The golf course architectural firm JMP Golf Design Group – and prinicpals Mark Hollinger, ASGCA and Brian Costello, ASGCA – has been awarded the design commission to renovate the renowned Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club located in the rolling hills above Palo Alto, California.
The 18-hole, par 72 layout, incorporated in 1958, offers spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and is located next to the 500+-acre Arastradero Open Space Preserve.
Hollinger and Costello are working closely with the membership and key staff to create a Renovation Master Plan that addresses short and long-term interests for the private club. The club is faced with the immediate need to selectively remove diseased Monterey Pines and continue a program to reduce irrigation use in light of the on-going drought in the greater region, now entering the fourth year. The Renovation Master Plan will provide a clear vision that guides the transformation of the course from a parkland, tree-lined style to a more ‘rustic’ and open character that is in greater harmony with the open space preserve.
“We are quite honored to have been selected to work together with the club,” Hollinger said. “The golf club has a rich and storied Bay Area history with the involvement of Ken Venturi as head pro and Walt Disney in the organization of the club. We have the opportunity to provide guidance for the next 50 years with much needed course improvements to the greens and bunkers.”
“One cannot help but be inspired by the incredible photographs of the club in the late 50’s and early 60’s,” Costello said. “The restored views of the bay and vistas towards the preserve define the unique and breathtaking personality of the course. The goal is to recapture this character and retain the reputation as one of the preeminent courses in the Bay Area.”