PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (July 9, 2018) – The golf course at Cobblestone Creek Country Club, in Lawrenceville, NJ, recently renovated and repurposed by Bobby Weed Golf Design, reopened for play to members June 30, preceded by an official ribbon-cutting June 29. The redesigned golf course is the crown jewel in a comprehensive initiative to transform and revitalize what had become a stagnant and aging facility.
The genesis of the project was the creation of a 14-acre infill development parcel identified by Bobby Weed Golf Design. As the result of a multi-million-dollar transaction, a national homebuilder will develop the land with 97 townhome units. Each household will become at minimum a social member of Cobblestone Creek Country Club, offering an ongoing revenue stream for the club.
“The best golf design happens in the field, but it shows up on the bottom line as well,” commented Bobby Weed. “It’s very gratifying that our creativity helped provide the financial spark for this transformative project.
“Seeing the results, I’m certain a number of private clubs could benefit from the progressive thinking employed at Cobblestone Creek.”
In recapitalizing the club’s balance sheet, the land sale triggered comprehensive improvements to the entire golf course, including seven new holes and the relocated practice area. It also allowed for significant renovations to the clubhouse, the addition of an outdoor dining area and the creation of a new pool complex. Over 50 new members have already joined the club.
“Bobby Weed and his partner, Chris Monti, have created a modern-day golf course within a mature setting while preserving the traditional feel,” said Michael LaBrutto, PGA Head Professional at Cobblestone Creek. “And we now have one of the best driving ranges in Mercer County because Bobby Weed had the foresight to say, ‘This is where the range will go’ – on a parcel of seven acres tucked away off the beaten track, covered with trees.
“It was a surprise to me.”
Established in 1938, Cobblestone Creek (formerly known as Greenacres Country Club), just minutes from Princeton, NJ, is a private full-service club featuring an 18-hole golf course originally designed by Devereaux Emmet and redesigned by George Fazio in 1971.
Bobby Weed Golf Design was selected for the innovative renovation and repurposing project due to the firm’s unique expertise in both golf course design and land development.
Total Turf Golf Services, from Philadelphia, was the golf course contractor and George Ley Company was the irrigation contractor.
About Bobby Weed Golf Design
Acclaimed golf course designer Bobby Weed specializes in design, renovation and repurposing. His work features a balance of visual appeal, sustainability and playability, all informed by an environmentally-sensitive aesthetic and an exceptional hands-on, holistic approach.
Weed began his professional career with an extended apprenticeship with Pete Dye, launching a collaboration of over 35 years’ duration and a lifelong friendship. Hired in 1983 by the PGA Tour as the Golf Course Superintendent at TPC Sawgrass, Weed went on to become the Tour’s in-house designer from 1987-1996. He was responsible for the design of many of today’s best-known TPC venues, which continue as host sites for prominent Tour events.
Weed also was able to collaborate with many of golf’s most familiar names, including Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, Jerry Pate and Chi Chi Rodriguez – a rare cross section of experience.
In 1994, Weed’s career reached an apex with the formation of his own design firm, where he continues to “handcraft” golf courses. Today, Bobby Weed Golf Design has amassed an impressive list of new and renovated courses that consistently are ranked at the top of their respective categories, including The Olde Farm Golf Club, Spanish Oaks Golf Club, The Golf Course at Glen Mills, Medalist Golf Club and Timuquana Country Club.
Bobby Weed Golf Design also is a leader in golf course repurposing – a means to update layouts through redesign and reallocation of partial acreage for higher value land uses. Repurposing helps clubs and communities preserve golf while surmounting economic and other challenges. Weed’s skill, vision and business acumen coalesce to result in successful, refined and durable golf course design.
Bobby Weed is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. He also is a 40-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.
For more information on Bobby Weed Golf Design, see bobbyweed.com.
Contact:
Sally J. Sportsman
407-248-1144
sjsport@earthlink.net
