Renovation Complete at Ak-Chin South Dunes Golf Club

Ak-Chin South Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz., has finished a multi-million-dollar enhancement project that has improved the playability of the course while continuing to serve as a stiff test for better players.

The work entailed a complete bunker renovation, new tees, expanded landing areas, and design improvements on several holes. Also built was a new "hybrid" practice facility, which serves as a six-hole short course called #miniDunes in the afternoon and a traditional driving range at peak times of the day.

The driving range was reconfigured with the addition of six tees and a half-dozen target greens built to USGA specifications. The name #miniDunes should appeal to younger players; it's among the first golf courses to incorporate a hashtag in its name.

"#mini Dunes will serve as our laboratory to grow the game," said Brady Wilson, the club's general manager. "We are going to use this facility to introduce new golfers, both young and old, to the game of golf."

The projects were overseen by the original architects, Schmidt-Curley Design. In all, 83,000 square feet of bunkers were removed from the course's original total of 480,000 square feet. Other improvements include significant turf expansion between many of the forward tees to eliminate unnecessary forced carries for beginners and those who "tee it forward."

The work included a re-vegetation of native grasses and many transitions between bunker edges and native desert. A new back tee was added at the first hole and forward tees were built on Nos. 6, 8, 12, 15 and 17. No. 17 also underwent a nearly full redesign with the expansion of its green, a reshaping of a large dune to open sightlines, and changes to the bunkers around the putting surface.

The Arizona Golf Association recently re-rated the course, determining that the "tips" received more difficult designations, the "black tees" remained the same and "gold, blue and white tees" received a lower course rating and Slope.

"These new ratings confirmed what we set out to do at the onset of the project - to make the golf course more playable for the average player, while maintaining and increasing our championship pedigree," added Wilson.

For more information on Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, visit www.golfsoutherndunes.com.

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