Take in the full view
After a top-to-bottom makeover of the courses by legendary designer Tom Fazio, and a multi-million-dollar renovation, Pelican Hill’s 2 new courses are set to open next month. By Eli Miller
What does $235 buy these days?
Well, for starters, a tee time at the newly reopened Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast.
Seem pricey? For those unfamiliar with the property’s 2, 18-hole gems, allow designer Tom Fazio to put it in perspective: “I don’t think there’s any golf experience better than Pelican Hill, no matter where it is.”
That comes from the guy who renovated Augusta National. He’s also designed several of the world’s top-ranked courses, and his portfolio reads like a never-ending dream vacation.
Even so, for all those achievements, he says his 36 holes at Pelican Hill – complemented by amazing views of the Pacific Ocean – are simply unmatched.
“If I only designed 2 golf courses in my whole career and they would have been those 2, I would have felt very proud to have had the opportunity to do that,” he says.
After a nearly 2-year closure, the public course is scheduled to reopen Nov. 2, with enhancements to both scenery and playability, courtesy of its original artist.
While there were no drastic changes, those familiar with the old layouts will feel a difference on the North and South courses. Some bunkers have been repositioned, and there’s new grass: Tifway II hybrid bermuda for the fairways and a fescue-rye blend for the rough. There is also a new state-of-the-art irrigation system.
“The technology of golf today relative to underground construction and details is very different than it was 15 or 20 years ago,” says Fazio, referring to the initial opening of the facility in 1991. Typically, golf course renovation projects are due to wear and tear. But the chance to refurbish Pelican Hill was born from attractive circumstances. Namely, the addition of a luxury resort.
“When we decided to redevelop The Resort at Pelican Hill, we took the opportunity to reassess the courses,” says Clarence Barker, executive vice president, The Irvine Co. “In keeping with the very high bar we set for the resort as a whole, we wanted to see if we should make any adjustments to take the 2 courses and make them even better.”
The resort is scheduled to open late next year. It will feature all of the luxurious amenities one would expect and will be complemented by ornate Palladian architecture similar to what golfers will see in the newly designed clubhouse.
Golfers will be further spoiled prior to their rounds with 4 practice putting greens, a practice hole and a new driving range that will feature Nike One Platinum balls. And, instead of GPS systems on the carts, each vehicle will have its own detachable Laser Link rangefinder for gauging distances.
Being part of such a prestigious project certainly appealed to Steve Friedlander, who left a management post with Wisconsin’s famed Kohler courses and has been Pelican Hill Golf Club’s general manager since January.
“If this job wasn’t as fantastic as it is – the location, the property, the concept of the resort – I probably wouldn’t have come,” he says.
For more information or to arrange a tee time, call 877. 735.4226 or visit pelicanhill.com. OCM
