Arizona Biltmore GC begins Adobe renovation

The Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix recently began an extensive renovation project on its Adobe Golf Course. Led by The Lehman Design Group and Scottsdale resident and five-time PGA Tour champion Tom Lehman, the multi-million-dollar renovation project will bring modern golf course design and water conservation technology to the 95-year-old course.

When complete, the new Adobe Course will offer golfers more variety, challenge and length, feature recontoured fairways, new greens and enhanced landscaping. The Adobe Course is expected to reopen for public and member play this fall, while the Club’s Links Course will remain open for daily play.

“It’s a pleasure and exciting to work with the JDM team to refresh one of Arizona’s most iconic and historic golf properties,” Lehman said. “The renovated Adobe course will demand a much wider variety of shots, will have more length and much improved strategy. We’re using the most efficient and highest quality modern turf to dramatically improve the ability to maintain the greens, fairways and tees to the highest standards. Add on to that a wonderful landscape plan full of new trees, colorful plants and flowers, and the result will be a far more visually appealing and fun Adobe course for players of all levels.”

Originally designed by William Bell, the Adobe Course opened in 1928, a few months before the iconic Arizona Biltmore Hotel. During this six-month renovation, crews will install a new irrigation system and plant new drought-tolerant TifTuf Bermudagrass throughout the golf course. TifTuf maintains turf quality under drought stress. The new irrigation system will allow the agronomy team to control each sprinkler head while using high-tech sensors to measure soil moisture and salt levels to allow for precise watering and reduced water usage.

In addition to the new turf and irrigation system, green complexes will be renovated, tee boxes will be laser leveled, and bunkers will be rebuilt, incorporating a technically advanced drainage and liner system. Throughout the renovation, the golf course's general routing and par (71) will be consistent with Adobe’s famous parkland design setting.

JDM Partners, the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club’s Phoenix-based ownership group, consulted with neighbors, community stakeholders, the City of Phoenix and industry experts on the multi-phase property improvement project that also includes clubhouse improvements and a recently opened golf shop building.