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

Bobby Weed renovates Championship course at Grandfather G&CC

Bobby Weed Golf Design has completed a three-year renovation project on the Championship course at Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, North Carolina.

Located in a valley between two mountain ridges, the club has two golf courses originally designed by Ellis Maples. The Championship course was laid out in 1968 and the Mountain Springs layout in 1977.

“My past conversations with golf course architect Ed Seay – who mentored under Ellis Maples and served as the on-site project manager – assisted our firm in understanding Maples’ true design objectives,” said Weed, who has provided consulting services and developed master plans for both courses over the years. “Seay also revealed how challenging the golf course construction was in difficult mountain conditions. From those discussions, we have upheld their design philosophies, while improving upon the golf course’s infrastructure, maintenance and aesthetics.”

Construction work, which took place during each autumn and spring from 2019 to 2022, involved rebuilding fairway bunkers on holes eight, ten, eleven and eighteen for improved maintainability and visual contrast.

Tees on the eleventh hole were shifted to the left for a new playing angle and sightlines for drives. A new tee complex was built on the sixteenth to add length and reduce the severity of the dogleg down to a treacherous creek bed.

Work to improve drainage and playability has seen diversion swales reinstalled on the high sides of many holes to better contain surface runoff. Herringbone drainage systems were also installed in every fairway to promote firm playing conditions. Both the diversion swales and drainage systems now convey water into a new primary storm drain that features new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.

“Ongoing golf course infrastructure improvements are imperative to maintaining our high standards,” said John Cunningham, general manager of Grandfather Golf & Country Club. “We are appreciative of Bobby Weed Golf Design for their long-term relationship and commitment to our club.”

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  • Grandfather
    Bobby Weed Golf Design

    Bobby Weed has completed a three-year renovation of the Championship course at Grandfather Golf & Country Club in North Carolina

  • Grandfather
    Bobby Weed Golf Design

    Construction work took place during each autumn and spring from 2019 to 2022

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Bobby Weed Golf Design
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