17 ART SCHAUPETER Tower Tee will reopen this spring with a new range of golfing options Tower Tee in St Louis, Missouri, was a public 18-hole par-three course that closed in 2018 to make way for a planned housing development. But in 2019, the property was taken on by two new owners, Steve Walkenbach and Mike Shamia, who wanted to bring back public golf to the facility. Arthur Schaupeter was appointed as the golf architect to lead the redesign, replacing the existing layout with a nine-hole par-three course, short game area and practice range. Construction was completed in late 2021. “The anchor for the facility had been the practice range, always busy due to its location within the city and being the only nearby public golf option for a good portion of St Louis,” says Schaupeter. “The new version of the Tower Tee practice range converted what had been just an open field with yardage posts into a reshaped target-rich landing area. Multiple greens give players, at any location on the tee line, targets to play to at a variety of distances from 30 to 230 yards. The natural slope of the property was also utilised at the tee, where a two-level tee structure was built to accommodate more golfers.” The new nine-hole par-three design includes holes inspired by some of golf’s famous par threes. “This gives public golfers in St Louis a taste of world-class golf challenges at modified hole lengths,” said Schaupeter. “The nine holes play from 55 yards to 155 and sit on a beautiful, rolling 10 acres of ground. Some of the famous holes that we’ve included versions of at Tower Tee include the Redan, Biarritz, Postage Stamp and Golden Bell.” The architect also created a new 15,000-square-foot practice green, a short-game area that allows players to practice a variety of shots around two chipping greens, and a 75-yard-long pitching and chipping range. Another feature of the new practice facilities is a putting course made entirely out of artificial turf. It has nine ‘holes’ measuring 15 to 50 feet long, with each having two cup locations so players can create an eighteen-hole round. “There is a lot of golf to be accessed at this 25-acre facility right in the heart of the city,” says Schaupeter. For more on Art Schaupeter, turn to page 25 or visit www.schaupetergolf.com Maximising value Tower Tee in St Louis will open this spring following a comprehensive redesign by Art Schaupeter Photo: Tower Tee
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