Pinehurst (No. 2)
Pinehurst, N.C.
No. 19 to No. 15 World
No. 11 to No. 10 U.S.
Out: 35 acres of grass, traditional primary Bermudagrass rough, narrow fairways, obsolete bunkers.
In: Hardpan, sandy scrub, pine straw and wiregrass frame the fairways; increased fairway width; reshaped bunkers; 271 extra yards for the 2014 U.S. Open.
Result: Restored to the look that Pinehurst embraced in the 1940s, with less lushness, more natural landscape. Increased emphasis on shotmaking to find proper angles into still lethal greens.
Architects: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
Reopened: March 2011
L.A. Country Club (North)
Los Angeles, Calif.
No. 52 to No. 39 World
No. 31 to No. 24 U.S.
Out: Many trees; tired bunker shapes and placements; relentlessly tough holes.
In: Great-looking Golden Age bunkers; barranca back in play on several holes; greens restored to 1920s sites; wider fairways; alternate tee and hole locations; restoration of par-4 6th green.
Result: A near-total return to the George Thomas 1927 original design; amped up aesthetics via restoration of the sculpted bunkers and longhidden vistas of the Santa Monica Mountains, the city skyline and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Architects: Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner, Geoff Shackelford
Reopened: November 2010
Oitavos Dunes
Cascais, Portugal
No. 88 to No. 68 World
Out: Select trees; scrub and native plants from greenside dunes; cupcake par 5 on front nine.
In: Two new back tees, the first extending the par-5 7th to 525 yards, the second lengthening the 9th from 155 to 190 yards; reshaped dunes at the par-3 14th; new hotel left of 18th tee.
Result: Much-needed added challenge on some holes, improved visibility and fairness on others; cleaned-out white dunes form a striking visual contrast with the green fairway grass and blue Atlantic Ocean; glass-intensive hotel blends seamlessly into natural landscape.
Architects: In-house
Reopened: 2010
