Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

Bergin focuses on visuals at Raynor’s Minnesota Valley

Golf course architect Bill Bergin is under way with a new phase of work at the 1924 Seth Raynor golf course at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington.

Duininck Golf first began construction on a first phase in 2017, following Bergin’s completion of a master plan that focused on highlighting Raynor’s design and included reintroducing a number of template holes.

Duininck project manager Paul Deis said: “We are executing phase two of the master plan; completely rebuilding the third and fourth holes, installing new irrigation, linking the fairways on holes 16 and 17 while also adding new bunkers with liners, and adding new bunkers and tee complexes on a handful of other holes.”

Punchbowl shaping is being introduced to the third green, which has been relocated to the right, and work on the fourth green will see a steep drop-off to the right added, along with new greenside bunkers.

Bergin is focusing on improving visuals, particularly on the seventeenth and eighteenth fairways. “Bill puts a lot of thought into the strategy of the game for every level of golfer, focusing on creating fair and fun challenges,” said Deis. “Here you can see the shots he wants you to hit, and the genius in Seth’s original design. But you still must hit those shots.

“Bill knows exactly what he wants the final product to look like. And he does a great job of laying out every feature for us and then working closely step by step to complete that vision.”

Judd Duininck, general manager at Duininck Golf, said: “We knew the project was going to be a hit with the membership from day one. At times it can be hard for a club to shut down their entire golf course to complete everything that they want to get completed.” Referring to the first phase of work, he said: “The club saw and got to experience what we knew going in was going to be spectacular all along.”

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  • Minnesota Valley
    Duininck Golf

    Bill Bergin is renovating the Seth Raynor layout at Minnesota Valley in Bloomington

  • Minnesota Valley
    Duininck Golf

    Rebuilding work on the par-four Narrows hole

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Duininck Golf
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