A look at the 23 million dollar restoration of the Baltusrol Golf Club worth 23 million US dollars

After a year and a half, Baltusrol Golf Club's upper square was reborn by a restoration project of 23 million US dollars that was supervised by golf architects Gil Hanse, one of the hottest names in the design game.

The overhaul follows a similar treatment of Hanse and his team on the lower course. Both efforts to honor the inheritance of the championship and the historical reputation of the association and at the same time to remain true to the vision of the Baltusrol founder Louis Keller and the original architect AW Tillinghast. Baltusrol was founded in North New Jersey over a century ago -a little more than 20 miles from New York City -the home of the first dual championship courses in America, the only facility in the USA that gave both the US and women of women on both courses, and in 2014 the national historical landmark status was granted.

When the partner Jim Wagner and the Baltusrol 2017 team in 2017 were raised, the centuries-old vision of Tillinghast was restored and taken into account and took into account the progress in modern agronomic equipment and technology, which offer a funny and challenging test for members and guests of all skills and ensure that both champions golf golf levels have the golf level, And that both championship golf golf levels can have the golf level up to date and the establishment of golf levels and the level of residence in order to lead to the golf levels, and ensure that both champions enable a golf level to organize golf level.

“Together, the restoration of the dual courses marks the most important investment in Baltusrol's golf infrastructure since Tillinghast over a century ago on the property on the property,” said Hanse, who also worked closely with Superintendent Greg Boring in the conditioning of the course inn round. “And with it the club is ready to continue its heir as an outstanding dual -course facility in America.”

To the most important changes:

• New drainage and irrigation systems
• Precisions -Aire technology among all greens
• All Greens reconstructed in USGA specifications
• The green surfaces were expanded on average by over 25%
• TILLINGHAST's subtle green contours, which were restored by Advanced Greenscan 3D mapping to enable more locations for pens that were lost over time
• All tea complexes and green approaches rebuilt
• About 260,000 square foot bunkers were converted with the better Billy Bunker system
• New T -shirts that offer players more opportunities to a wider range of qualifications

Baltusrol Upper

While the two courses were originally built at the same time, Hanse said that the design of the lower course was braver and aggressive because Tillinghast had “not to work so much” in terms of contour.

“The upper material was a bit more reserved because he had a better piece of land to work,” said Hanse when the restoration was recently unveiled. “And I think that shows the brilliance of a golf architect and that understands the limits of certain websites and what it needs architecturally, and he understands the advantages of certain websites and how they could ultimately alleviate this.

“From the perspective of the upper, it had done significantly less, which means that the sub -children had received many of the architectural changes in the name of the hosting championships. The upper was this kind of sleepy, small golf course, which went up there,” added Hanseatic and noted that it worked more excitement because it felt much closer. “

Hanse said he worked a bit of “additional pressure” on the upper course, even with original air cards, plans and irrigation plans, including photos from the US Open from 1936.

“We didn't want to disappoint,” he said.

Extended visual lines

From a visual point of view, the upper course opened the visual lines considerably. This is due to the relevant tree removal-especially pine, which were not native but were planted at the same time because they quickly grow and on other tires of local trees that have been lifted. These areas were replaced by native swinging grasses that improve the habitat for wild animals and create dramatic views of the property.

“It presents the golf course much better from top to bottom,” said Hanse. “The view of the skyline of Manhattan is spectacular, so that you (not only) have (not only) longer views of the property, but also about the adjacent area. Not that Tillinghast has seen this skyline, but it's a nice bonus.”

When Hanse and his team started the restoration, they wanted to give up one of the two green on Par-4 14^TH Loch, as the upper green, which was six to seven foot above the lower green, led to occasional floods. But when they started their work seriously, they discovered the original grade and dug the top considerably so that the Greens could coexist on the side.

“We will take a year to look at it and see how it plays,” said Hanse. “And then we can find out whether it is every other day or whether a green is suitable for one championship than the other.”

Big championships

Hanse said it was club membership that has advanced improvements and there was no consultation with large championship organizers such as the USGA or the PGA of America. If Baltusrol's lower course organizes the 2029 PGA championship, it will be the 20 of the club^TH Grand championship.

“We have built up enough of a relationship with them and enough trust that they feel pretty good that we will keep an eye on them when we do the work here,” said Hanse.

The biggest challenge for restorations is research, noted Hanseatic and added that the main demand for a new design is to find the best way to use a piece of property and build up the most interesting golf course. With a focus on the vision of the original architect, in this case Tillinghast, take on Hanse and his team “our ego and close it here and our design thoughts and endure from the door.”

While the development of the new golf course in the years after the kovise is in a slight increase and Hanseatic League and team also play an active role there-the investment is made in the thousands of existing golf courses in the country, which may be the most remarkable sign of the health and vitality of the game. At the end of last year, the National Golf Foundation estimated that the US courses spent more than 3 billion US dollars under considerable investments in discretion. In a way, the restoration efforts can be like a complete reconstruction.

“When we restore them and try to bring what he has done, we have to treat it like a new golf course,” said Hanse. “We have to do the scale right. We have to pull things out. We have to let bunkers in the ground as they were originally. In this regard, the disorder is greater than what other people's approaches could be to restore.”

Baltusrol's top course is not only back and better than before, but also the architectural genius of Tillinghast and the legacy of the club championship.