Redesign or Build New...what to do?

[Jonathan Decker]

Just to stir the pot and see what people are thinking...

If given the choice of building a new course or remodeling a course which option do you choose and why?

Project must be financially viable.

[Mike_Young]

take the money and buy a foreclosure....for $500,000.

[Steve Lang]

  I'd venture that if the site has any reuseable infrastructure, it'd be better to redesign... anything that can be reused is money saved.. which can be re-invested later to upgrade if things work out..

the entrance road, maintenance building, irrigation pumps and piping, drainage components.. all of this infrastructure must cost somegood $

[Mike Nuzzo]

Mike Young's option first

New vs. reno:
A new course - the existing routing probably stinks
cheers

[michael damico]

depends on the site, the course and like others have mentioned, the existing infrastructure (greens - as they are the most expensive to construct - drainage, irrigation, etc.) MUST be taken into consideration and is probably the tell-tale sign of which direction to go.

First, exhaust ALL opportunities to redesign

Second, if it would be more cost effective to destroy and build new, find someone who would dedicate themselves to the project and some good shapers.

[Bruce Katona]

Redo.  Why:

1. If its a redo, you probably bought the land for the correct price.  Big advantage in making the place cash flow positive on an annual basis.

2. The ancillary facilites - CH, maint. yard, pump house, and irrigation pond are already in place. This generates great cost savings.

3. Permitting/Approvals - on a redo, your modifying or changing soemthing that already is a a developed parcel.  permits are in place for irrigation draw-down, sanitary sewer flow for the clubhouse, stormwater etc.  these permits perhaps would need modification, but it is much easier and less costly to modify these than start form scratch.

[Don_Mahaffey]

A redo is the obvious answer for all the reasons Bruce noted, but the big question has to be, "what makes you think your version will do better then the previous version". You better have a good answer based on real evidence, or someone may be redoing your version 10 years from now.