Architect says his focus will be to improve the playability, strategy and maintenance of bunkers
By Laura Hyde |
Raymond Hearn is to create a renovation masterplan for Oakland University’s Katke-Cousins course in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
The course was originally created by Michigan-based designer Bill Newcomb and Indiana-based architect Robert Beard and opened for play in 1977.
The renovation will focus on bunkers to “increase each hole’s strategy, shot value, playability and beauty while also addressing all maintenance considerations,” said Hearn. “As a company we practice sympathetic restoration with conventional renovation and that fits with the Katke-Cousins course, which has long been highly regarded. I’m excited to work with a talented group at a place where the ancient glacier did a beautiful job as the land is spectacular and perfectly suited for golf.”
Hearn was selected largely due to his reputation and body of work in Michigan. “We’re honoured to have him touch up our classic golf course and make Katke even better than it is,” said Nick Pumford, general manager at Katke-Cousins. “Hearn is the best fit for what we have here, and he understands what we want to accomplish. We have bunkers on the Katke course that are 20 years old with drainage issues making them hard to maintain. That kickstarted our conversation. It was, do we replace the drainage and keep the infrastructure, or while doing construction, enhance the bunkers and the golf course at the same time? Outside a full renovation, bunkers are the biggest way to enhance a golf course, and Ray has accomplished the kind of things we want here for a number of other great golf courses.”
Connor McBride, golf course superintendent at Katke-Cousins, added: “Some of us who are in our leadership group here have played the courses where Hearn has worked and we see why he has a great track record not only in Michigan, but in Illinois and the Midwest. Also, him having a turfgrass background and understanding maintenance as part of his design work, is great on my end, especially at a facility where we have a large property with 36 holes that have to be maintained.”
The renovation is expected to begin in October 2027 once Hearn has developed his masterplan and has been approved by the university.