[Steve_ Shaffer]

Scotch Hall Preserve to reopen as Occano following renovation...The former Scotch Hall Preserve course in Merry Hill, North Carolina, will reopen at the end of November as part of the new Occano community following its acquisition by developer Dilweg and a $3 million renovation by Brandon Johnson of Arnold Palmer Design Company, the firm behind the course’s original design.
The new Occano course will provide golfers with an “entirely different aesthetic and level of strategic interest”. This has involved rebuilding bunkers – with Better Billy Bunker liners, new drainage and Zoysia sod around edges – restoring and expanding the shape of greens and surrounds, resurfacing cart path bridges, removal of ornamental plants and revegetation with native planting, and the addition of tee space and forward tees.
“The opportunity to revisit an already acclaimed golf course with fresh perspective is a special honour and we thank Occano for welcoming us to bring their vision to life,” said Johnson. “With these comprehensive renovations, Occano will present residents and guests with a brand-new look and feel, as well as a new strategic level of play."
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https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/scotch-hall-preserve-to-reopen-as-occano-following-renovation

[Jerry Kluger]

It is interesting that they are using Zoysia sod around the bunkers which was done at Tom Fazio's Hasentree in Wake Forest, NC.  Hasentree has struggled with maintaining the Zoysia which requires frequent cutting and when it gets on the long side it becomes thick and balls get stuck at the bottom of the Zoysia rather than rolling into the bunkers.  The shots out of the Zoysia are far more difficult than if the balls had rolled down into the bunkers and I have seen occasions where balls were lost in the Zoysia. I just wonder if the plan is for the Zoysia to stop the balls from rolling into the bunkers. 

[Scott Weersing]

I have been wanting to travel down from Virginia Beach to play this course but they keep pushing their opening to different dates. In addition to new bunkers, they also had to replace several of the cart and roadway bridges.


The course layout is good, even though there is just two holes on the bay. There are big thunderstorms in the summer so it makes sense to rebuild the bunkers to better withstand wash outs.


Let us know when a GCAer plays it.

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