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Sean Dudley
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Restoration of Donald Ross’s Sara Bay course to begin this month

A restoration of the Donald Ross-designed golf course at Sara Bay Country Club in Sarasota, Florida, is to get underway on 30 April.

The work is being led by Kris Spence of Spence Golf – a golf course architect with extensive experience in restoring Ross courses.

Spence will be using a series of historic Ross drawings from Sara Bay to inform his work.

“The primary focus of the project will be to restore the greens and bunkers closely to the Ross field drawings,” said Paul Barone, PGA master professional and general manager at Sara Bay. “This will include reducing crowning on the greens and tapering the approaches, as well as restoring strategic bunkering and shot angles. The restoration will also include visibility improvement of fairway bunkering, construction of five new teeing areas and enlarged practice putting and short game areas.”

“We’re very excited to revitalise our course and deliver an outstanding golf experience to all of our members and guests,” said Daren King, PGA head golf professional at Sara Bay. “Donald Ross designed a true masterpiece, and we are honored to provide a golf experience that can only come with time and tradition.”

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Slideshow HTML
  • Sara Bay

    Work will commence on the course on 30 April

  • Sara Bay

    Some of Ross’s original plans for the course will inform Spence’s work

  • Sara Bay

    Spence has drawn up plans for the Sara Bay greens using Ross’s original work

  • Sara Bay

    The course’s bunkering will also be brought more in line with Ross’s plans for the course

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