Members will experience an elevated practice experience with an expanded footprint alongside a reimagined signature hole
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla – NMP Golf is wrapping up a summer of work at Frenchman’s Creek Beach and Country Club, a highly recognized private community in Florida’s Palm Beach area. When the season begins in a few weeks, returning members will find exciting new additions to their golf experience.
The stunning par-3 9th hole on the community’s South Course is now more breathtaking—and engaging—than ever after golf course architects Fry/Straka’s alterations to the green, tees, and the large lake between them.
“There isn’t a part of the hole that we didn’t touch,” explained Darryl Bartlett, Senior Manager & Chief Development Officer of NMP Golf Construction. “We added bulkhead walls around the green and extended the wall, so it encompasses more of the teeing area, as well. But we also varied the height of the wall as it meanders, which makes it look very cool.”
The signature 9th hole—which plays from 66 yards to 165-plus and features a guarding bunker just beyond the lake—is also a fan favorite because it sits just below the newly constructed Clubhouse, putting on a show for diners and spectators on the outside mezzanine as groups of golfers come through.
“It came out sweet,” said Bartlett. “It’s a showpiece.”
It’s also a valuable environmental upgrade to the property. Enlarging the lake in both depth and overall footprint creates extra water capacity, which will be used in irrigation. And the approximately 40,000 cubic yards of material extracted from the lake has been used in the club’s other significant off-season addition—the practice area.
In completely rebuilding both the main driving range and an expanded short-game practice area, NMP Golf used what it took out of the lake to build a long berm along the East side of the range, which runs along Tournament Drive, the Club’s main entrance way.
“The berm now shields the view in both directions—screening cars from golfers and reducing the distraction for players who were seeing constant movement or worrying about errant shots heading that way,” Bartlett explained. “We landscaped it to make it more attractive and, in effect, even taller. We also added a berm at the back of the range; I don’t think anyone is getting past it unless they can carry the ball 350 yards in the air!”
The revamped 9th hole and the practice area will open to members later this fall.
“It has been an honor to work with such a great team of professionals throughout the project. The anticipation is building at the Club, and I can’t wait to open the areas for our members to enjoy,” said William Schmit, Director of Agronomy at Frenchman’s Creek.
About NMP Golf Construction
NMP Golf Construction specializes in golf course renovation, restoration, drainage, irrigation, shaping, and infrastructure work for private clubs, resort courses, and tournament venues throughout the U.S. The company partners with architects, owners, agronomy teams, and project stakeholders to deliver technically complex golf course projects with precision, efficiency, and respect for each property’s design intent. www.nmpgolf.com
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