PGA West in La Quinta, California, well-known as "The Western Home of Golf in America," announces the completion of its multimillion-dollar, three-year restoration initiative across its three Pete Dye-designed resort courses.
Located in the Southern California desert region known as the Coachella Valley, PGA West has been a top resort destination and residential community since it debuted in 1985.
The investment from its new owners, Hankuk Industry, which owns golf courses throughout the United States and Japan, and Century Golf Partners, an operator of high-end clubs and resorts, showcases their commitment to ensuring PGA West’s continuing success.
To restore the Pete Dye-designed Stadium, Mountain and Dunes courses to their original splendor, PGA West enlisted golf course architect Tim Liddy, who collaborated closely with Dye for nearly three decades. The Pete Dye Stadium Course, famed as the host course of the PGA Tour’s The American Express tournament, promises to offer an even more exhilarating and challenging experience for players at the upcoming event, Jan. 16-19.
"The goal of this restoration project was to bring the courses back to their original conditions as Pete Dye first conceived them, while also upgrading elements for enhanced playability and sustainability,” says Ben Dobbs, PGA West's executive director. "We are thrilled to showcase the results of each renewed course, offering an unforgettable experience for golfers of every skill level while solidifying PGA West's standing as one of the top destinations in the world."
Liddy likened this project to an exciting archeological dig, uncovering the original aspects of the greens and bringing them back to their earlier beauty and contours. The restoration was handled with precision to reclaim the visual impact that had been lost. The work was performed by meticulously hand digging around the bunkers and greens to unearth the original sand lines. Turf was then removed, as well as layers of organic material that had built up over many years.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
It has been great working with the restoration committee at Corsicana Country Club on one of the most historic and under the radar courses in the state of Texas. #Tillinghast #PerryMaxwell @Franklin_GCS pic.twitter.com/xJKSime5v5
— Trey Kemp (@TreyKempGCA) December 3, 2024
DDG TAKES ON FLATIRONS RENOVATION
Dye Designs Group (DDG) was selected in November to begin work renovating municipally owned Flatirons Golf Course in Boulder, Colorado.
Designed in 1938 by Willie Ticker as a Works Progress Administration project that provided employment for people during the latter stages of the Great Depression, Flatirons is a popular par-70, 6,967-yard layout at 5,430 feet that’s located 2.5 miles east of the University of Colorado.
When the City of Boulder determined that Flatirons needed a few fixes, it retained Denver-based DDG to perform the work. DDG senior design associate Matt McGarey will lead the project.
Initially, Dye will work on a redesign of the 441-yard, par-4 13th, which witnessed a complete change in aesthetics and shot values following the death of a large tree that occupied a key spot on the right side of the fairway. Working in tandem with general manager Tom Buzbee, McGarey has chosen to remove three additional trees that dot the right rough. They will add two clover-shaped bunkers flanking the landing area approximately 200 and 270 yards from the middle tee box. McGarey and Buzbee will also realign fairway lines to bring about more visual appeal and strategic interest.
"The tree in the fairway heavily dictated strategy; without it, the hole no longer asked any questions of the player and allowed them to simply swing away without consequence," McGarey said. "I’m looking forward to getting on the excavator this winter and shaping the new bunkers so they’re ready for the 2025 season."
Buzbee is optimistic about what lies ahead.
"I’m very familiar with the high-quality work and creative thinking that Dye Designs Group brings to the table," Buzbee said. "Matt is an extremely talented designer, shaper and project manager who’s going to help us further elevate the golf experience at Flatirons.”
The renovation work is slated to begin in January 2025 and be completed by March.
IT'S A WRAP AT CC OF JACKSON
C.W. Golf Architecture, led by Chris Wilczynski, has concluded a bunker renovation at Michigan’s Country Club of Jackson, located approximately 75 miles from Detroit.
The Country Club of Jackson was originally designed by Englishman Arthur Ham, who once worked as a field superintendent for Donald Ross. Wilczynski presented a master plan for renovations to the club in 2017 and over the past seven years, the plan was implemented in phases that included restoring greens, tree management, new forward tees and adding native grasses.
In 2023, Wilcyznski refurbished the bunkers on Jackson’s The Woods nine, and most recently, he finished work on the nine called The Pines.
"Repairing the bunkers was a high priority for the club given their extensive erosion and deterioration, which naturally occurs over time," Wilcyznski told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. "The goal was to improve the aesthetics, drainage, playability and maintainability of the existing bunkers and to relocate several fairway and greenside bunkers to more strategically appropriate locations. We used the Better Billy Bunker liner to help maintain their shape and their high sand flash style, which creates a more visually appealing and consistent look from one hole to the next."
