Renovation is a fine balance of combining a club’s objectives, with creative and technical vision, within budget constraints.

Every project has different objectives, budgets and club dynamics that all must be addressed with equal respect.

The first step in any renovation project is to develop an overall master plan.  From this objective, a priority list and a phasing plan can be developed based upon the club’s objectives and funding.

The club should designate a group of people, typically the greens committee joined by the superintendent and general manager of the club.  Golfplan then works with this specific group to establish the overall master plan.

Golf courses undergo remodeling for many reasons:

Repositioning the club due to decreased rounds or membership
Maintenance problems, typically irrigation and drainage
Historic significance
Technological advancement and feature repositioning

The master planning process identifies all areas of the golf course and what work is needed.  This then allows for:

Objectives to be determined
Potential phasing options
Estimated costs

Golfplan listens to their client’s needs and goals.  We present options on different ways to undertake projects and the pros and cons of each.

Golfplan’s desire is to direct and guide the club through a smooth renovation process.

How do you know when it is time to renovate your golf course?

The ASGCA (American Society of Golf Course Architects) recently published the following guidelines to assist golf course owners and manager in the decision-making process regarding renovations.

ITEM

YEARS
Greens1
15 – 30 years
Bunker Sand
5 – 7 years

Irrigation Systems

10 – 30 years

Irrigation Control System

10 – 15 years

PVC Pipe (under pressure)

10 – 30 years
Pump Station
15 – 20 years
Cart Paths – asphalt2   5 – 10 years (or longer)
Cart Paths – concrete 15 – 30 years
Practice Range Tees 5 – 10 years
Tees 15 – 20 years
Corrugated Metal Pipes3 15 – 30 years
Mulch 1 – 3 years
Grass4   Varies
* Maintenance factors into longevity greatly.

Notes:

(1) Several factors can weigh into the decision to replace greens: accumulation of layers on the surface of the original construction, the desire to convert new grasses and response to changes in the game from an architectural standpoint (like the interaction between green speed and hole locations).

(2) Assumes on-going maintenance beginning 1-2 years after installation.

(3) Typically replaced because the sand being changed — while the machinery is there is change sand, it’s often a good time to replace the drainage pipes as well.

(4) As new grasses enter the marketplace— for example, those that are more drought and disease tolerant — replanting may be appropriate, depending upon the site.

Component life spans can vary depending upon location of the gold course, quality of materials, original installation, and past maintenance practices. We encourage golf course leaders to work with their golf course architect, superintendents and others to assess the longevity of their particular course’s components.