Three teams will compete to redesign City Park Golf Course in Denver

Three well-known golf design firms will compete to redesign Denver’s City Park Golf Course, according to a report by the Denver Post.

The report says that the likely bid teams, which the city will invite to respond to a formal request for proposals in mid-January, are Landscapes Unlimited and Robert Trent Jones II (the Palo Alto, Calif.-based designer of Beaver Creek Golf Club); Saunders Construction and iCon Golf Studio (the Broomfield-based designer of the new Glacier Club in Durango); and SEMA Construction and DYE Designs (the Englewood-based designer of Copper Mountain’s Copper Creek Golf Club).

The redesign forms part of the ‘Platte to Park Hill’ project which aims to create a new stormwater detention area to temporarily hold and slow floodwaters during major storms – helping to protect some of the city’s most at-risk neighbourhoods from flooding. Outside of storms, the area will remain a dry, fully-functioning golf course.

“This new water detention area will help us manage and control the flow of stormwater through this part of town and is absolutely essential to reducing flood risks to residents and business owners,” said Lesley Thomas, city engineer and deputy manager for Denver Public Works in a press release. “The Platte to Park Hill: Stormwater Systems programme, as a whole, will help us address widespread drainage challenges on Denver’s east side, while providing new neighbourhood amenities including better east-west connectivity, and a strong backbone for future storm system improvements.”

“This is an important step in helping protect some of our city’s most at-risk communities from flooding,” said Jennifer Hillhouse, the city’s Platte to Park Hill: Stormwater Systems project manager. “As we initiate the design process, we will work very closely with the community to ensure that the design reflects the input of the nearby community and golfers alike.”

Another news release says a selection panel made up of city staff, community members, and golf and technical experts narrowed the list of teams that expressed formal interest in the project. “City Park Golf Course is one of the city’s most beloved and enjoyable golf courses,” Parks and Recreation executive director Happy Haynes said in the release. “The talent and experience represented on these teams will ensure that City Park Golf Course continues to be one of Denver’s crown jewels for years to come.”