Weed and MacCurrach also transformed the coastal layout in 2007
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Bobby Weed Golf Design and MacCurrach Golf Construction have successfully completed a nine-month modernization of the Lagoon Course at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. Previously renovated by Weed and MacCurrach in 2007, the tandem used their intimate knowledge of the property to restore Weed’s design and upgrade critical infrastructure, turfgrass varieties, playability and agronomic efficiencies.
“Led by Herbert Peyton, chairman of Gate Petroleum, the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club has entrusted our firm for nearly 30 years to guide the evolution of the Ocean and Lagoon Courses,” said golf course architect, Bobby Weed. “The Lagoon’s shorter layout, with numerous half-par holes, offers a diverse, faster playing experience that perfectly complements the bolder Ocean Course.”
Pictured (left to right) are Michael Gordon, Jeff Hanson, Herbert Peyton, Joey Graziani and Joey Flinchbaugh on the first tee of the Lagoon Course at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.
The front nine was designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1961. The back nine was added by Joe Lee in 1978. In 2007, Weed redesigned and lengthened the par 70 layout to 6,025 yards. The following elements were included in Weed’s latest project at the AAA Five-Diamond Resort:
Greens
All golf course and practice greens (20 total) were rebuilt to USGA standards and grassed with TifEagle bermudagrass. Original green sizes were restored. Intricate contouring was enhanced to accommodate modern day green speeds. New irrigation surrounds on all green complexes were added to more efficiently control and manage watering inputs.
Grassing
Tees, fairways and roughs were re-grassed wall-to-wall with TifTuf bermudagrass. The bright green characteristic of the turf provides a striking contrast alongside the native coquina shell areas that flank the edges of many holes.
Bunkers
Bunkers were restored to their original flat-bottomed design. New drains, liners and sand were installed throughout the golf course.
Practice Facility
Adjacent to the first tee, the practice putting green was significantly enlarged. The chipping green was re-designed and lowered to better maximize the overall utilization of the playing area.
“Following his award-winning renovations to the Ocean Course in 1998 and 2020, Bobby was our first call when it became time to modernize the Lagoon Course,” said Jeff Hanson, director of golf at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. “On-going infrastructure improvements are critical to maintaining our high standards. We appreciate Bobby Weed Golf Design for their decades-long relationship and personal commitment to our club.”
Joey Flinchbaugh, director of agronomy of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, also assisted the Lagoon Course renovation by overseeing construction and managing the turfgrass grow-in. His efforts provide outstanding day-to-day conditioning of both courses.
About Bobby Weed Golf Design
Bobby Weed Golf Design (BWGD) possesses some of the most innovative minds in golf. Bobby Weed has designed over 50 new courses and comprehensive renovations spanning from the “golden age” of design to the “modern era.” His work features a balance of visual appeal, sustainability and playability, all informed by an environmentally sensitive aesthetic and an exceptional hands-on approach.
His professional career began in the 1970s with an extended apprenticeship under Pete Dye, sparking a 40-year friendship with Mr. Dye. Hired in 1983 as the Golf Course Superintendent at TPC Sawgrass, Weed went on to become the PGA TOUR’s first in-house golf course architect. He was responsible for many of today’s best known TPC venues, which continue as host sites for prominent professional events. In 1994, Weed’s career reached new heights with the formation of his own design firm. Both his original and renovated courses are consistently ranked at the top of their respective design categories.
BWGD is also a leader in golf course repurposing – a means to update layouts through redesign and reallocation of partial acreage for higher value land uses – which results in successful, refined and durable golf course designs.
Weed is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. He is also a 40-plus year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, was a former Certified Golf Course Superintendent and is a member of the Florida Turfgrass Association.
More information: bobbyweed.com, 904.910.2876
