Zinkand Golf Design has completed renovation work on the front nine at The Sharon Golf Club near Akron, Ohio.

The project at the private club, which is surrounded by farming and woodland, has involved the removal of non-native trees and the replanting of native prairie grasses, shrubs and wildflowers.

The Sharon’s green surfaces had reduced in size over the years, resulting in the loss of potentially interesting pin locations. Two entirely new greens have been constructed, with the remainder gently recontoured and regrassed. All green surrounds have been completely reshaped and more low-mown bentgrass areas have been introduced, to provide more ground game opportunities. The reconfiguration of previously low-profile bunkers has been designed to better complement the terrain and heighten the course’s natural interest.

“I really appreciated the opportunity given to me by The Sharon Golf Club to help transform their property,” said Zinkand. “The project embraces many of the concepts used with my previous work with Coore & Crenshaw and certainly incorporates the ground game concepts I fell in love with on the heathland courses around London while on Cornell’s Dreer Award.”

Zinkand will begin renovating the back nine in 2022, continuing with the holistic approach of improving the course and its surrounding landscape. The project has been split into these phases so that nine holes remain open at all times, and the club expects to open the completed course in June 2023.

“I am excited about our work at Sharon Golf Club,” said Zinkand. “The club sits on a great piece of property in the rolling hills of northeast Ohio. We are not just transforming the course, but really the entire property to create an environment that provides fun, adventurous golf in a tranquil, natural setting for the members to enjoy.”