June 29, 2010 - Linville Ridge Country Club won Golf Inc. magazine’s “Renovation of the Year Competition” for the $1.6 Million -$4 Million project category.
“This year’s entries for Renovation of the Year were exceptional,” said Katina Cavagnaro, publisher of Golf Inc., “we are honored to highlight these outstanding renovation projects from some of the world’s most distinguished operators and notable courses.”
Linville Ridge Country Club began when Raymond Lutgert and son, Scott Lutgert, decided to build a golf course on the top of a mountain. “We have a lot of pride in our course, and we want to remain one of the premier courses in North Carolina,” said Scott.
Bobby Weed, the golf course designer who examined Linville Ridge Country Club when it was time for renovations, explained “when the course was built, people used persimmon drivers and balata balls. Our objective was to improve the playability and interest of each golf hole to reflect the technology today. We wanted to provide a fun and interesting experience for all golfers by giving them strategic choices. We altered the placing of bunkers, varied their size, shape, depth, and location. Some tees were shifted for better angles. We created more options for all calibers of players, thus making for a more fun and interesting round.”
Linville Ridge Country Club, located in Linville Ridge, NC, is the highest course east of the Mississippi. “You are on top of the world and the course tumbles around the ridges. We simply added character to freshen it up,” said Weed.
Renovations were completed on this 25-year-old golf course in 2009 and were overseen by Linville Ridge’s Chief Operating Officer, Steve Sheets. Sheets reflects, “when I look down at the dramatic bunkering around number thirteen green, it looks like we have a brand new golf course again.”
For more information on Linville Ridge call (800) 898-5150 or visit Linville Ridge’s online profile.
