DORAL, Fla. – A year into his ownership of Doral Resort, Donald Trump’s mark can already be found on the Blue Monster.
Players for this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship were greeted this week by a large waterfall complete with sculpted horses adjacent the first tee. “That’s Trump,” figured one PGA Tour player early Tuesday.
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But the real makeover will occur following this week’s event when architect Gil Hanse begins an extensive renovation of the Dick Wilson/Robert von Hagge design.
The largest changes will be to the par-5 first hole, which will be extended about 100 yards, and to the ninth and 10th holes, which will be shifted dramatically to the left to make room for an expanded driving range.
“No. 9 green is being moved all the way over to the right along the water and the tee is going to be right at the eighth hole on the island,” Trump said. “What it does is it creates an incredible amphitheater for No. 18, No. 9 and even the tee shot on the 10th hole which is now over the water.”
The current plan also calls for the par-3 15th hole to become an island green. As for the iconic 18th hole, Trump said it will remain as is, other than new turf for the fairway and green and possibly mounding for spectators.
“We are creating tremendous mounding because we are taking 6 inches of dirt out of every fairway in order to put pure, good soil down,” Trump said. “We are using that to create mounding so when people come it will be a really great tournament course.”
Hanse is currently in Brazil overseeing the design of the Olympic golf course for the 2016 Games and his partner Jim Wagner will handle the immediate work at Doral.
-Golf Channel
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