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| The
story behind this course renovation was the savvy selection of new grass
by golf course superintendent Mark
Thomas and the partial course closures which enabled members to enjoy
continuous play throughout the process.
 The premier member-owned country club – home to the Gordon Lewis-designed championship golf course and an Audubon Certified Sanctuary – had benefited from a multi-million-dollar restoration in 2018. (Lewis considers Estero to be one of his best designs of all time.) “But after the renovation, the course was having problems with the Latitude 36 Bermudagrass they had selected,” said Mark. “It did not perform as well as expected. At the same time, we were experiencing poor irrigation coverage.” Mark
is a highly respected British golf course superintendent with 32 years
of experience in revitalizing golf courses around the world. He has been
recognized as something of a Golf Course Doctor. After analyzing the course,
in 2022 Mark created a plan to convert the existing irrigation to an updated
version to enable expanded water coverage. The improved irrigation system
with new heads and wiring allowed the course to receive the volume of water
and coverage they needed.
 “Mark and his team researched the best grass for our needs,” said Andrew Plesz, PGA Head Professional, “conducting several trials to ensure whatever grass was selected was the best fit. The Club’s goal was to become more environmentally sensitive and less nutrient dependent while being more conservative in the use of water and fertilizer. We knew that Bimini Bermuda turf grass would be the right fit for the future of our course from a soil composition standpoint and will help facilitate lower costs in the future.” He added, “In April 2023, the Latitude 36 was killed off. The back nine were totally closed for ten weeks starting in May to begin re-grassing with Bimini Bermuda. Next, they closed front nine and opened back nine for play while re-grassing the front nine, basically closing 9 holes at a time. The golf operation facilitated a single-tee crossover with two pins in each green; players would play a front nine pin and then replay same 9 holes to a back nine pin. To the players, it felt much like playing 18 holes.” “We have 375 golf playing memberships, about 40% of them playing year-round,” said Andrew. “Selecting the right grass and shutting down half the course at a time was a unique renovation format, enabling us to maintain the member experience while simultaneously working area water restrictions.” Selecting Bimini will help preserve water usage and save money for the Club in the long run. The total grassing and irrigation costs were just under a million dollars, but the member response was priceless. When the full course reopened in early October, the members response to the new playing conditions was highly positive, enabling Estero Country Club to continue to provide a premier playing experience in Southwest Florida for their members. Their Grand Reopening celebrated this event. If you have any questions about membership opportunities at Estero Country Club please contact Sarah Lenio, slenio@esterocc.com. About
Estero Country Club (ECC)
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Previous Release: Estero Country Club Recertified as Audubon Sanctuary (05/23/23) |
