A project which has seen the addition of two new holes at the Theodore Wirth Golf Course in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has reached completion.

The work has been led by Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects, who as well as overseeing the construction of the new holes, made adjustments to two existing holes.

These adjustments were required to accommodate a new adventure and welcome centre at the course, and to expand winter sledding and cross-country ski facilities. Kevin Norby of Herfort Norby was tasked with looking for alternatives to help reduce the impact winter activities had on turf quality and the playability.

The project saw the removal of the former par four seventeenth and par three eighteenth holes, with work getting underway in May 2017.

Aerial photographs of the course taken in the 1960s revealed a short uphill par three hole which had been abandoned. This featured a blind approach and a green surrounded by bunkers.

“We reinstated that hole but lowered it slightly to increase the green size and to improve visibility,” Norby explained. “The resulting hole is a really nice replacement for the par three eighteenth that was lost.”

A new 360-yard par four hole was also created to replace the lost seventeenth hole. This will now be the course’s final hole, and features a slight dogleg right fairway and four strategically placed fairway and greenside bunkers. 

The greens on the two new holes have been elevated and the bunkering has been designed to replicate the 1920s style evident on the rest of the course.

“We spent a lot of time working on the shaping of the greens and greenside surrounds so they would match the style and character found throughout the rest of the course,” said Norby. “We also renovated all of the existing bunkers to reduce their size and to provide a consistent golden-age look throughout the course.”

The construction element of the project was led by Duininck Golf.