Willow Oaks Country Club, a private golf and country club located in Richmond, Virginia, recently completed a comprehensive renovation of its golf course. Construction began on January 8, 2007, and was completed in December, 2007. The course reopened for play in June 2008. The renovation coincided with the celebration of the Club's 50th Anniversary and was the first comprehensive renovation of the course since it opened in 1959. Due to considerable interest in the renovation by virtue of the course having served for many years as host to the Virginia State Open, this information about the renovation is being made available to the general public.

    The original routing of the course was preserved to retain the easily walkable nature of the course. Although the original routing was maintained, several greens were moved slightly or reoriented - most notably the 7^th and 17^th greens - to add strategic and visual interest. Major elements of the renovation included improvements to drainage; enlargement of teeing areas; rebuilding of all greens; select clearing of trees with an emphasis on highlighting specimen willow oak trees on the property; regrading and sodding of all fairways; the addition of numerous fairway bunkers; removal of existing cart paths and installation of new 8' wide concrete paths; and installation of a new pump station and irrigation system.

    A major requirement of the project's design was to engineer a solution for the severe drainage problem which plagued the course for many years. Given its location in the flood plain of the James River, the lower nine holes of the course in particular were extremely flat prior to the renovation, as can be seen in photos of the 5^th and 16^th holes taken prior to construction. The lack of elevation changes across most of the course posed serious design challenges.

    Golf Course Architect Lester George and his Design Associate Glenn Muckley ultimately devised a complex system incorporating new and existing water features to overcome the design challenges. A large new pond was created between holes 4 and 7 and two existing ponds were enlarged. A stream connecting the ponds was created and meanders throughout the lower nine holes of the course. Using the fill removed in creation of the water features, fairways around the course were elevated significantly to assist in moving water away from playing areas of the course. In regrading the fairways George also created subtle contours to add movement and interest to holes.

    The improved drainage is expected to aid not only in maintaining healthier turf and more enjoyable playing conditions during typical weather cycles but also in moving water off the course more quickly after flood events. Floods occur with some regularity on the course – as frequently as two to three times in a typical year – causing lower holes on the course to be closed for up to a week at a time depending on the extent of flooding.

    The Willow Oaks property was used as a quarry until the late 1800's. During the renovation, large quantities of quarried rock were uncovered. These native materials were incorporated into the course design in the form of attractive rock walls at holes 1, 4, 7, 9, 17, and 18 as well as for highlighting various features around the course.

Architect

    The design for the Willow Oaks' renovation was done by Lester George, principal architect of George Golf Design. Also located in Richmond, George Golf Design is the only golf course architectural firm based in Virginia. Golf courses designed and renovated by George have received numerous awards, including the designation of his Kinloch Golf Club layout as #29 in Golf Digest magazine's prestigious list of America's 100 Greatest Courses. His renovation of the Greenbrier Resort's Old White Course was selected by Golf Digest as the Best New Public Course Remodel for 2007. George is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA). Admission to the ASGCA is one of the highest honors available for American course architects and is granted only after a rigorous peer review of the architect's body of work.

Renovation Superintendent

    The Golf Course Superintendent during renovation was Craig Fuller. Fuller is a Class A member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and has obtained certification by the GCSAA as a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS). Fewer than 10% of the 21,000 worldwide members of GCSAA have achieved CGCS certification. Fuller has over twenty years experience in golf course management, including original and renovation construction at four courses prior to his involvement in the Willow Oaks project. He has been involved in the golf course maintenance business in one fashion or another since his childhood years – his father is also a golf course superintendent with over 40 years in the business.

    The current Superintendent at Willow Oaks is Eric Frazier. Frazier came to Willow Oaks from the Country Club of Virginia, where he was superintendent in charge of the Club's Westhampton Course.

Construction Company

    Construction on the Willow Oaks renovation project was done by Landscapes Unlimited. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Landscapes Unlimited has been involved in the construction or renovation of many of the most prominent golf courses in the United States and around the world. Since its formation in 1976, Landscapes has been chosen multiple times as the National Golf Course Builder of the Year by Golf Course News, a leading trade magazine for the industry. Landscapes employs a professional staff of more than 1,000 in peak season and builds more than 35 golf courses each year from coast to coast.

Specifications

• Greens: A1/A4/G2 bentgrass blend
• Fairways: TifSport bermuda grass
• Bunker surrounds: Celebration bermuda grass
• Rough: Fescue
• Bunker sand: YBD
• Irrigation design: Mike Pignato
• Sprinkler heads: Toro
• Pumps/Pump Station: Flowtronex; 1600 gpm capacity