Fort Lauderdale Country Club, the oldest private country club in Broward County, celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated $3.7 million championship North Course on November 29. Members and staff officially cut the ribbon on the 18th green which was followed by a shotgun open. Later that evening guests mixed and mingled at a festive dinner.
The North Course project, begun in April 2019, underwent an extensive renovation including replacement of the greens and the provision of tees between 4,800 yards and 7,100 yards, making the course more enjoyable for both men and women of all abilities. The upgrades created an elevated level of excitement for members adding to the facility’s 18-Hole, Par 72 South Course which was built in 1926, remodeled twice and is often home to many corporate and non-profit events, annually. This renovation comes at a time when other local private golf and country clubs are closing their doors.
“We are thrilled to showcase our new North Course to existing and prospective members,” said Michael O’Brien, general manager of Fort Lauderdale Country Club. Reinvestment into a club’s infrastructure is vital to the success of not only that club, but of the golf industry as a whole. This new course design will add another dimension to the extensive list of advantages that sets Fort Lauderdale Country Club apart from the competition.”
The North Course project was overseen by Kipp Schulties, principal architect of Kipp Schulties Golf Design (KSGD). Schulties’ experience in the design of championship caliber golf courses encompasses having worked with PGA Touring Professional Fred Couples and golf course architect Gene Bates for over seven years. As an independent designer, Kipp has master planned and/or designed two of the elite 27 golf resorts in the continental United States as rated by Great Golf Resorts of the World – 2000 edition. Those two facilities are the Boca Raton Resort & Club (Kipp Schulties Golf Design, Inc. with Gene Bates) and Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club.
In the Broward County area, which has numerous golf courses, Fort Lauderdale Country Club is the only private club that offers 36-holes of manicured championship golf in a forested park-like setting as well as the finest practice facility. Visually, the Club is truly a unique oasis as fairways are lined with stately native trees and palms and is lined with colorful beds of flowers, as opposed to houses.
“Our planning and design team has incorporated the newest technology to create a more strategic and challenging course for players of all abilities,” added Lee Patterson, president of Fort Lauderdale Country Club. “We couldn’t be more elated with the North Course outcome and we expect it to attract new members and further our reputation for being the premier golf club in Broward County.”