Over a period of four years, beginning in May 2019, historic Cutten Fields in Guelph ON was revitalized through a comprehensive redesign effort which focused on resolving fundamental problems throughout the course. Led by Superintendent Bill Green, AGS and Architect Jeff Mingay, this project was implemented in-house, without a golf course contractor. Along with felling trees, reconstructing every tee, bunker and green, Cutten Fields' back nine was also re-routed to mitigate safety concerns. Shortly after officially re-opening in June 2024, Cutten Fields debuted as the 69th best course in Canada according to SCOREGolf magazine. Originally designed by American amateur championship Chick Evans, with assistance from legendary Canadian golf architect Stanley Thompson, Cutten Fields had never appeared on SCOREGolf's biennial ranking of the top-100 courses in Canada. Bill Green and Jeff Mingay will discuss the impetus of this project, strategies employed to educate members about the necessity of this capital investment, the project's unique implementation and those positive results stemming from this practically focused renovations.
Learning Objectives:
- How golf courses evolve and why capital investment is necessary
- How to educate club members about the necessity of capital investment in the golf course
- How to allow practical considerations to guide design, future agronomic and course maintenance considerations