Not every old golf course is a good golf course. Although all players grow fond of their home layouts over time, many of these facilities are of less than desirable quality. The need to rebuild some of our older courses is a subject that has been often discussed and debated recently, and has already been a source of much work for golf architects, contractors and suppliers. Most of the reconstruction work done on courses to date has been of the ‘piecemeal’ variety where only certain aspects of a course are reconstructed, sometimes over a period of years. However, in the US we see a significant change in the business of golf design and construction that goes well beyond normal course restoration and renovation to what we call the start-over.

The anatomy of a start-over includes many components, but they all seem to have a common genesis: an older golf course that lacks both the proper infrastructure and the needed strategic interest to make for a notable golfing experience. In more specific terms, we find that after being invited to make a complete study of a distressed golf course, the list of problems is familiar: irrigation needs to be replaced; drainage is inadequate or non-existent; bunkers are worn and without character; greens are failing; tees are too small and in poor condition; the course has become too short due to modern technology—which is a disconcerting subject by itself—grasses have mutated and become infested with undesirable varieties; cart paths are crumbling; and the course has become crowded with exotic landscape installed by well-meaning green thumbs. These fundamental problems, coupled with an inevitable decline in the level of maintenance, create a poor foundation upon which to improve any course.

Along with infrastructure problems, the course often suffers from a lack of interest and variety. Either the layout was not interesting from its beginning, or the course has evolved into a bland test of golf because most of the controversial yet interesting features have been changed over time.  We all know the stories of committees who have mandated the removal of this bunker they can’t seem to carry, or the softening of that green that seems to cause too many three-putts. The cumulative effect often produces a dull and non-functioning run of the mill course. It is no wonder that we are often contacted by facilities that are losing members to their competition and are seeking ways to stem the tide.

So what makes the start-over different from the garden-variety renovation? What aspect of this approach is so relevant in today’s golf market? The answer lies in the sheer quantity of problems that exist on many courses and the approach we take to solving them. Once we determine there is nothing much to save on an old course, it is wise to look at the facility as simply the site where a new course can be built. At this point, the owner can begin to realise the benefits of starting from scratch as the best way to repair the existing deficiencies and revive the interest and challenge their course should have. The benefits of this approach are self-evident when you consider the following principles:

Many older courses were built on the best property available in a given area. We often tour nondescript courses laid out on better sites than those where new courses are being built. Most of the courses we encounter are core routed layouts without the encroachment of house lots—an advantage hard to come by today. Given the age of many of these facilities, the site also presents the mature look and feel we usually have to wait years to see on our new courses, particularly through specimen vegetation that is obscured by newer plantings.

Established golf facilities already have the necessary non-golf infrastructure in place. Along with existing amenities such as clubhouses and the like, these courses have an established customer base either through members or long-time, frequent users. This built-in customer base will be locked in as long as their facilities remain competitive.

On the course itself, all of the large-scale problems that exist can be repaired by completely starting over. There is no need to perform dainty or piecemeal construction trying to minimise disturbance in other areas of the course while repairing the various problems. Once committed to a start-over, we advocate bringing every deficiency in every area of the course up to modern standards all at once. The client receives the cost savings associated with the economies of scale, along with the continuity of features and infrastructure built all at once. Under the start-over scenario, no one should have to go back and inconvenience golfers with more construction. Well, not for at least twenty-five years or so.

When building a new course today, permitting is a major hurdle to clear before beginning the project. In the case of start-overs, however, we are building a new course on the site of an old one. In most locations, because the site will still be used for golf, permit agencies consider the land usage unchanged and require little or no permission for construction. Again, the client reaps the savings of this limited permit window.

In the construction business we say, ‘time is money.’ Anytime we can find ways to shorten the time of construction, we know we are spending less money. In comparison to building a new course, most start-overs can be done in significantly less time. Although we often remove numerous trees and usually plough up the entire site wall-to-wall, there is less site preparation to be done than on a new course due to the site’s existing use and quality. Less site work leads to fast-track construction schedules resulting in less down-time and inconvenience to members.

There are many profit-oriented golfing facilities that can afford the cost of new construction. Due to recent US Internal Revenue Service changes, golf courses can now depreciate the cost of just about every new infrastructure item. During these slow economic times in golf, we expect to see many distressed facilities being bought by ownership groups at deep discounts with the intent of starting over. Following this process of adding value, these courses will appreciate like any good investment. Even in golf, you should buy low and sell high!

From a design and strategy standpoint, we can also approach a start-over like a new course. When a strong design pedigree is not an issue on an old course, we have room for creativity and begin to search the property for the best golf holes. Sometimes the holes are already in the proper places, while at other times they have to be rerouted. As with new courses, we set a theme early on, and carry it throughout the course. In some cases, the theme may pay tribute to the feel the course had generations ago, but in other cases a new look is introduced. This includes bunker style, green shapes and contour, grassing, landscape and maintenance practices. These items are all part of a new strategy framework, which, will challenge the contemporary golfer, and give the course the interest the client is looking for. The whole reason we are there is to challenge and interest golfers so they will come back to the facility or never leave in the first place.

So what are the results of taking the start-over approach? In our experience, building a new course on an old location often generates more attention than a new one. Again, there is a built-in, captive audience of players who will take pride in the upgrade at their course and tell everyone about it. They can all remember what every hole used to be like, and once they begin to see the massive improvements, gain a renewed excitement. The completed start-over project surpasses the competition and immediately gives the facility long-term stability and prestige. The functionality of the course is greatly improved, especially from a maintenance perspective. No longer will the maintenance staff have to spend time constantly fixing those nagging problems. Now, they can focus upon raising the level of conditioning every day. As a result of every start-over project we have completed, we have seen new members attracted to the point where waiting lists are generated. Along with higher green fees at daily fee courses, the number of rounds increase and stay at higher levels over the long term. Very quickly, the distressed course and depressed golfers we encountered months earlier become a distant memory.

The future need for start-over construction appears to be great as well. Approximately 6000 courses were built in the US between 1960 and 1980, representing roughly one-third of all layouts in operation today. Invariably, there will be a measurable number that are in such disrepair and so bland that they will need major surgery. So if you are looking for a trend in the golf course design and construction world it is this: start-over.