By Jason Bruno
In 1927, a time when the sports landscape in America was dominated by names like Ruth and Gehrig, golf had its own heroes like Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. The fairways that Jones and Hagen walked were often the works of the finest golf architects of that era, known as the “Golden Age”. Walter Travis, A.W Tillinghast, Alister MacKenzie, Harry Colt, C.B MacDonald, Seth Raynor, and Donald Ross were the titans of the day. In that same year, Ross crafted a thrilling design on rolling land just a mile east of the Gulf of Mexico, which he considered one of his finest works, praising its “ideal combination of rolling hills, waterways, and natural hazards.” Originally known as the Dunedin Isles Golf Club, today it’s simply Dunedin Golf Club.
The property has a lineage that many clubs would envy. In 1944, the PGA of America moved from Chicago to Dunedin Golf Club, where it remained until 1962 (hosting 18 Senior Tour Championships). Hogan, Snead and Nelson played here. In 1954 a group of merchandisers assembled here, creating the first PGA Merchandise Show. In 2014, Dunedin GC became only the third Florida golf course to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Approximately 97 years after its opening on January 1st, 1927, the city of Dunedin approved the project for Architect Kris Spence to perform the tall task of returning the course to its authentic Ross form. Spence and his team masterfully completed the $6 million restoration project – reclaiming the splendor that had been lost for decades. Today, the City of Dunedin’s public-access gem is easily among the finest Muni layouts in the Sunshine State.
After decades of botched renovations, Spence had discovered that the old greens still existed; he was able to clear away the existing surfaces, expose the original forms and restore them with the same contours and dimensions when Ross crafted them 100 years ago. Not only the greens, everything was touched – tees, bunkers, and fairways are all now of the Ross ethos.
“At Dunedin, the most pleasant surprise was that I could see the old greens extending out beneath those renovations,” Spence explained. “They had never been destroyed — just buried.”
A public access Donald Ross Classic, fully restored, that anyone can play… imagine that.
On January 20th, just months after the reopening, we played our first round of the new year at Dunedin on a windswept, chilly morning. All of the magical elements you love about your favorite Ross designs are found here – strategic options off the tee, approach shots that demand precision, bold green contours, and the prerequisite for a creative shortgame in order to score.
We can’t wait to get back, an absolute must play when in the Tampa/St.Pete area. https://dunedingolfclub.com/
