Alpine Country Club wraps up renovation projects

Just as the Mountain West golf season moves into full swing, Alpine Country Club has finished numerous golf course enhancement and renovation projects.

Bunker renovations and modernizations, new cart paths, and an enlarged and improved existing practice range and putting green are among the projects at Alpine, which is located in Highland, Utah, about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. John Fought Design oversaw the project and Duininck Golf was the contractor responsible for construction. The William Neff Sr.-designed course opened in 1959, one year after the club was chartered and organized. 

Modernization of the course’s bunkers included rebuilding bunkers using the Better Billy Bunker method, which provides a technically advanced drainage and liner system while providing optimal playing conditions much deeper into the life of the bunker. Fought oversaw the repositioning of select bunkers, eliminated trees in problem areas, and added new tee boxes on holes 5, 7, 9, 12 and 14.

“The bunker renovation has really improved the look and design,” superintendent Jake Ebner said. “Having the Billy Bunker liners will give our members more consistent bunkers and greatly extend the life of the white sand. We have very rocky soils at Alpine and have dealt with a lot of rock and soil contamination in the past. The new liners will also double the life expectancy of the bunkers.”

Alpine’s practice range tee area and practice putting green were expanded to accommodate the club’s growing membership, while allowing for the use of drivers/woods from a new matted hitting area. The practice range tee area was expanded to 22,000 square feet — an increase of 37 percent — leveled and re-sodded. A new TurfHound artificial tee surface was also added to the back of the practice tee. The new 8,000 square-foot practice putting green is 78 percent larger than the previous green.

New and improved brushed concrete cart paths were also added throughout the facility and strategically re-routed to better accommodate golfers.

Alpine Country Club is managed by Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon.