Golf course architect Todd Schoeder is renovating the municipal Legion Memorial golf course in Everett, Washington, USA, to help minimise the impact of stormwater on the city.

The primary purpose of the project is to reduce or eliminate basement and surface flooding as part of the Northwest Neighbourhood Stormwater Separation Project, a collaboration between Legion Memorial, the City of Everett and Everett Community College. The new golf course design, which will see the introduction of four new holes, will also reduce sewer overflows into the Snohomish River.

“In the preliminary planning for this project, Schoeder prepared various concept master plans that demonstrated the ability to further modify/improve the course and add more Stormwater detention ponds in the future,” said project manager Dave Voigt.

Schoeder has introduced a pond network on the course to deal with the stormwater, while also becoming a feature of the design. “Water now strategically comes into play on three of the four new holes and the three new ponds also serve as stormwater detention ponds, capturing runoff from the surrounding neighbourhoods to alleviate the recurring flooding,” said Schoeder.

The par-five third will be divided into two new holes which will become the twelfth and thirteenth, and the existing holes four and five will be remodelled and become the fourteenth and fifteenth. A new pond will be added, and existing ponds enlarged. Schoeder explained: “With the new holes, we were able to address drainage issues on the fairways and bunkers and create a firmer, drier playing surface.”

Schoeder said: “The four new holes are coming together nicely. Through the remodel, we were able to redesign the existing 90-degree dogleg right par-five third hole into two new holes – a par three and par four that allows us to remove the existing par-three ninth finishing hole and end the round with a strong par five (the existing eighth).” Schoeder is also converting the old par-three ninth hole into a practice area and/or playoff hole.

Following the renovation, the nines will be reversed which means five of the last six holes will have a water hazard. The course will reduce from 6,900 to 6,637 yards, and from a par 72 to 71.

“With the new bunkers and green complexes, we are able restore Chandler Egan’s original design aesthetic on the new holes,” explained Schoeder.

Everett received its wettest April on record, and as such the project fell a little behind schedule. Construction has passed the halfway point, with grassing commencing in July or August. The course is expected to open in October 2018.