Chris Wilczynski has developed a master plan of golf course renovation work for the Country Club of Lansing in Michigan.

The club was first founded in 1908 as The Lansing Golf Club with a nine-hole layout designed by FW Hodges, a golf professional at Detroit Golf Club. The club then acquired 160 acres of land and commissioned William Langford to design a new 18-hole layout, which opened in 1921. Wilczynski’s work coincides with the CC of Lansing’s centennial year.

“I was hired in early 2021 to enhance and improve the golf facility,” said Wilczynski. “This master plan is a roadmap to help visualise how the golf course can be improved. So many trees have been planted over the years that they have taken away from the original course intent.

“Our initial thoughts for the CC of Lansing master plan are to restore the angles and strategic bunker positions that once existed. We can also make the course more player-friendly with the addition of forward and middle tees. We will also look at recapturing the original green forms and dimensions.”

Wilczynski has recently completed a renovation at another Langford and Moreau design in Michigan, Blythefield Country Club. “Members were impressed with Wilczynski’s work at Blythefield,” said course superintendent Drew Peddie. “Creating a master plan is strategic because it will help guide the club to make smart decisions when opportunities arise to make improvements to the golf course. We are excited to bring back some of the original Langford and Moreau design aspects. I am also excited to address the location, size and condition of the bunkers.”

“I believe that I have a good understanding of what is needed at the CC of Lansing after completing the Blythefield renovation and studying Lawsonia Links and other L&M courses,” said Wilczynski. “We have the original Langford and Moreau plan for the course. It’s brilliant and so cool! I am hopeful that we can bring back parts of the plan while modernising the course and addressing the membership and management team’s needs.”