RENOVATION RUNDOWN THE BREAKERS (OCEAN COURSE), PALM BEACH FL BY JOHN “JAY” SMITH, III
GCBAA INDEPENDENT AFFILIATE
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ALM BEACH, FL - With the Summer Meeting in Nashville behind us, and GCBAA’s South Florida Regional Meeting now in focus, we take a look into the renovation of The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, FL. The Breakers, whose Ocean Course is currently under complete renovation, will host the Association’s annual meeting on December 11th & 12th. CT Shaw, South Atlantic Regional Manager for Landscapes Unlimited, sat down with the GCBAA to discuss the project. In late April this year, ground broke on the full, 18hole renovation. The Breakers Resort has employed Steve Weiss with Rees Jones Inc., along with GCBAA charter member Landscapes Unlimited, to complete this extensive renovation. Mark Reid, CGCS, is the Director of Agronomy at the Breakers Resort. “He is extraordinary at what he does, and his cooperation has been exceptional,” says Shaw, who spoke very highly of Mark. CT also mentioned Eric Barnes, who has done a phenomenal job as the Construction Superintendent. Shaw describes this renovation as “tee to green — wall
to wall.” All course features, drainage, and cart-path have been redesigned by Weiss, with Dave Ragan spearheading irrigation design. Playability and sustainability are the priorities of this renovation, and these goals are sure to be met. Over the years, LU and Rees Jones Inc. have built a solid relationship — collaborating on a number of projects over the years! Other GCBAA members involved in this project are The Toro Company, Capillary Concrete, LLC, and Mark Rownd with The Cart Path Company. This is a true testament to “Buying From Within!” The Breakers and LU hope to have the renovation complete and the Ocean Course open for play sometime around the new year. We thank The Breakers for entrusting GCBAA members, and look forward to seeing the work done by Rees Jones Inc., Landscapes Unlimited, and all those involved. Be sure to mark your calendars for the South Florida Regional Meeting at The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, December 11th-12th. We look forward to seeing you there!
GCBAA Earth Shaping News | 3RD Quarter 2018 21