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

Renovated Dorado Beach reopens
AML
/ Categories: News

Renovated Dorado Beach reopens

The famous East course at the Dorado Beach resort in Puerto Rico has reopened after an eighteen month renovation programme led by the Robert Trent Jones II firm.

The renovation of the East course is part of a much larger programme of works at Dorado Beach, including a new Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel, a new spa and beach club, all designed by San Francisco-based SB Architects.

“Bringing the East Course back to its former grandeur is just the beginning of our complete renovation of the legendary Dorado Beach Resort,” said Eric Christensen, the resort’s CEO. “With the opening of Dorado Beach this year and a Ritz-Carlton Reserve next year, this will again be one of the world’s top resorts for golfers and guests from all around the world.”

The original Dorado Beach course was carved through tidal wetlands near the Atlantic Ocean by Robert Trent Jones Sr, and opened in 1958, and was enlarged to its current 36 hole routing in 1966. The resort also includes the Plantation Sugarcane course and Plantation Pineapple course.

“It was truly an honour to restore one of my father’s original masterpieces,” said Robert Trent Jones Jr. “The restoration of the East Course has enhanced the natural beauty, playing conditions and flexibility that my father had originally envisioned over 50 years ago.”

The project included tee adjustments for length and angle, significant pruning and removal, re-establishment of Trent Jones’s design philosophy by recapturing the original green sizes and configurations as well as implementing a return to the ‘runway tee’ style and restoring the bunkers to their original style. Some bunkers were repositioned to accommodate technological advances in modern equipment.

All eighteen greens were rebuilt and resurfaced with Champion ultradwarf bermuda, while surface drainage patterns were revised allow the course to be played quickly after rainfall.

KemperSports, which has managed Dorado Beach since 2006, oversaw construction for the 18-month restoration project. “The East Course is a true historic masterpiece,” said Kemper CEO Steve Skinner. “The restoration team has done a wonderful job in bringing the design back to its original glory.”

See the forthcoming January 2012 edition of Golf Course Architecture for a detailed article about the Dorado Beach project

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Sean Dudley

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