29 A 27,500-square-foot green will be built that can be used in a variety of ways, including as a four-hole junior loop when combined with the first green Quitno will also create two new holes, one of which is the sixth that will play as a putting-only hole at 70 yards with the Baha’i Temple as a backdrop. Several of the greens will feature template designs, while the remaining dozen greens will be restored to their original green pads, which date back to the 1920s when Tom Bendelow first routed the golf course. “The new sixth hole, dubbed the ‘Temple’, is the first of its kind in the Chicagoland area, and maybe in the greater US,” said Quitno. “Designed specifically to be a putting hole, this shorty plays on a southeast axis deliberately aimed at the majestic Baha’i Temple. Clearing of the invasive scrub growth along the top of the steep ridge behind the green will open up an incredible view of the temple. The green plays along the edge of this ridge and is shaped to hint at a crescentmoon, one of the sacred symbols of the Baha’i faith.” Other work includes practice grounds, irrigation and drainage upgrades. The First Tee – Greater Chicago chapter will operate from the new practice campus which will be the base for the club’s youth development programme and the WGA’s caddie training academy. “Canal Shores is so incredibly ingrained in the greater community,” said Quitno. “Making this course economically viable for the long term is critical to its preservation. We’re doing that both with our physical changes to the course infrastructure, and also with the youth programming that will recruit, train and endear future users… especially disadvantaged youth who may otherwise never be introduced to the game.” Wadsworth Golf Construction will begin work in June with the facility gradually closing holes through to August. Canal Shores is working with owner, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the city of Evanston and the Wilmette Park District to ensure that work is completed and ready for reopening by summer 2024. The cover story of the latest issue of By Design magazine – produced for the American Society of Golf Course Architects by the team responsible for GCA – explores what the current economic environment means for new course projects. “Short courses are here to stay,” says Tom Smith, former general manager of Falling Rock at Nemacolin, now an SVP in Wilson, Arkansas, where a six-hole reversible course opens in May. “They are fun, functional and inclusive. The model approach should always be to provide what the customer is seeking.” The Spring issue of By Design also includes an out-of-the-box design that has nine sets of twin holes that play alongside each other and Mark Wagner reflecting on the layouts created by Arthur Jack Snyder in Hawaii. To download the latest issue and subscribe to By Design, visit www.asgca.org “Short courses are here to stay” GOOD READ
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