Video: Prestwick Completes Notable Renovations on Several Key Holes

This past winter, Prestwick Country Club embarked on an ambitions renovations project that impacted three of its most popular holes, including Nos. 9 and 18 that parallel the lake behind its clubhouse. Prestwick Head Golf Professional Jay Smith joins us here to show us and describe what was done, and how the effort will appeal to the visiting golfer.

Jay Smith:

Behind me, I have nine green and 18 green, and you can see the bulkhead on 18 green behind me. So what we did this winter, we noticed last summer, basically we had some railroad tie walls that were originally built with the golf course when Pete and P.B. Dye designed it. And they were beginning to fail a little bit. We had some sink holes and had some railroad ties kind of fall in the water. So we decided to rebuild these holes. Hole 16, hole 9, hole 18.

We started this process back in December 2021. We rebuilt the bulkhead on 16 and what that allowed us to do, we put in treated lumber, and instead of it being built at a slant, we built it straight up. We had a marine company come in and do this work for us. They tore out the old wall, put in the new wall and when they built it straight up versus slanted, we picked up about six feet a turf, which is really good because 16’s a tough hole.

So are these (9 and 18), they both have water. And so it added a little bit more land to hopefully keep a few more balls out of the water. No guarantees, though! So on 16 we added enough land that we could make a bunker. We made a bunker that runs completely along the entire distance of the hole, which you can see in the video. So it’s keeping a few more balls out. You’re in the bunker, but it’s better than being in the water and you’re not having to drop.

So then we came to nine and 18, which are the two holes, two greens behind me, same thing. The bulkheads were starting to fail, unfortunately. And, we had the same company come in. They started mid-January once they finished the renovations on 16 and they put in treated lumber, built it straight up, they tore the old wall out. We picked up another six feet of land, just sodded that. Decided not to put in a bunker, didn’t need to make these holes any harder than they already are.

And, so now there’s more land to keep your ball out of the water and make your round much more enjoyable. Aesthetically, they’re beautiful. It’s a really nice, clean look. So on 16, where we added the bunker that I mentioned, we actually went out there and kind of hung around for a few days with some groups to see, (golfers) loved it. Said it kind of scared them a little bit the aesthetically because now you got a bunker, but they loved it. The view because the tees built up in the air and looking down on it, it really looked good. And well, as you guys just saw, we have them come through here and I was explaining to them about the bulkheads, and they all said the same thing. They look wonderful.