(Hole 18 | Photo courtesy of Awbrey Glen Golf Club)
In partnership with world renowned golf course architect, David McLay Kidd of DMK Golf Design, Awbrey Glen Golf Club has launched the next phase of its Golf Course Master Plan. Adopted in the spring of 2011, the Master Plan has provided the Club a comprehensive and exciting blueprint for the future of the golf course.
The first elements the Club chose to address in 2011 were turf health and golf course playability. This was accomplished by removing trees from playing areas and expanding fairways through mowing pattern changes. These initial actions resulted in vastly improved turf quality and widened playing areas for golfers.
The extensive nature of the Master Plan aims to improve sight lines, aesthetics and strategy to restore and improve elements affected by the initial alterations. These actions are helping Awbrey Glen reach its goals of upgrading golf course playability for all golfers and furthering the Club’s evolution toward being the premier private club in Central Oregon.
Construction is now underway and Ridgetop Golf, a leading golf construction company in the Pacific NW for over 30 years, is implementing the next round of modifications. To date, all bunker shaping, drainage, and sod installation has been completed. Sand will be installed in the bunkers in June — just in time for the official summer season to begin.
Critical to successfully implementing the Master Plan, is Kyle Watt, who joined the Awbrey Glen team as Golf Course Superintendent in early January 2017. Prior to joining Awbrey Glen, Kyle was Superintendent of the Fazio course at Pronghorn and has extensive experience in golf course maintenance throughout Oregon and Washington. Coming out of a difficult winter, Awbrey Glen’s course “wintered” very well. Kyle knew what the challenges were and took a proactive approach to maintain the course. “We have a great team in the Golf Maintenance Department. Their hard work and effort helped the course open as soon as possible. We went into winter with healthy turf and that helped us get through the irregular late winter conditions”, states Kyle.
Out on the course, member enthusiasm and excitement is high. Since the project started, overwhelming member support has grown as they began to see the vision, play the course, and realize the incredible transformation.
To view the construction in progress and updated images of the course, visit awbreyglen.com/club/scripts/library/view_document.asp?NS=GO&DN=pr.
