The Woodlawn Golf Club is closing in on the final design stages of a planned reconstruction of the back nine holes.
The latest designs will be presented to the membership during the annual general meeting at the clubhouse on Feb. 28. Jim Wilson, the club president, said there will be some discussion with the members about the latest drawings and then the specifics of the hole-by-hole design will be laid out for final approval in the spring. The club requires the membership of 530 golfers to give its approval for the project's budget and final hole designs.
As for when the work will begin on the road to reshaping the closing holes, Wilson said construction could begin later this year.
"The absolute earliest concept would be late fall of '11, and there is some pre-work that can be done. That's something again that would have to be determined the tentative plan would be to begin the major construction in the fall, and they are telling us the course should be ready in June or July the following year."
From an economics point of view, he said they are trying to determine what is best for the club, with a goal to not greatly affect the cost to members. He added Woodlawn presently has one of the most economically sound memberships in the province and they intend to keep it that way.
"I'd like to think that the executive of Woodlawn is pretty fiscally responsible. We've done the clubhouse project, and that's our No. 1 goal, to ensure the membership understands how that will affect (them) and what the costs are and that we can come in without causing financial burden to the club."
Architect Les Furber, who designed the original front nine in 1986, also had a design layout for the back. He was chosen to fulfil those plans for the golf club.
"At that time in 1986 he also had a tentative design for the back nine, and that's been the design we've been working off of. So there are some minor changes to that one in 1986, but there are some similarities to it also," Wilson said.
If work does begin this fall, he noted causing problematic play for golfers this year is not something they want to do.
"If there was anything done this fall, it would be done with the intent to not affect play. Our intent this year is to not have any interrupted golf throughout the year."
He expects a finance committee will be formed shortly, that will look at the costs. Once the final costs have been sorted out, they will make decisions as to when the work is most affordable.
The changes will be significant, said Wilson, noting the greens will match much better when it comes to design and grass types, which are presently different.
"We're regarding it as a re-construction, and it is basically completing a project that was started in 1986 and never finished."
There was always a plan to establish those back nine holes a few years after the course opening in 1986, but issues caused that to not happen.
"(The changes are) part of what we called a multi-phased facility upgrade plan that was implemented, as the clubhouse was done first and this was always intended to be done following it."
The outdated irrigation system was replaced a couple of years ago on the front nine, while the back nine system was deferred until the plans for revamping the back would be executed as well. This will leave the club in a good position for many years to come, Wilson said.
"There won't be any need for any major construction or upgrades for quite a while."
Wilson expects an increase in yardage to the course, something he said most courses are doing to keep up with the new technologies in clubs and balls, which allow golfers to strike the ball farther than ever before. An expansion to the practice facility is also proposed.
Some holes will remain mostly intact, but a few interesting new holes will be added, he said.
They have also gotten the architect involved in assisting them with a master plan for the whole course.
"Any future redesign or things for the front nine; he's basically helping us create a master plan."
The annual general meeting will be held on Feb. 28 at the Estevan Woodlawn Clubhouse at 7:30 p.m. where the proposed designs will be laid out for all the members to see.
