COURSE + GROUNDS
A Better
Half
A complete, $6.3 million renovation to The Oaks Club’s Heron Course, one of two 18-hole golf courses at the property on the southwest Florida coast, has resulted in significantly improved playability and greater ability to withstand the whims of Mother Nature. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor
POOR DRAINAGE, REPEATED THREATS OF severe weather, and an amenity in decline created the perfect storm that prompted The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla., about 12 miles south of downtown Sarasota, to renovate its Heron Course, one of two 18-hole layouts at the property. “We had an aging asset that didn’t reflect our brand,” says General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Hartigan, CCM, CCE. “We wanted to update it so that members could enjoy it a lot more.” The Oaks Club certainly appears to have accomplished what it set out to do, and more. Since that $6.3 million renovation project, which began in August 2014 and was completed in November 2016, the Heron Course has received strong reviews from the membership for how it offers improved playability. At the same time, it has weathered severe threats that have since been posed by tropical storms and Hurricane Irma. 38
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October 2019
ALL WET Prior to the renovation, playing conditions of the Heron Course, which was 31 years old by the time the project was finished, left much to be desired. The golf course had major infrastructure problems caused by poor surface and subsurface drainage; an old, inadequate irrigation system; and poorly constructed greens and bunkers. “Drainage was a big issue with the rainfall we get in Florida,” says Hartigan, who has been at The Oaks Club for seven years. “A lot of water accumulated after it rained, and flooding would lead to long delays and lots of labor and cleanup. The flooding also went into neighboring yards.” Director of Green and Grounds Nick Kearns, who has been at the property for six years, agrees. “The course stayed extremely wet, and water was slow to run off,” he adds. In addition, the age of the soil profile was problematic. www.clubandresortbusiness.com
10/1/19 9:26 AM