Sara Bay Country Club Reopens For Play Upon Completion Of Extensive Golf Course Restoration Project
SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sara Bay Country Club, a private member-owned golf club located north of downtown Sarasota, reopened for play on October 6, 2018, upon completion of an extensive restoration of the 1926 Donald Ross designed championship golf course.
Golf course architect Kris Spence of Spence Golf Inc., lead the project, focused on restoring the greens and bunkers using original Donald Ross drawings, creating a wide variety of surface contours that allow for multiple hole locations on the new greens, and creating fairway bunkers prominent to the golfer's eye.
Considered one of Ross' personal favorites, the Club has hosted the Senior PGA Championship in the 1940's, the LPGA Tour in the 1950's, numerous FSGA Men's & Women's Championships, the 100th Women's Southern Amateur and most recently, the LPGA Symetra Tour.
"The newly restored and widely diverse green complexes will be some of, if not the most authentic Ross greens in Florida. It was my goal to show a great deal of respect to Ross's design work and creativity at Sara Bay by restoring his legacy to the property," said Spence.
"Fairway bunkers were elevated throughout the course with raised faces as shown on the Ross drawings. The fairway bunkers reveal the strategic edges, angles and side-to-side movement of the holes as Ross envisioned. It's hard to pick stand out holes, but the dramatic six-string of pearl bunkers around the par-three sixteenth certainly will catch the eye of any player," said Spence.
"We are extremely impressed with the results of the restoration project by Kris Spence and his team, completing the project on budget and on time," said Paul Barone, PGA Master Professional, and COO/General Manager. "We're excited to have our members enjoy the restored course while we also invite new members to come and experience one of Florida's finest classic golf courses."
The reopening ceremony took place on Saturday, October 6th with a Scottish bagpiper for the celebratory event. Sara Bay Country Club honored the clubs longest standing members Jack Shea, Dave Bowman, Jane Williams, and Joe Turnesa, Jr. with hitting the first tee shots on the newly restored course. The ceremony was followed by an 18-hole golf tournament and formal dinner for members.
New, limited-time membership opportunities are available through December 1st 2018, in celebration of the course reopening.
About Sara Bay Country Club
Founded in 1926, Sara Bay Country Club is a private, member-owned golf club located north of downtown Sarasota, Florida's cultural capital, and a short drive from the Gulf Coast Keys of Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird, and Siesta, as well as Lakewood Ranch. The tasteful décor of the old Florida-styled clubhouse creates a warm ambiance, while it exudes understated elegance. Festive seasonal events feature live entertainment, dancing and gourmet meals. The Club offers members the unique combination of tradition, camaraderie and exceptional golfing experience.
Media Contact:
Andrea Barone
Rekreation Marketing for Sara Bay Country Club
[email protected]
(813) 405-1550
SOURCE Sara Bay Country Club
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