Warren Golf Course

The coming of a new millennium also will usher in a new era in the history of Notre Dame golf, as the University is scheduled to unveil a new championship-caliber golf course in the spring/summer of 1999.

Through the generous donation of Notre Dame alumnus and Tulsa, Okla., resident Bill Warren ('56), the University is in the midst of constructing the 18-hole golf course, located just a stone's throw away from the northeast corner of campus. The facility, tentatively called Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame, is being constructed in a heavily-wooded area that runs north of Douglas Road and east of Juniper Road.

The course is being designed by Coore and Crenshaw, which recently fashioned such noteworthy courses as the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii, and the Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Neb.. At the time of its introduction in 1994, Sand Hills was recognized as one of the best new private courses in the country.

Coore and Crenshaw, which is co-owned by professional golfing legend Ben Crenshaw, also has undertaken several noteworthy course renovation projects during the past 15 years, including the Southern Hills Country Club (in Tulsa, Okla.) and the Prairie Dunes Golf Club (located in Kansas).

Burke Memorial Golf Course, located on the northwest side of the Notre Dame campus, served as an 18-hole golf course for the Notre Dame community until 1993, when the back nine was lost due to the addition of four new campus dormitories and several athletic fields. The 67-year-old university course remains a convenient nine-hole facility available to the campus community.

"After losing the back nine of the existing university course, Mr. Warren came forward with an interest in developing a new 18-hole, championship golf course," said Notre Dame executive vice president Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., who oversees the University's athletic department. "It then became apparent that this was a project worth pursuing and Mr. Warren was familiar with Coore and Crenshaw through their work at Southern Hills in Tulsa, so it was a very natural fit.

"On behalf of the University, and particularly our golf programs, we are very grateful for Mr. Warren's generosity," said Beauchamp. "Our golf programs will benefit greatly from his benefaction and such a championship-level golf course will allow us to be more competitive on a regional and national level.

"The intent of the course is to benefit the entire Notre Dame community--faculty, staff, students and alumni," said Beauchamp. "This provides the University with a championship-level golf course while still retaining the existing course as a nine-hole facility that is perfectly suited for instructional purposes."

Construction began on the site of the Warren Golf Course on March 1, 1997, with the first actual phases of dirt movement beginning two months later.

Many of the day-to-day tasks behind the scenes of constructing an 18-hole golf course are being coordinated by the University's department of facility engineers, who come under the ultimate supervision of associate vice president for business operations Jim Lyphout. The project also is being coordinated by associate athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who oversees the department's facility and financial affairs.

Mike Smith, Notre Dame's director of facilities, oversees the daily engineering work at the course site while John DeLee is director of utilities and Doug Marsh--an architect in the Notre Dame facilities office--is in charge of designing all of the course's buildings.

The South Bend-based company Rieth Reilly has been contracted to handle the movement of an estimated 100,000 yards of dirt. Another local company, Ziolkowski Construction Company, is handling the construction of the course's buildings and other structures.

Final shaping of the course will be directed by course architects Mike McKay and Jimbo Wright.

"Our philosophy has been to design a course that looks like it has been there for several years," said Tom Beck, construction superintendent for Coore and Crenshaw. "An emphasis will be placed on shot-making, based on how the bunkers and greens will be set up. The layout will be designed to give golfers several options at how to play into each green."

Hole  Yardage Par
1       345    4
2       463    4
3       372    4
4       153    3
5       534    5
6       405    4
7       433    4
8       442    4
9       193    3
Out    3340   35

Hole  Yardage Par
10      526    5
11      236    3
12      458    4
13      430    4
14      176    3
15      417    4
16      389    4
17      549    5
18      466    4
In     3647   36
Total  6987   71

The new course will be characterized by wide fairways, big greens and a park-like setting. The course philosophy entails making the facility a predominantly walkable course, with manageable distances from pins to the next tee. Several trees also will be added, primarily to the open areas near the intersection of Juniper and Douglas roads.

The designers are in the final stages of receiving full permits to realign the existing creek that runs through the course location. A new channel of the creek will be opened, with a complete created habitat. The creek winds through the final three holes of both the back and front nines, which are noted for their heavy woods and change of elevations, thus providing golfers with a challenging finish whether they begin at the first or 10th tee.

Two lakes will add to the challenge of the course, with a smaller lake stationed between the third and fourth holes while a larger lake provides a challenging water hazard from the tee of the 17th hole.

The construction schedule includes finishing rough grading during the fall of 1997, with irrigation slated to begin Oct. 1. Construction is set to conclude in the spring of 1998, with the grass to be seeded later that summer. Fescue grass will be planted in the fairways, with bent grass to be used in the tee boxes and greens. Kim Hocker, the existing superintendent of the University golf course, will serve in an expanded role as superintendent of all 27 holes of the combined Notre Dame golf courses. Sally Derengoski, the current director of golf operations, also will serve in a consulting capacity.

A 6,000-foot clubhouse will include a full pro shop and a food service area capable of accommodating upwards of 80 people.

The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame will provide a challenging layout in a park-like setting, with an emphasis on shotmaking and several options available to the approach of each green.

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