Jamestown Park Golf Course – a popular municipal golf course in Jamestown, North Carolina with more than 30,000 rounds played per year – closed in May for construction and has just re-opened for play after a major greens renovation by Golf Course Architect Lester George. The renovation included the redesign, reconstruction, and re-grassing of 19 green complexes.
The greens had not been updated in the course’s more than 40 years of operation. Many of the original greens had severe slopes that frustrated golfers, and there were very limited hole placement options. A survey of frequent players at Jamestown Park revealed that the main complaint of golfers was the excessive slope on the greens, which sometimes exceeded 7%.
George made dramatic changes to the slopes of the greens, which not only made play more enjoyably for golfers but also allowed for a much wider variety of hole placements. Drainage and irrigation improvements were also made to allow for better turf maintenance and more sustainable cultural practices for the future.
“Our focus at Jamestown Park was threefold: improving putting green functionality, maintenance sustainability, and playability,” said George. “We updated the original push-up native soil greens with Tif-Eagle Bermuda Grass, creating a better, more sustainable green. Upgrading the greens to modern standards on a very small budget underscores the fact that renovation is often a realistic possibility even when alterations might seem out of reach.”
In addition to being friendlier to the North Carolina climate, Tif-Eagle requires less water and is less susceptible to disease. The green surrounds were also re-grassed, as well as the roughs and some areas of fairways where turf was struggling.
“To touch all the greens, resurface them, and haul the dirt for the price we did it is amazing,” said Golf Course Superintendent John Crowe. “And we did it all without re-coring! Once we started talking to Lester, we knew he was the right architect. He sharpened his pencil and got it done. I don’t think we could have done this with anybody else. It was amazing! It wasn’t until the grass came in and we did the final walk-through with [golf course contractor] Shapemasters that I was able to see what Lester saw all along.”
“The thing I hear the most from players is that they love the new design of the greens. They love the surface and the ball roll, but their favorite part is the new strategy Lester provided. Players are saying Jamestown Park plays like a different golf course. I’ve always been skeptical when people say renovation will bring in more play and increase revenue,” Crowe said, “but we have been packed and booking tee times solidly until 4:00 every day! This project couldn’t have gone better, and I don’t believe I could have had a better architect or contractor.”
About Lester George: A Board member of the esteemed American Society of Golf Course Architects, internationally renowned golf course architect, Lester George, has quite a versatile resume. In addition to his award-winning new course designs, has developed a niche in renovating and restoring classic golf courses designed by some of the most revered golden age architects. He has worked on everything from plains to steep, rocky terrain to brownfield and environmentally challenging sites, including a course under which thousands of unexploded bombs were discovered once excavation began – and he has become somewhat of a master at designing practice facilities that offer a realistic experience for golfers. George’s Kinloch Golf Club is the highest ranked golf course in the history of Virginia, having won countless awards. Ballyhack Golf Club is rated # 7 in the state by Golf Digest and was on several top ten Best New Course lists. The Old White Course at The Greenbrier was honored as Golf Digest’s Best New Remodel and now hosts a PGA Tour event; the James River Course at The Country Club of Virginia was the #5 Best New Remodel; and Willow Oaks Country Club was one of Golf Digests’ Best New Remodels of 2009. Most recently, Lester’s renovation of Independence Golf Club was listed as one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 Best Remodels of 2015.
Contact:
Shannon Fisher, Vice President of Communications, George Golf Design, 804-314-3268
