TEE BOX In May, the front nine of the Spring Mill course reopened at Philadelphia Country Club in Pennsylvania, and 18 holes reopened at Meridian Hills Country Club in Indiana. Jim Nagle has led both projects, working on similar briefs: to update the course to modern playing equipment, while also respecting the original design. What was Philadelphia’s rationale for the renovation? It needed to replace ageing infrastructure. The irrigation system was over 25 years old, bunkers were draining poorly, the greens were lacking in drainage and the subsoils required replacing. The club also took advantage of the opportunity to look to the year it hosted the US Open (1939) and attempt to restore as much of the course as possible with the photos from the Open being a tremendous resource in the rebuilding process. Could you provide an overview of the work you have completed? We have rebuilt the greens; regrassed fairways and greens; reconstructed bunkers and added new drainage, “ As someone who has spent most of his career focused on restoring, it was very gratifying to create something new” Jim Nagle has balanced restoration and renovation elements for his work at both Philadelphia CC and Meridian Hills CC. Q&A with Jim Nagle Bunkers at Philadelphia CC have been rebuilt closer to Flynn’s original style and now feature Better Billy Bunker liner Photo: Mottin Golf Renovations 20
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