71 course was built with enough fill on the holes, so we didn’t have to dig any additional lakes out. We just shaped what was there to balance how we wanted it to play with making sure water moved off the holes efficiently,” explains Weisser. Fill was, however, required for one hole, as McCarthy explains: “We have an old sales centre behind the green of the third hole on the Redemption nine that we had renovated into a medical building. I couldn’t stand looking at it from the middle of the fairway, particularly as we don’t really have any homes in view on that hole. One day I was on my travels and sent a picture from hole eight at Jupiter Hills, and asked, ‘can we build a mountain to cover up that sales centre?’” After some calculations relating to the cost of truckloads of earth, the decision was made – “We now have our mountain!” says McCarthy. Greens have been designed to provide options to vary play. “They are quite large, about 6,500 square feet on average, and are made up of several flatter areas with transitions between them,” says Jones. “It maintains the interest because you have a different challenge every time you move the pin.” Bunkering was completely rethought too: “The bunkers were very flat and it was sometimes hard to recall which hole you were on,” says Weisser. “The challenge with a place that people play all the time is to name any of the 27 holes and immediately be able to visualise it. It was fun to do and Michael pushed us; every hole had to be better, and not just better than it was before. And every single homeowner has an opinion about what they are seeing – so we looked at every little detail, from visuals to how you play it and how to maintain it.” “Rees and Steve also wanted all three ninth holes to be unique,” says McCarthy. “The par-four ninth on Trepidation doesn’t have any bunkers but is a monster of a hole; on Salvation’s par-five ninth you have to carry water twice; and nine on Redemption is a short par-four where a cascading stream wraps around the green.” The project comprised two phases; with the Trepidation nine and the renovation of practice facilities completed in 2023, and the Redemption and Salvation nines in 2024. The design team also incorporated teeing areas that allow every hole to be played as a par three. “I don’t think I have had one member ask me what the final cost was, because they are so happy.” Says McCarthy. “When I arrived, this club was doing $15 million a year in business, now it’s over $50 million. The community was worth $600 million and is now worth over $2 billion. My gut tells me that we’ll be sitting here a year from now and home values will be up 20 per cent because of what Rees and Steve have done. That’s $400 million. I don’t care what we paid these guys – it was a bargain.” REPORT Photo: Gideon Heller On the third hole of the Redemption nine, truckloads of fill were used to raise the level of the hole and take a building out of view
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