COVER |
CROSSWINDS GOLF COURSE
Taking a mulligan Crosswinds Golf Course gets a new owner and a major do-over WORDS BY LAURA HAIGHT | PHOTO BY WILL CROOKS
18
UBJ | 10.12.2018
“I
sn’t it beautiful?” Davis Sezna is standing on a small elevation overlooking the carefully manicured swales and swells of the Crosswinds Golf Course. He points to a distant spot: “See those railroad ties? What does that say to you?” he asks, waiting patiently for the answer. “Pete Dye,” he prompts. “That’s his signature.” Dye, Hall of Fame golf course architect of some of the bestknown and most-challenging courses in the world (TPC Sawgrass, Harbour Town, and Blackwolf Run, to name a few), designed the ninth hole at this unassuming par-3 course, tucked away at 611 Villa Road, behind the Greenville Downtown Airport. And that’s not the only surprise about Crosswinds, nor is it the only surprise in store for Greenville if Sezna, golf-hospitality impresario and the course’s new owner, executes his vision. Crosswinds is one of a kind among U.S. courses, according to Golf Digest. Each hole was designed by a different architect, many among the most renowned in the world, including Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Robert Cupp, and Jay Haas. The elevations are also surprising: A distinct improvement over the usual flat and — yes — boring layouts most golfers expect from par-3 courses. But Sezna, who has designed by his count “more than 50 concepts” in his career, sees so much more. He’s working with Greenville architects DP3 to turn the concept to a reality. When the club opens in spring 2019, the most obvious change will be the clubhouse. The old whiteand-green clapboard building is set to be demolished (pending permitting approval), and replaced with a new stone-and-glass 4,500-square-foot facility that will include a 100-seat restaurant and bar, a 450-square-foot open patio, and a rooftop bar and seating area (observation deck), with a small hitting area where happy hour guests can vie for a closest-to-the-pin challenge for $5