Renovations tee off at Mesa Country Club

Mesa Country Club in Mesa, Arizona, has started renovation work on its historic golf course. According to the club, the project is its largest and most extensive investment since the William P. “Billy” Bell-designed course opened in 1948.

According to club president Neil Baier, “All the greens will be rebuilt to USGA standards, greenside bunkers will be renovated to improve playability, and we will undergo an exciting redesign of the holes on our ‘upper mesa,’ including the construction of a drivable par 4 that will be one of the most fun holes on the course. Additionally, the installation of a new irrigation system will ensure significant water reduction usage.”

Scottsdale-based Staples Golf Design is managing the project with assistance from golf course superintendent Sergio Padilla. Other partners include Total Turf Golf Services, Desert Reflections, Evergreen Turf and West Coast Sand & Gravel. 

The project features plenty of “water conservation work in relation to the irrigation system upgrade, the lake reduction plan, and the low water use areas in the out of play areas,” Staples Golf president Andy Staples said. “But the real stars will be the new greens and bunkers.”

Mesa Country Club is one of the few parkland courses in the Valley that features mature and towering eucalyptus and pine trees integrated throughout the routing of holes. With a natural “mesa” running through the course, elevation changes put a premium on shot-making, though the par-72, 6,900-yard course is quite walkable.

The club will reopen for play in November.