Lester George Completes Remodel of Tornado-Damaged Cavalier G&YC


Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club, a Charles Banks masterpiece designed and opened in 1929 as a resort golf course belonging to the Cavalier Hotel, was hit by a small tornado in mid-July 2014.

The Revamped Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club

Three holes on the golf course were damaged by the storm, whose effects ranged from disturbed turf to power-line damage and loss of specimen trees that bordered the ninth hole. With roughly 20 trees lost, the problems at the ninth were addressed for safety and architectural correctness before play could resume.

The trees on the ninth hole acted as a safety screen to keep golf balls from flying off of the course and into the yards of surrounding homes. With the trees now gone, Cavalier needed an architectural solution to the former safety screen.

"This micro-burst completely decimated trees on the ninth hole, which left an alarming void in the corner of the dogleg that was sure to result in golf balls leaving the property," said John Milleson, general manager of Cavalier G&YC. "We called on Lester George to look at both short- and long-term remedies for safety and containment."

George, who performed the extensive 2002 renovation of Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club, was asked to consult with the club and provide solutions. He retrofitted a Charles Banks-style bunker to retain balls that would otherwise roll off the property, across a road, and into the residential area. The bunker has an eight-foot-tall back wall for height, and a flat bottom.

"The immediate problem was to contain as many errant tee shots as possible by relocating the old left-fairway bunker. By moving further down the hole, and adding significant height to the profile, we should be able to contain many drives hit to the left. For additional height, we plan on replanting as many as eight to 10 pines behind the bunker as soon as possible," said George.

George's 2002 renovation of Cavalier involved coring out green complexes and restoring other Charles Banks' features to the classic 6,175-yard, par-69 layout. He used the original routing - and the earliest aerial photographs available - to discern the original design.

The 2002 project was so successful it rejuvenated membership, giving Cavalier a waiting list for the first time in decades.

"I can completely point to the renovation project as our club's renaissance," noted Milleson.