GOLF COURSE RENOVATION · SINCE 1982
A Tee-to-Green Golf Course Renovation Worthy of a Legacy Award
The Water’s Edge Country Club needed every hole rebuilt without losing the low-profile, flashed-sand character golf architect Buddy Loving Jr. gave it in the 1980s. Aspen renovated all 18 holes tee to green — new greens, tees, bunkers and irrigation — on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake, and the finished course went on to win the 2009 Golf Course Industry Legacy Award. See how we renovated The Water’s Edge.
The Water’s Edge Country Club — narrated case study video
FEATURED VIDEO CASE STUDY
44 Years +
GCBAA
2009
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
The Water’s Edge Country Club · Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
TYPE OF PROJECT
PROJECT VALUE
TIMELINE
GOLF ARCHITECT
BUILDER
DEVELOPER / OWNER
GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
RECOGNITION
THE PROJECT
The Water’s Edge was developed in the late 1980s as a premier golf community and country club on scenic Smith Mountain Lake in southwestern Virginia. Developer Ronald L. Willard Sr., of Willard Construction, worked closely with renowned golf architect Buddy Loving Jr. on the original design to take full advantage of the lake views.
In 2006, Willard Construction began an 18-hole renovation of Water’s Edge, helmed by architect Richard Mandell. Willard wanted Aspen involved from the very beginning, but at the time bidding closed, Aspen was already committed elsewhere. Just before the close of bidding, Aspen’s other project was put on hold, and the door opened for Aspen to bid on Water’s Edge.
“After we met these guys and talked to them, we knew that we felt comfortable with them,” Willard remembers. “When we found out we could get them, I knew it was the right choice. Now, I can’t imagine doing another project without Aspen.”
Aspen built free-form tees with a higher percentage of usable, maintenance-friendly space. The renovation softened many of the bunker faces but preserved the flashed-sand look that was true to the 1970s-style Loving design. Extensive drain tile was installed inside the bunkers — not just standard tee drains — and paired with Aspen’s skill in shaping and earthwork to keep every bunker well drained and easy to maintain.
The project sat inside a high-end lakefront community with limited access — one road in and one road out. Aspen worked closely with Golf Course Superintendent Jeff Snyder to minimize the impact of trucks and equipment on the community’s only road, and many holes close to the lake needed special erosion and sediment control: standard silt fence on land, plus a floating silt-fence barrier in the water as a backup, kept in place until grow-in was complete.
Special care went into timing the work around the lake and the weather. Crews worked around the lake first while forecasts were favorable, leaving the areas with the longest grow-in window for the drier, cooler stretches of the schedule so turf could establish before winter set in.
PROJECT GOALS
- Renovate the total 18-hole course, tee to green.
- Maintain Buddy Loving Jr.’s style of low grounds and high surrounds while relieving maintenance and irrigation challenges.
- Replace all greens, surrounds, and tees, and upgrade irrigation on every hole.
- Reshape and drain all bunkers — reposition some, create new ones as required — and create a first-class course that compliments the surrounding lake community.
THE CHALLENGES
- The project’s scope kept expanding as owner Ronald Willard’s vision grew, ultimately doubling in size from the original plan.
- A mid-project decision to sod nearly the entire course instead of just the features, forcing Aspen to change sod suppliers within a four-day window while still in a growing season.
- A high-end lakefront community with only one road in and out, and many holes close enough to the lake to need special erosion and sediment control.
- A weather-sensitive build window that had to be sequenced around the lake and the seasons so new turf could establish before winter.
THE RESULTS
- Although the project almost doubled in scope from owner-generated changes, construction was completed only two weeks beyond the original finish date.
- Superintendent Jeff Snyder praised Aspen’s attention to detail: “They made sure our master plan was implemented properly and the timeline followed … there were many, many seven-day weeks to get it all done, and Aspen didn’t miss a beat.”
- Revenue kept flowing to the club throughout construction, and after opening the new course generated more revenue than any of the club’s previous best years.
- The finished course won the 2009 Golf Course Industry Legacy Award.
PROJECT GALLERY
Eighteen holes, tee to green, renovated for The Water’s Edge Country Club.
Hole #1 — the front tee, renovated tee to green
Hole #1 — the green, framed by reshaped bunkering
Hole #2 — the green, new surrounds and drainage
Hole #2 — the fairway approach
Hole #3 — the tee shot, framed by mature hardwoods
Hole #3 — the fairway, reshaped bunkering
Hole #4 — the tee, rebuilt free-form
Hole #5 — the landing area
Hole #6 — the landing area, clubhouse beyond
Hole #7 — the tee
Hole #8 — the tee, new fairway bunkering
Hole #9 — the landing area
Hole #10 — the tee
Hole #11 — the green, lakeside
Hole #12 — the landing area
Hole #13 — the tee
Hole #13 — the second landing area
Hole #14 — the tee, tree-lined corridor
Hole #15 — the tee
Hole #16 — the tee
Hole #17 — the tee
Hole #18 — the closing tee
Hole #2 — the approach, in fall color
Hole #8 — the approach
Hole #9 — the green on a misty morning
Hole #12 — the approach
Hole #16 — the green, Blue Ridge backdrop
Hole #17 — the green, guarded by water
Championship Golf Course Construction, Built On Time and On Budget
WHAT THE CLUB SAID
Planning a Golf Course Renovation Project of Your Own?
