North Ridge Country Club in Fair Oaks, California, USA, has reopened its William F. Bell-designed golf course following a renovation project by Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II).

“Our objective was to restore the legacy of this classic, strong golf course,” said Robert Trent Jones, Jr., chairman of RTJ II. “The success of this project resulted from our regard for the history and tradition of the club and its passionate membership.”

The project team included Mike Gorman, a project architect at RTJ II and native of the Sacramento area, who competed in school competitions at North Ridge Country Club.

“The big picture was to return the golf course to its heart and soul,” said Gorman. “We preserved the rhythm and flow of the routing while relocating bunkers to more strategic places and shaping the greens with more space and contours. The golf course now has more variety and a lot of different options for shot variety.”

North Ridge Country Club was originally designed by William F. Bell, under the direction of his father, William Park ‘Billy’ Bell. The first nine holes were completed in 1954, the second nine in 1955.

“We embraced the original characteristics of the golf course, while creating new strategy and a new golf experience that is more playable,” said Bruce Charlton, president and chief design officer at RTJ II. “It remains a great walking course, which contributes to North Ridge being a true golfer’s club.”

The renovation project began in late 2016 and the majority of the construction work was completed in 2017, with the official unveiling taking place on 24 June 2018.