At some point in their careers, nearly all golf course superintendents are faced with a remodeling project.

?EUR??,,????'??There are any number of reasons why someone would want to remodel a course,?EUR??,,????'?? notes Chris Commins, Senior Vice President for McCumber Golf. ?EUR??,,????'??When a course needs major refurbishing, choosing remodeling?EUR??,,????'??+changing the overall character of the course is much more common than renovation, or restoration to its original state.?EUR??,,????'??

He continues, ?EUR??,,????'??The most common reasons for refurbishing are related to design elements that have lost their validity, such as hazards that are no longer in play because of advances in equipment or features that are difficult to maintain with mechanized equipment.?EUR??,,????'??

He notes that recommendations of golf course superintendents?EUR??,,????'??? associates usually are the starting point in their search for an architect, although the final selection often is based on rapport, operating style and qualifications for the specific project.

Four common pitfalls in remodeling a golf course include trying to do too much with too little money, rushing the work, trying to take on the additional responsibility of maintenance with the same staff that is just adequate to maintain the pre-existing course, and resisting adjustment in the schedule if progress is exceptional.

Existing Features Often Make a Redesign More Difficult Than a New Construction

One such remodeling project that changes these recommendations into practice is the McCumber Golf renovation of the Great Oaks Country Club, a private club originally built in 1970 in Rochester, Michigan. A master plan for the project was completed by Mark McCumber & Associates in the summer of 1986, with construction expected to take two to three years. The master plan addressed the overall playability of the course, the aesthetics, functional requirements such as drainage, safety within the course, golf cart circulation and tree planting. Since the original master plan was conceived, the redesign of several more greens, tees, fairways and club facilities has been added, and construction on the course is expected to continue for the next few years, with virtually the entire course undergoing redesign of one aspect or another. The first three phases were as follows:

Phase I of the construction took place in the fall of 1986. The initial work was concentrated in three areas of high visibility so that the members could easily identify the modifications.

Hole #9, a 500-yard par five, was the next area for renovation. Because the hole finishes near the clubhouse, this work was highly visible to a large number of members. The work included relocating the green, which shortened the hole slightly.

By enlarging a pond and placing the green directly next to it, additional strategy and interest were added to the second and third shots. Interesting mounding and bunkering were also included in the renovation. An aesthetic touch was added by creating a stone wall along the pond edge.

A Course?EUR??,,????'???s Maintenance Crew Can Aid the Construction Process

The construction work at Great Oaks is being accomplished by a joint effort between the club?EUR??,,????'???s maintenance crew and McCumber Construction. Kent Jacoby, golf course superintendent, coordinated the activities with Stan Norton, McCumber?EUR??,,????'???s vice president of construction. Mike Beebe, vice president of Mark McCumber & Associates, provided all final design input by working closely with Jacoby and Norton. Because of the wet weather through the first fall of construction, an accelerated construction schedule during October was necessary to complete the work prior to the impending winter weather. All features were sodded rather than seeded. This was done so that the renovated holes would be playable in the shortest amount of time and with the least disruption to play. This fall, McCumber Golf anticipates remodeling an additional five or six holes.