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

Amber Hickman
/ Categories: News

Nicklaus Design introduces more run-off areas at BallenIsles East course

BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has reopened its East course following a renovation by Nicklaus Design. 

The $6.3 million project began in April 2022 and was led by architects Chris Cochran and Chad Goetz. Their aim has been to modernise the course and practice areas whilst paying homage to the original Dick Wilson design features. 

Cochran and Goetz have updated bunkers and greens as well as regrassing the entire course. The East has also been lengthened from 7,189 to 7,474 yards. 

Cochran and Goetz also aimed to make the course more accessible for players of different abilities so some of the deeper bunkers were shallowed and run-off areas were added around fairways and greens, with natural humps and hollows providing more recovery options. 

“We first spoke about a possible East course renovation in 2020,” said Paul Stringer, president of Nicklaus Design. “To see it completed already with a very nice, expanded practice facility is just terrific!” 

The renovated practice area now includes a 65-bay two-sided range with Toptracer technology and targets, a putting green, practice bunkers and a wedge range with targets from 30 to 105 yards. The four-acre short-game area features a Snead Green putting course, plus five pitching and chipping greens. A learning centre is scheduled to be complete in April. 

The work on the East course follows a renovation of the South course by Rees Jones, which was featured in the July 2020 issue of Golf Course Architecture.  

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Slideshow HTML
  • BallenIsles Country Club
    BallenIsles Country Club

    Nicklaus Design’s Chris Cochran (centre) and Chad Goetz (centre-right) led renovation efforts on the East course at BallenIsles

  • BallenIsles Country Club
    BallenIsles Country Club

    Some of the deeper bunkers were shallowed and run-off areas were added around fairways and greens, providing more recovery options

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BallenIsles Country Club
Amber Hickman

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