GOLF
WHAT’S NEW IN
2021 Paul Leahy
G
olf was booming during the pandemic of 2020 and the momentum has continued into the spring of 2021. Golf courses at Lake of the Ozarks have continued to see increased demand and with that some of the courses have made signifi cant investments to update their facilities. Most notably were the upgrades that Lake Valley Country Club and Eldon Country Club made this spring. Lake Valley Country Club spent the off -season renovating their grill, men’s and women’s locker rooms, restrooms, and contracted out a complete makeover of their 23 bunkers on the par-72
Over the winter, Lake Valley Golf Club located just outside of Camdenton, renovated the bunkers on the golf course. All of the old sand was removed and a few bunkers were relocated. BRAD SEIDT PHOTOS
layout. The clubhouse received a facelift starting with both locker rooms and the adjoining restrooms with member lockers, carpet, paint and fi xtures for the locker rooms, and fresh tile, paint, vanities and fi xtures for the restrooms. The Bar and Grill was also renovated with new televisions, surround sound, carpet, paint and redesigned bar seating. Many local companies were used for the remodel including Four Seasons Plumb-
The clubhouse at Lake Valley received a facelift starting in both locker rooms and inside the Bar & Grill.
ing, 21st Century Electronix, Barklage Drywall, Inc., and DC Electrical Services. Mammoth Sports Construction, out of Kansas City, was hired to spearhead the renovations of the golf course. Alongside Brad Seidt, General Manager/ Golf Course Superintendent and his crew, they got to work on the complete bunker renovation. They began by removing all the old sand from the 23 bunkers. They kept 20 original bunkers in their pervious locations, fi lled in three existing bunkers and relocated three bunkers. Once the sand was removed they reshaped many of the bunkers, dug up and replaced all the drain tile, and reshaped many of the bunkers to enhance their appearance and playability. Stateof-the-art bunker linings were installed in each bunker and over 3⁄ 4 of a mile of drain tile was laid down. This will allow the bunkers to empty very quickly after any amount of rain and should be playable signifi cantly quicker than in previous years. A total of 350,000 pounds of fresh sand was replaced in the bunkers during the renovation, in addition to four semi-loads of sod to replace areas around the bunkers and over the drain tiles. The new white sand stands out when you drive into the property and it gives golfers a great visual target as they play each of the holes. Brad and Mammoth Sports did a phenomenal job and I know the members and guests that play Lake Valley this year and for years to come will be impressed.
JULY 9 - 22, 2021 | VACATION NEWS | 21
