ASGCA Past President Damian Pascuzzo and Pascuzzo & Pate Golf Design are about to begin a second major renovation project at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. ASCGA Past President Jeff Brauer will collaborate on the project.
Pascuzzo also led the remodel of La Costa’s Champions Course in 2011. The new project will affect all 18 holes on the current South Course, which will close May 1 for the start of construction. Renamed the Legends Course, the new layout will reopen in late 2013.
While the routing by golf architect Dick Wilson will remain intact, the makeover includes a complete reconstruction and redesign of all 18 greens, as well as a thorough resurfacing of tee complexes, all-new bunkering, and the planting of paspalum turfgrass in the fairways. Once complete, the Legends Course will be more spacious than the Champions Course, with a more open look, while providing a complementary set of strategic challenges and a variety of visual encounters.
“We have a lot of respect for La Costa’s original routing and intend to maintain its integrity,” said Pascuzzo, who is partnered with PGA Tour veteran Steve Pate. “Our goal with the Legends Course is to give golfers a completely different type of golf course to play at La Costa. We want to keep it fun and interesting, with different visuals and some subtle nuances around the greens.”
The bentgrass greens on the Legends Course are to be redesigned and enlarged from an average of 3,000 square feet to an average of 5,000 square feet. The greens at the first, 12th, and 15th holes are being slightly relocated, as well.
Every bunker on the Legends Course is being redesigned and reconstructed, complete with new drainage and sand. Furthermore, numerous bunkers will be removed. Those that remain will be lower profile, both in the fairways and around the greens.
Tees are being totally rebuilt and in many cases reshaped to provide more space. A fifth set of tees is being added to each hole, as well, allowing the Legends Course to play from 5,029 to 7,025 yards.
Fairways will feature “golfer-friendly” paspalum – a salt-water-tolerant grass that provides favorable, cushioned lies – and will be widened. Fairway expansion will be most notable at the par-4 15th, where the landing area on the sharp dogleg left will be expanded 16 yards to the right and the cart path rerouted.
The second golf course renovation project was put into motion following the recent completion of an overall $50 million investment in the resort by its owners, KSL Capital Partners.