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CHRIS LANG ( 2 ) |
Whitfield and Young are hopeful that member play can resume by the end of November .
Green ’ s main charge was to work from 50 yards and in on each hole . There was little interest in changing the original Fazio routing , but instead , the focus was on rebuilding — and in some cases — moving green complexes , which will now feature Pure Eclipse bentgrass , a new super heat tolerant “ cool season ” grass .
“ I think the original golf course routing was very solid , a nice mixture and variety of golf holes and distances that was routed very nicely , so it was a great canvas to work with ,” Green said . “ When it came to the green complexes , it just felt like there was a little bit of repetition in places , and the green contours were muted because there was the fear that , because of the new bentgrass they were using during the original construction , it might make green speeds untenable for some hole locations . So I really took the opportunity to add some additional contours , adjust green shapes for more variety , and provide a way where if you play the golf course every day , it kind of reveals itself in different ways and plays differently , depending on where the hole locations are .”
Young spoke of the behind-the-scene work that Robinson did before leaving his post after 25 years . Bayville has since hired Scott Mauldin , formerly of The Foundry Golf Club in Powhatan , as its director of golf
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View of the reconstructed 18th green from the terrace of the tavern . |
course operations . Robinson helped secure permits that allowed Green to move several green complexes closer to Pleasure House Creek , which runs along the north and east of the property . With that came some thinning of trees near the water , allowing not only for better aesthetic views , but for increased airflow around those greens to help keep them healthy . Mauldin started in March and continued the work Robinson started , and his day-to-day work with both Green and McDonald & Sons construction company has been key in keeping the project running smoothly . “ He ’ s on top of details ,” Young says .
Additionally , Green reimagined Bayville ’ s bunkering , both around the greens and along the fairways . Noted Young : “ You ’ ve got to tie the fairway bunkers in with the ones around the green . You can ’ t have existing fairway bunkers with a different look and feel from the new ones around the green .”
Twenty-four bunkers were removed from the course and some fairways bunkers have been moved to increase playability . Green also helped open the course up by mowing down several large waste areas , most notably along the right side of the sixth fairway . Another wrinkle — Green ’ s team added new teeing grounds on several holes to add further challenge for low-handicap players . Notable additions include new back tees on Nos . 3 , 8 , 14 and one on the par-3 16th that lengthens that hole to nearly 240 yards from the tips .
Bayville — whose membership of 300 includes professional golfer Marc Leishman , Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith and former Major League Baseball players David Wright and Michael Cuddyer — purchased 16 memberships to nearby Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club in Portsmouth
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to help its members find places to play during the shutdown . When the club reopens , not only will the members be treated to a renovated championship course , but they ’ ll find a brand new 9-hole , 17,000 square foot putting course near the pro shop and renovated tavern . Bayville also added to its extensive practice facility , lengthening the tee box on the south end of the double-sided practice range .
“ We want our members who don ’ t play golf — a spouse , a child — have something they can enjoy while they ’ re here for dinner ,” said Whitfield , who has been a Bayville member since 1998 . “ In the discussions prior to doing it , we had members come up to me and say , you know , I was just down at Sea Island or Kiawah , where they have these putting courses . Wouldn ’ t it be nice to have something like that here ?
“ So it was really kind of neat to be able to deliver something as a bonus to the members .”
Bayville was originally tabbed to host the VSGA Amateur Championship in 2022 . The renovated layout will now host the Amateur in 2027 . Though Whitfield said Bayville is thrilled to host high-level championships , he ’ s more excited to see how the membership reacts to the new layout for day-to-day play once it re-opens .
“ I can ’ t tell you how proud I was of the support of the membership here ,” he said . “ Any time you embark on a project that is going to take something away from the members , for them to step up in the way they did financially and commit themselves to this project , it was incredibly impressive .”
Whitfield and Young expect members will say the same about the renovated layout come December .
Bayville counts professional golfer Marc Leishman among its members .
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