Shoal Creek changes coming along nicely
- Updated: August 18, 2016
Classic course undergoing renovations designed to enhance the membership’s experience, enjoyment
The view from the tee captures crews working on the 14th hole at Shoal Creek. On the cover, Jack Nicklaus briefs the club membership on the renovations currently underway at the classic course.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM — You don’t bring Jack Nicklaus to your golf course and spend the money they are just to apply a little makeup.
Shoal Creek was an instant classic when it opened in 1976 as one of Nicklaus’ first solo design projects. Forty years later it still has status on various “best course” lists, but it has been passed by newer and modernized courses.
The Shelby County course has undergone some tweaking over the years and has been a wonderful host of USGA and PGA Championships and Champions Tour majors, but it was in some need of updating. Nicklaus has given it a refit with work on virtually every hole, the practice facility and the “Little Links.”
Bunkers have been added, removed, reshaped or moved (most dramatically on 3 and 14). Par-3s have been lengthened (5) or, in the case of 8, reworked to help players find their ball if it gets away. Greens have been moved, reshaped or reoriented (7 and 12 among them) and all of them will be resurfaced with AU Victory, a new strain of bentgrass developed at Auburn University and currently in use on several courses around the state.
More details will emerge as the project moves closer to completion.
The renovation wasn’t intended with course rankings in mind, but rather to meet the advances in the game and enhance the experience of the membership. It will remain the enjoyable walk it has always been, but players will still be challenged to think on every shot — a staple of Nicklaus design.
The 18-time major champion has been on site several times during the process, as recently as Wednesday when he briefed the membership on the progress. It was an entertaining hour in which Nicklaus explained what he did on each hole, the reasoning behind it and his approach to design.
The upshot of it all is Nicklaus is happy with what is developing and so it seems is the membership, many of whom took a trip around the course after Nicklaus’ talk to see for themselves.
Shoal Creek made a splash the moment it opened. It no doubt will be among the best redesigns when it reopens tentatively in March, well in time for the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open.
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