and five par 5s. I was keen on finding a balance; some holes are forgiving with straightforward strategy, some are tough, while others have surprises or are quirky in places.
“My aim was to provide playing options and avoid penal architecture. It’s not all about distance but visualizing the shots. I’m hoping the measuring devices will be redundant on a few holes—that would be hugely satisfying. Concerning distance, it’s a long way from the tips, but we spread out the other tees to please members.”
