Services - Existing Golf Courses

Designing reconstruction work for existing golf courses has been a growing line of activity for Tilander Golf Design. A golf course, as any built structure, will need the occasional repairing. Moreover, golf course construction has improved immensely over the last two decades. What was acceptable before may not measure up to today's standards. A specific challenge to courses has been the vast improvement in golf equipment like clubs and balls. With the longer drives of today, many hazards only harass the shortest hitters. Longer drives also often fly further off line resulting in more dangerous situations than ever before.
Tilander Golf Design has designed reconstructions and improvements for more than ten golf courses. Typical scenarios of redesign and reconstruction are listed below.

General improvement plan

A general improvement plan includes an assessment of the overall current course and a separate assessment of each element comprising the course. In addition, the plan includes an analysis of each hole. All technical and playability problems, as well as the proposed improvements, will be outlined. This written analysis will be supported with documenting photographs, drawings and image manipulations (before/after) as needed.

Master plan

When large changes are needed, a new master plan is made for the course. Typically, the new master plan is made on top of an aerial photograph showing the current course. This is a great visual aid in understanding the proposed changes and their effects on the playing conditions. There can be many reasons for a new master plan - safety concerns, changes to property ownership, technical problems - or simply the need to improve the course.

Specific plans

When there is a problem with only a specific portion of the course, a case can be made for redesign plans that only address that situation. Typical problems include greens that are too flat (or undulating) and teeing areas that are too small and uneven.
When vital areas such as greens and tees are fixed, it is crucial to have the work done properly. If the size of the green to be fixed is 500 square meters, the total area that needs to be redone will be at least three times that size. Only then can the performance of the complete green complex from a technical and playability standpoint be guaranteed for decades.

Supervision of Construction

Golf course construction is demanding work requiring specialized skills. Having the golf course staff do small construction work is justifiable, but when the job is a bigger entity - for example, a new green complex - then it should always be done by professionals. There are far too many poorly executed reconstruction jobs being carried out even today, leading to unfortunate situations where the work has to be redone again in a few years. Tilander Golf Design can assist in choosing the right people and in supervising the construction, as needed.