Renovation of Belleair CC, Clearwater, FL

[EAF]

The Belleair CC, West Course (Donald Ross, 1909) has undergone a renovation and has just reopened. I am going to be lucky enough to play it this weekend. I have played the East Course (Donald Ross, 1915) and found the course to be one of the toughest "short" 6300 yd. courses I've played. Renovation of the East Course is scheduled for 2004.

I thought everyone might like to take a look at ariel photos of the renovations and details about the project at the Belleair CC website. The address is: www.belleaircc.com . There is a Donald Ross biography page and a club history page in the website also. Be sure to view the sketches of the proposed renovations that are posted on the site too.

The club claims that the first grass greens in the South were grown at Belleair. It is one of the oldest golf clubs in Florida. Are there any that are definitely older in Florida?

I'll post a review of the "new West Course" next week.

Eric

[Bill_McBride]

The Donald Ross Society is having a meeting / outing there in December, including a presentation by Brad Klein about the restoration.  The weekend includes a round at the Ross course Dunedin as well.

[Dunlop_White]

The Donald Ross Society will be in Clearwater, Florida on December 5-7, 2003 to visit the Belleview Biltmore Hotel and play at the recently restored Belleview Biltmore Country Club (aka the Belleview Mido) and the Dunedin Golf Club. I don't know if the Belleair CC is on the agenda too?

The Belleview Biltmore Country Club was restored by Architect Chip Powell. Bradley Klein helped do much of the interpretive work, I believe, because they did not have the original plans.
Dunedin Golf Club (Donald Ross) is a rustic seaside course that is close to the same course that Ross put there about 80 years ago.

[Bill_McBride]

Sorry about that, I thought the Bellair and Belleview were one and the same!  

Wish I was going to be there, have a dead conflict, but it sounds like a good event.