Scottsdale course approaches renovation

Terravita Golf & Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, will undergo a seven-month golf course renovation and enhancement project led by golf course architect and Scottsdale-resident Phil Smith. The project will begin on April 1 and will be focused on the irrigation system, bunkers, green complexes and turf improvements on the 28-year-old course. Heritage Links, a leader in golf course construction and renovation, will be executing the construction work, which is expected to be completed by November.

Smith’s master plan was developed in collaboration with the club’s green committee and was approved by Terravita Golf & Country Club members last year. The project will include rebuilding all 18 greens and resurfacing with TifEagle Bermudagrass; adding and eliminating tee boxes; reshaping fairways; and installing a new state-of-the-art irrigation system. All bunkers will also be modified, reshaped and rebuilt incorporating a technically advanced drainage and liner system featuring Capillary Concrete. This new generation lining method increases the speed at which water flows through the bunker, minimizing washouts, reducing maintenance and producing superior playability.

“It has been my honor to work with the Terravita Golf & Country Club team the past two years as we navigated the master planning process,” Smith said. “This coming summer, every component of the golf course will be re-imagined and rebuilt to compete with the renowned courses in the greater Scottsdale market.  I will use my 33-plus years of experience as a golf course architect to create a visually stunning, challenging, and fun-to-play course for Terravita members.  I am excited to partner with Troon and Heritage Links to make the golf course new again.”

The Billy Casper- and Greg Nash-designed course, set in one of the more scenic and colorful stretches of Sonoran Desert, originally opened for play in 1994. The course plays to a par of 72 and measures 7,075 yards from the championship tees.

“Terravita members overwhelmingly supported this renovation, and the leadership from the board of directors has been tremendous,” Terravita Golf & Country Club GM Rich Riffle said. “I am excited to lead this project and see Phil Smith’s master plan come to life.”

Courses renovated by Heritage Links, a division of Lexicon, Inc., include Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., Princeville Makai Golf Club in Kauai, and Desert Mountain’s Renegade Course.

Terravita Golf & Country Club is managed by Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon, the world’s leading golf management company.