Legacy Golf Course at the 19 in Iowa has opened following Kevin Norby’s renovation of the former Mason City Country Club layout. Norby was appointed in 2008 to prepare a long-range masterplan for Mason City’s 1915 Tom Bendelow design, with the aim of improving conditions and addressing flooding issues. “For the next 16 years, the club struggled to find the resources to make any of the proposed improvements,” said Norby. The club’s financial issues continued until 2022, when local automotive business owner Joe Pritchard – whose companies include Streetrod Golf Cars – purchased Mason City with a goal of rescuing the ailing course. Norby finalised his original plan, which included reinforcing the course’s Golden Age character, instilling more strategy and helping the course drain quicker. “Approximately 400 acres of farmland to the west of the course drains into a narrow area about 100 feet wide on the fourth hole,” said Norby. “Similarly, around 300 acres to the south drains into the third hole. The water converges and runs across the entire golf course before exiting the property to the east of thirteen. Depending on the intensity, even a modest rain event would often flood the course, causing the course to close for a day or two until carts could be used again.” Duininck Golf began construction in December 2022 with the installation of two 36-inch trunk drainage pipes. The contractor returned a year later to build two large ponds and then in spring 2024 began renovating bunkers with liner from Better Billy Bunker, tees and greens. “The greens on one, two and ten were reconstructed by stripping the turf from the existing putting surfaces and reinstalling it on top of a 12-inch deep rootzone mix. Construction of the new greens also allowed us to enhance some of the characteristic false fronts and reinstate some of the square corners and pin positions that had been lost over time.” The project included the construction of 24 new bunkers, some of which were the reinstatement of hazards removed decades ago. “We also repositioned fairway bunkers to make them more relevant for today’s golfer and installed a new irrigation system, relocated the maintenance facility and constructed a new clubhouse,” said Norby. “This was not intended as a strict restoration but rather a renovation directed at modernising the course while respecting and enhancing the classic character of the original layout.” COURSE BLUEPRINT The Legacy at 19 At the fifth, a 115-yard par three, Norby realigned tees and rebuilt the greenside bunkers Photos: Patrick Jacobsen TEE BOX 28 The par-five sixth, with three new fairway bunkers on the inside of the dogleg
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