Keith:
The design goal at The Retreat Course was fairly simple: increase playability and enjoyment by adding width in the fairways where possible and creating a lot of challenge and interest in the greens complexes.
The Retreat Course, formerly known as The Island Club, was originally designed by Joe Lee and constructed, I believe, in the 70's. As was the case with many coastal courses built during this period, the constuction process consisted of digging a lagoon system to provide drainage and to create the dirt for shaping the course. There was no subsurface drainage and the fairways were basically just crowned to surface-drain water either into residential lots or back into the closest lagoon. This was also a time when golf corridors were fairly narrow, so by the time the houses were built, the golfer faced trying to hit a narrow, crowned fairway with OB on one side and water on the other.
The first thing Davis, Mark, and Paul Cowley (on-site design associate for this project) did was look at aerial photos and topo. maps to try to improve overall drainage patterns and look for areas to widen the course. Roughly 40 acres were cleared to add width and length where possible and then substantial subsurface drainage was added which allowed the entire profile of the course to be lowered. Many holes were phisically widened, while others became visually wider by reshaping the crowned fairway into a more concave fairway.
Although this project is referred to as a renovation, it is more aptly described as a complete redesign. The only thing that really stayed the same are the houses surrounding the course. Length was added, mostly to the tournament tees, and the strategy of the course is now completely different. The greens are what really make the course. They are low-profile with a variety of sizes (avg. of 6,500, but with the green at #6 being 14,000 sq. ft.) and shapes (redan green at #12, biarritz at #6). The common theme within the greens is the Ross influence, with false fronts and runoffs into chipping areas that give a player many different short-game options. Conservative bunkering throughout the course, but traditional in style with grass faces and flat sand bottoms.
Davis and Mark took advantage of being the third of Sea Island's three courses to be redone (Rees Jones at Plantation and Tom Fazio at Seaside) and paid attention to the comments made by members and resort guests. They also kept in mind a design that would compliment what the other courses have to offer. We are getting a lot of positive feedback since the reopening, which is a relief since The Retreat Course is right here in our own backyard.