Toftrees Golf Resort, located in State College, Pennsylvania, will undergo a major renovation by Jim Nagle, of Nagle Design Works. And the architect believes the property has the potential to become one of the best public courses in the state.
Located three-and-a-half miles west of Penn State University, Toftrees dates back to 1969, when it was originally designed by architect Ed Ault. The resort is managed by Shaner Hotel Group and the golf course project is part of a substantial upgrading for the entire resort.
"Shaner senior vice president George Wolfe — who I have known for twenty years, since he was greens chair at the Sunnehanna Club — called me a few months ago to talk about a bunker problem they were having on the course," Nagle said. "I visited the course and, from a quick fix, the conversation soon moved to potentially developing a comprehensive renovation plan for Toftrees."
"Toward the end of the original owner’s life, capital investment was in short supply, and the golf course suffered," Wolfe said. "Since we came in, we have slowly been fixing that. We brought Marriott Golf in to manage the golf operation, and now we’re taking the next steps. Although we have owned the resort for a number of years, it is only recently that we have started redeveloping it. Our vision is to create a first-class hotel with excellent banqueting and convention facilities. With that, it was obvious that upgrading the golf course would be important.
"Toftrees was originally a semi-private club with a hotel attached — it had a resort feature, but it always felt like a private club. There has always been a tie between the golf course and Penn State University, which is local. Ault did a lot of work in the region in the '60s, but I think this must have been quite a big project for him, as there was a masterplan for the whole community involved. I’ve played a number of Ed Ault’s courses, and there’s no doubt in my mind that this is some of his best work. He had a great piece of land to work with."
It was the site on which Toftrees sits that made Nagle sit up and take notice.
"It was the property that made this a great opportunity for me," Nagle said. "It has great undulation and some really nice features, such as a wash running through it that could be opened up. The routing is very good. The only hole that stands out as being especially challenging is the 13th, which has a blind tee shot with the hillside on the left and a tight corridor. The rest of the course flows nicely, with wonderful contrast and elevation change.
"The course needs improvement, but it doesn’t need blowing up. Today, golfers have higher 'design IQs' than in decades past. With the advent of social media and the many golf design-related podcasts, golfers now demand more thoughtful, engaging design. Toftrees can provide just that. The greens, routing, setting and natural topography lend themselves to creating a dynamic golf course that engages players and challenges them appropriately — something any resort or public facility needs to guarantee return play."
Trees play a significant role in the golf experience — as evidenced by the course name — but not all the arboreal presence is welcome.
"There is an abundance of inferior tree types on the property," Nagle said, "but at the same time there are substantial mature stands of trees. The 15th, 16th and 17th have too many undesirable evergreens that are hiding the beauty of the land. Tree work is only one part of the plan, but it really stands out. The bunkering could be more creative, which would give better aesthetics and playability. At the moment, the course features '60s-'70s bunker styling, and lots of them are elevated above natural grade. Most are at the sides and don’t create much interesting strategy. We will try to fix that."
Wolfe believe Nagle's vision will heightened the Toftrees experience.
"I have played pretty much all of the best courses in Pennsylvania, and I’m quite convinced that Jim will give us something that matches up very well with the top public venues in the state," he said. "To the right of the par-3 sixth is a former quarry that could be a beautiful feature, but it is inundated by foliage. I’m certain Jim has his eye on opening this area up. The course has great rhythm to its routing and great contour to the land. The course is solid, but some past tinkering needs attention, and, with Jim’s eye, I’m convinced that Toftrees will emerge from this project as a world-class track."
Design work is starting immediately, but no date has yet been set for construction to begin.
VINEYARDS' NORTH COURSE REOPENS
Vineyards Country Club in Naples, Florida, reopened its North Course in December, following renovation work by architect Kipp Schulties. The championship North Course was originally designed by Mark McCumber in 1989.
The North Course project, which began in March 2024, culminated in a visually captivating, environmentally mindful course that enhances the golf experience. This milestone follows the successful transformation of the community’s South Course, completed in December 2023.
"These enhancements deliver not only a visually appealing, strategic course layout but they also embrace the natural beauty of Florida’s landscape in a way that enriches both our members’ enjoyment and our community’s ecological balance," said Michael Procacci Jr., Vineyards Country Club's chairman and co-owner.
Key North Course renovation highlights include:
> Enhanced course design: Expanded yardage from the professional tees brings the North Course up to championship level, offering unique challenges with newly contoured fairways, larger greens and natural aesthetic elements such as stone cap walls, wood bridges and indigenous South Florida landscaping.
> Upgraded greens and turf: The entire course has been returfed with Bimini Bermudagrass on tees, fairways and roughs, complemented by TifEagle greens for optimal playability and resilience.
> Bunker and drainage innovations: Bunkers have been refurbished with Par Angle White sand, while advanced drainage systems and a new Toro irrigation system improve water efficiency and course durability.
> Environmental considerations: With reduced maintained turf areas, water usage and chemical inputs are minimized, reinforcing Vineyards' commitment to sustainable practices. The new drainage system enhances stormwater management, benefiting the club and surrounding areas.
A MERGING OF ARCHITECTURAL MINDS
Renowned course architect Steve Smyers has merged his design company with the recently formed firm of Craig & Coyne — comprised of architect Colton Craig and writer Tom Coyne — to create Smyers Craig Coyne.
Smyers, a seasoned architect with nearly 50 years in the industry, has held pivotal roles, including being president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and a member on the USGA’s Executive Committee. His career has taken him around the world, designing courses on all six continents. Over the years, he and Craig have bonded over their shared passion for golf architecture.
"I’m forever grateful for Steve’s mentorship. He’s the Mr. Miyagi to my Karate Kid,” said Craig, whose journey includes winning the World 100 Club Architectural Fellowship, which allowed him to study more than 50 links courses in Scotland. At 25, Craig started his own design firm, marking the beginning of his journey. In 2019, Craig met Coyne at Southern Hills during Coyne’s "A Course Called America" tour. Craig caddied for Coyne and by the 17th hole, the two had already agreed to collaborate. They established Craig & Coyne in 2022.
"Storytelling and design have always had parallels and Tom is one of the greatest storytellers in golf," Craig said.
Coyne is an award-winning New York Times best-selling author and editor of The Golfer’s Journal. "Tom is one of the most well-traveled golfers of all time, and his passion for golf architecture makes him a rare and valuable asset," Smyers said.
Coyne echoed Smyers’ sentiments.
"What drew me to Steve was our shared respect for golf and our common values," e said. "Steve is the man — we’re lucky to have his wisdom in our corner."
Smyers Craig Coyne will work on three new builds in 2025 — in South Dakota, Georgia and Florida and will also turn their efforts to a redesign in Indiana.
