The Ford Plantation Unveils Pete Dye Golf Course Redesign

The $7 million-plus redesign of The Ford Plantation's Pete Dye-designed golf course was unveiled to national media during a November 7-8 showcase at the 1,800-acre sporting club.

The year-long project at the Richmond Hill, Ga., enclave wrapped up in September and has been open for member play since October 1. Golf Digest has already named The Ford Plantation one of its Best New Courses for 2014.

"I looked at The Ford Plantation as a unique chance and almost a blank slate," Dye said of a course he originally worked on nearly three decades ago. "We wanted to come back and make the course better, and we've done that. The Ford Plantation golf course will stand among my finest Southern designs."

To the members' delight, Dye - the only living golf architect in the World Golf Hall of Fame - was hands-on throughout the project, spending extended time on-site and hand-drawing green-complex designs in the Coastal Georgia dirt.

Originally envisioned as a restoration necessitated by infrastructure upgrades, the updating became transformational. Golf course architect Tim Liddy - a longtime Dye collaborator and confidant - helped lead the project.

"Pete is always passionate about his work, but it's obvious that he feels a special connection with The Ford Plantation," Liddy said. "It's certainly among the largest redesigns of one his courses that he's ever undertaken."

The presence of the 88-year-old Dye was viewed as a bonus by club officials, who were happy to see a legend of the game at work up close. "We're thrilled with Mr. Dye's work here and with Golf Digest's acknowledgement of The Ford Plantation Club," said CEO and general manager Nick Cassala. "The course is the latest and most visible sign of the exciting progress being made at Ford."

More than 1.7 million square feet of Celebration Bermuda sod were laid during the project, as was a combined 58 miles of drainage and irrigation pipe. Average green size was increased by 20 percent and a new high-powered storm water pump system now allows 16,000 gallons of water per minute to be moved into surrounding freshwater lakes.

The front nine retained much of its former footprint and parkland feel, though landscape changes were introduced to widen corridors and create long views, a favorite technique of Dye's. The Lowcountry links-style home half - site of a working rice fields for much of the 1800s - now includes bunkering and natural waste areas as part of an updated "high dunes" look and feel. Some 94,000 cubic yards of soil were moved during the project to achieve that result.

Dye focused on making the course more playable for members, and the new, more open layout includes generous landing areas - while retaining signature Dye elements such as pot bunkers, switchback fairways and strong-side putting surfaces. Low-handicap players will also be challenged by tees that can now stretch the layout to 7,409 yards.

"This project continues to be incredibly exciting for The Ford Plantation," said Ford Plantation Club president Paul Wickes. "Our members made the financial commitment, while taking on no long-term debt, to ensure that The Ford Plantation continues as one of the nation's leading residential communities and private sporting clubs."

The Ford Plantation partnered with MacCurrach Golf Construction to handle the redesign. It's the ninth time the Jacksonville, Fla.-based firmed has teamed with Dye on this type of project.

About The Ford Plantation

The Ford Plantation features 400 home sites nestled on 1,800 acres near Savannah, Ga. Located at the site of a former antebellum rice plantation, the waterfront property captivated the imagination of automobile magnate Henry Ford, who built a historic winter retreat on the site in the 1930s. Today, the gated, sporting community features the Pete Dye-designed golf course, an on-site day spa, a deep-water marina, equestrian center, organic garden and fitness center, as well as more than 10 miles of horse, biking and hiking trails.

For additional information, visit http://fordplantation.com.

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