3 min read
Membership is booming at Greystone, and when you sit on the expansive new patio of the Legacy Clubhouse, sipping a cold drink and watching players navigate the picturesque waterfall of the 18th hole, it’s easy to see why. This is a special place for anyone who loves the game of golf.
“Both the Founders and Legacy Courses are in excellent shape,” says Steve Smith, PGA, Director of Golf at Greystone. That’s great to hear for Members who endured quite a bit of work on their beloved courses over the past couple of years.
Update on Legacy’s Course Improvements
It’s now been a full year since the extensive updates to Legacy were completed. and both Steve and Jason Miller, Director of Golf Course Operations, say things have grown in beautifully.
Members are enjoying the added challenge presented by the new firmer greens, which were regrown with a fine bladed Bermuda grass specially designed to handle Alabama’s heat.
“People really, really like the competitiveness of the Legacy Course,” says Steve. “It's a little tougher track with the new greens on there. They stood up fantastic through the summertime and just got better and better once they softened up a little bit.”
Each bunker on Legacy was also redesigned and replaced using the patented Better Billy Bunker Method which allows for superior drainage. “This will prevent washouts,” says Jason. “It will cut down on maintenance and provide a much better playing experience for Members.”
Players are also enjoying new mountain views and increased playability on Legacy’s 9th hole. Jason and his team built a 5-foot stone wall there to elevate and double the size of the 9th’s tee box. They removed some trees on the hole to provide better sun for the tee box, improve the mountain view, and lessen a tricky slope notorious for funneling balls into the water hazard if players hit into it.
A More Sustainable Future for Founders
This coming summer, Members will also notice much greater turf consistency on the Founders Course thanks in part to a new, state-of-the-art irrigation system.
“They laid 21 miles of pipe in 14 months,” says Jason. “It was amazing.” The work went so smoothly that crews finished almost a full year ahead of schedule. The new system, which replaced Founder’s original system installed 35 years ago, gives Jason and his team the ability to turn on one sprinkler head at a time if they want, which wasn’t always possible before. This means less water will be used overall and dry areas can be hit very strategically.
Each Founders’ tee box also now has a double row of sprinkler heads so the driving surfaces for Members will stay green throughout even the hottest weather.
Founders also has a new master plan for the future. Bill Burgeon, who worked alongside legendary course designer Bob Cupp on creating Founders more than 30 years ago, put together the plan in 2022. Although there is no immediate timeline to update Founders’ holes, having the irrigation system redone makes future projects possible.
More Beauty Ahead
Jason is always looking to improve the aesthetics and the playing experience for Members. He’s been a part of Greystone since he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in turfgrass science in 1999. His passion for the Greystone community helps him excel at his work, and he’s excited how the new bunkers and irrigation system will free up his crew's time to do things like add additional stonewalls to the Legacy Course this winter.
Jason and Steve work well together by staying focused on continually giving Members two great course options.
“Most of the time when you go to a club that has two courses, one is great and one is just okay,” says Steve. “At Greystone, both golf courses are sought after by players and for different reasons. Legacy is more of that traditional golf club where people can play on a beautiful course and then go hang out in the clubhouse for a meal or a drink. And Founders has all these other amenities that people who aren’t golfing can take advantage of while someone is playing–like the fitness center, the pools, or the tennis courts. Both have an awesome backdrop of a mountain behind them and they both offer exceptional playing conditions. So we're really, really proud of that fact.”