Rockwood Park Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas, is to reopen on later this month following a multi-million dollar renovation project.
A masterplan for the work was drawn up by a team from Colligan Golf Design, and construction has been led by Heritage Links.
Golf course architects John Colligan and Trey Kemp have made more than 150 visits to the course since 2008 to help ensure their masterplan came to fruition.
This masterplan was drawn up with the aim of recreating many of the green shapes, bunkers and other features that the course’s original architect – John Bredemus – had created. An aerial photograph from 1941 was also used, though the project team did alter the routing slightly to capitalise on the site’s topography.
The course’s length has been increased from 6,350 yards to 7,050 yards from the back tees. The forward tees however play to a length of 5,200 yards.
The green complexes have been restored to those seen on the course in the 1930s, with subtle contours evident. The greens have also been shaped to help hold shots, with many adjacent collection areas helping to keep mishit shots close to the putting surfaces.
The course’s fairways are wide, collectively covering approximately 35 acres. They have been graded with a concave profile to help improve the course’s playability.
The fairways have been grassed with 419 bermudagrass, while the primary rough is Tifton 10 Bermudagrass. The secondary rough is a blend of native grasses and the greens are TifEagle Bermudagrass.
The project also saw the introduction of a 1,400-head irrigation system and new drainage system.
Rockwood Park Golf Course is set to reopen for play on 30 June 2017.