The Orangeburg Country Club scored a hole-in-one Tuesday evening for the 75 in attendance as officials unveiled proposed golf course renovations and clubhouse design.

“We are going to improve the Orangeburg Country Club and fix it up a little bit,” award-winning golf course architect Richard Mandell told club members and guests. “It will still be challenging for those looking for some challenges but, more importantly, it will be a very enjoyable experience.”

Mandell said the number one goal of the renovation is to bring back the course’s original 1961 design that he says has been lost over the past 40 to 50 years.

“We will use the 1963 aerial (photographs) to restore the original bunkers, green sizes and shapes,” Mandell said. “We also want to fix some of the problems. We don’t want to only improve the playability, but we are going to remove trees and fix the drainage. This is a great golf course and it is important to me to restore this golf course to be the best it has ever been.”

Mandell said noticeable changes are a decrease in green square footage, a decrease in tee square footage, an increase in sand bunker size, plus poor irrigation and narrowing cart paths.

“You have some tree issues,” Mandell said, noting plans are to remove 237 trees, of which he says 30 percent are ready to go “to the big tree farm in the sky.”

“There are a lot of trees out there with a lot of disease. A lot of the trees that are still standing are hollow, which means they will fall.”

Mandell said no trees with designation plaques will be disturbed.

The project will be done in two phases, with the first phase having begun July 2. The first front nine holes have been closed with the back nine work beginning in about two weeks.

The second phase, which will include renovations to the driving range and creation of a short range practice area, will begin in the late summer or early fall.

The project is expected to be complete by mid-September, with the course opening tentatively scheduled for October 2009.

The project has received S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control approval.

Playing styles, surface speeds and golfing skill levels will be taken into consideration in the renovations, Mandell said.

“What I like to achieve is the ability of all golfers of all levels of ability to have the same experience with their golf club,” Mandell said. “So that no matter who you are, if you are playing from the correct set of tees, and if you hit your average tee shot, then you, or I or Tiger or Tiger’s grandmother all should have the same iron into the green.”

The course will also be expanded from the current 6,700 yards to over 7,000 yards.

The same Champion Bermuda grass and soils will be retained on the course.

Construction work is being done by Hendersonville, N.C.-based Course Doctors.

Course Doctors President Jim Sparks ensured members they will be pleased with the outcome.

“You will see a lot of dirt and sod and you will say, ‘How in the world will this ever be put back together,’” Sparks said. “Have a little faith and confidence. We have done this a number of times.”

Sparks said crews will rebuild greens, tees, bunkers and the irrigation system.

“It is quite an undertaking and it will all happen in 90 days,” he said.

Sparks encouraged caution in walking on the course during construction.

Club Manager Mel Castellano encouraged members and guests to be patient through the process.

“We are doing this because we know that this club needs to be updated,” Castellano said. “We know the amenities are lacking compared to other top-level clubs out there. We want to be in that group of elite clubs. We will be there. It will be bigger and better and state of the art.”

In addition to the golf course, the 18,000-square-foot clubhouse will be expanded by about 15 to 20 percent.

The expansion will include a 760-square-foot pro shop and a 540-square-foot addition to the River Room, which will include an open-air kitchen design.

The current club’s Walnut Room will be transformed into a reception area where guests can relax before being served. Balconies will be created for an overview into the ballroom.

The ballroom will be expanded by about 1,296 square feet and an outdoor terrace, with fireplace, will be added in the club’s rear.

The entire clubhouse will be handicap-accessible.

West Summers of Orangeburg is the project architect.

On the exterior, the clubhouse will be redone, possibly with stucco. There will be a better outline of the roof.

The clubhouse will remain open throughout the renovation process, with work staggered to minimize disruption to members and guests.

When clubhouse renovations are to begin is uncertain, though work is expected to start soon.

The renovations come about two months after Pin High Visions LLC, a subsidiary of Orangeburg-based Zeus Inc., purchased the club.

Owner Frank Tourville, who was in attendance Tuesday, joked that while his commitment was to make $1.5 million in capital improvements, the total will exceed that within the first few months. He would not provide details on how much the golf course renovation will cost and said the clubhouse design plans are still preliminary.

“I am very excited,” Tourville said. “I am very happy and satisfied with what they are proposing to do.”

“Are you excited?” Tourville asked, receiving a chorus of “Yeah!” and applause.

“This will be one of the top courses of the state ... there is no question in my mind about it,” Tourville said.

Tourville received a standing ovation after his brief speech.

Pin High Visions purchased the club after shareholders voted 550-27 to sell the facility and its assets.

The club’s directors and about 270 members initially approved the sale in January. Some club shareholders challenged the sale in court, leading a judge to order a new vote on May 8. The sale was approved again.

Pin High has agreed to operate the facility as a country club for the next three years.

Superlatives and praise -- “This is fabulous” to “Wow, this is going to be top notch’ -- were the norm from club members.

Marion Moore said the proposed project is breathtaking.

“Oh my gosh,” Moore said. “They are doing a lot more work than I originally thought they would do. Restoring the greens to the original size will make a lot of difference. The bunkering will give it teeth.”

“I love it,” club member Don Tribble said. “This is the best thing to happen to the club.”

Bill Welch said he has been real pleased with the changes.

“It has been nothing but positive,” Welch said. “All the facilities have been fixed up and the food and services have been improved.”

Orangeburg dentist Gene Atkinson and his wife, Colleen, were enjoying a dinner created by new Executive Chef Mark Gibson.

“It is history in the making,” Colleen said.

Dr. Atkinson agreed. “They have definitely spruced everything up.”

T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.

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