Golf Course Architecture - Issue 66, October 2021

26 TEE BOX ‘Revived’ Tower Tee to open in spring 2022 The Tower Tee facility in St Louis, USA, which closed in 2018 to make way for a planned housing development, will reopen in spring 2022 as a nine-hole par-three course following a redesign by Art Schaupeter. Steve Walkenbach and Mike Shamia purchased the site from the housing developer and have worked with Schaupeter to bring the facility back and give it a new lease of life. Formerly an 18-hole par-three course, Tower Tee’s new design has used some of the original corridors, however, the layout is now nine holes with greens inspired by famous par threes such as the Redan, Biarritz, Eden, Postage Stamp and Golden Bell holes. This idea came when Schaupeter walked the property with Walkenbach and Shamia. “Tower Tee’s holes measure out at a little over 800 yards, so it isn’t a long course,” said Schaupeter. “The longest two play at about 145 to 155 yards. I tried to replicate key aspects of the various holes, especially in the green surfaces. Otherwise, the holes will generally be shorter than their famous versions, and they might not have the full complement of bunkers. “The entire facility will be very family- oriented, and we expect a lot of kids and parents to be playing, so the fun factor took precedent over a pure replication of the holes. For instance, the Biarritz hole has the two-tiered green with the deep swale through the middle, but it doesn’t have the flanking bunkers. The Redan hole has the deep front-left bunker and plays just slightly uphill to the fronting plateau, but the back-right bunkers and the short cross bunker are not included.” Local contractor Sellenriek Grading has almost completed construction of the golf course. Greens have Profile Porous Ceramics, the handful of small bunkers have liner from Better Billy Bunker, and a Les-Hill designed Hunter irrigation system has been installed. Schaupeter was Photo: Art Schaupeter All nine holes at the Tower Tee facility are laid out within a 12-acre parcel