Clyde Johnston to Renovate Fort Mill Golf Course

Clyde Johnston has done renovation work on vintage Donald Ross- and George Cobb-designed golf courses before. But at Fort Mill Golf Course the golf course architect will get the chance to enhance the handiwork of both designers at a single facility.

Located in the upstate South Carolina in Fort Mill, the layout began with nine Ross-designed holes. A second nine was added in 1959 by Cobb, another golf architectural icon. Johnston's task is to bring all 18 holes up to modern agronomic and playability standards while preserving the charm and elegance of the course built over a half-century ago.

The work involves renovating the tee and green complexes. All the bunkers on the course will be rebuilt, with several on the front nine being repositioned or eliminated to match the drawings from Ross's original design.

The greens at Fort Mill will be converted from bentgrass to the heartier and more heat-tolerant MiniVerde, an ultradwarf Bermuda that retains the smooth and quick putting characteristics of bent.

Johnston's renovation of the par-72, 6826-yard Fort Mill Golf Course is expected to last eight months and cost $2 million. Construction will be handled by Landscapes Unlimited, widely regarded as one of the top golf course builders in America.

Fort Mill GC is owned and managed by Leroy Springs & Company, Inc., which has three other courses in the area, including Springfield Golf Club, a course Johnston designed in 2001.