Lawrence Golf Design

Turning vision into actionable numbers — a practical guide from Lawrence Golf Design.

A golf course renovation begins with inspiration — but succeeds with numbers. No matter how beautiful a plan may be, a renovation only works when scope, budget, and schedule stay in harmony. At Lawrence Golf Design, every project begins with one central question: “What is achievable for this club, on this property, at this time?”

This article breaks down how Lawrence Golf Design helps clients—from private clubs to resort operations—build realistic, defensible budgets that keep vision aligned with financial responsibility.

Before talking dollars, a club must clarify intent. A “renovation” can mean anything from bunker re-lining to a full greens complex reconstruction. The mistake many clubs make is setting a number before defining what that number covers.

Lawrence Golf Design’s approach begins with scope mapping:

• Identify what areas of the course will be addressed (bunkers, greens, tees, irrigation, drainage, paths).
• Define objectives — strategic enhancement, aesthetic modernization, or infrastructure renewal.
• Estimate expected lifespan of work (for example, new bunkers should perform for 15–20 years with proper liners).
• Discuss maintenance goals — whether the intent is to reduce inputs, improve consistency, or support new turf types.

This up-front clarity allows costs to be linked to tangible, measurable results — not guesses.

A complete renovation budget includes more than construction. Lawrence Golf Design helps clubs itemize both hard and soft costs so there are no surprises once work begins.

Hard Costs

• Earthwork & shaping
• Drainage systems
• Irrigation & control upgrades
• Bunker liners & sand
• Green mix & grassing
• Cart paths & materials

Soft Costs 

• Architect design & supervision
• Permitting / environmental compliance
• Engineering or survey work
• Contingency allowance
• Grow-in maintenance & temporary play costs
• Club communications or marketing collateral

A budget that only counts “visible dirt” will miss 15–25% of real expenses. Lawrence Golf Design ensures that everything from subgrade drainage to post-renovation grow-in labor is forecasted up front.

Every concept drawing has cost implications. One of the most valuable steps in Lawrence Golf Design’s process comes during the customization phase, when Jeff Lawrence walks each site and discusses the impact of design choices on both cost and maintenance.

For example:

• Expanding a green by 1,000 square feet might require rebuilding subgrades and drainage networks.
• Flashed bunkers increase sand volume and edge maintenance but may improve visual framing.
• Tree removals improve turf health and reduce maintenance but require disposal budgeting.

Through iterative plan reviews, Lawrence Golf Design helps committees see not just what’s possible but what’s practical. This balance between design quality and cost control defines realistic budgeting.

Reliable budgets are built on data, not assumptions. Lawrence Golf Design leverages experience across dozens of completed projects — from Laurel Oak CC (FL) and Cougar Point (SC) to Lake Hickory CC (NC) — to provide comparative benchmarks for per-acre or per-feature costs.

Typical factors considered:

• Linear feet of drainage
• Bunker area in square feet
• Green reconstruction area and mix volume
• Turf conversion acreage
• Access and mobilization costs
• Contractor availability by region

Each project receives quantity takeoffs from the final plan drawings to validate cost accuracy. The difference between a rough estimate and a detailed takeoff often determines whether bids arrive within 5% or 25% of expectation.

Contingency is not a cushion for mistakes — it’s a strategic allowance for the unknown. On well-managed projects, contingency covers weather delays, unforeseen subsurface conditions, or material price shifts.

Lawrence Golf Design generally advises:

• 10–15% contingency for phased or partial renovations.
• 15–20% contingency for full-course rebuilds or unknown subsurface conditions.

Clubs that treat contingency as optional nearly always face mid-project stress when drainage tile, soils, or irrigation issues arise.

Many clubs can’t shut down for 12–18 months — so phasing becomes both a playability and financial decision.

Lawrence Golf Design structures renovation scopes to minimize disruption while distributing capital over multiple fiscal years.

Example strategies:

• Renovate nine holes per year, maintaining partial play.
• Group bunker work into single-season blocks, deferring tees or cart paths.
• Schedule major grass conversions for optimal grow-in windows (spring or early summer).

By sequencing projects, clubs can manage cash flow while still delivering visible, member-pleasing progress each season.

Budgeting doesn’t end when the last sod is laid. The grow-in period—typically 3 to 9 months—requires close collaboration between the superintendent, contractor, and architect.

Smart budgets include:

• Grow-in labor and chemical costs (fertilizer, irrigation tuning, pest management).
• Equipment maintenance for heavy use during grow-in.
• Marketing and member communication costs to reintroduce the renovated course.

Lawrence Golf Design provides estimated grow-in budgets alongside design documents, helping clubs forecast both the cost and timing of reopening.

When the bidding phase begins, clubs often receive proposals that vary widely. Lawrence Golf Design’s role includes:

• Reviewing contractor bids for scope alignment (ensuring no key work is missing).
• Comparing unit pricing for consistency.
• Adjusting scope as needed to bring cost and design into alignment before signing contracts.

A properly prepared budget will withstand competitive bidding without significant redesign or panic-driven scope cuts.

Members and boards rarely object to cost when they understand value.

Lawrence Golf Design helps clients build narrative transparency — tying each line item to a benefit:

Investment and Result

• Drainage expansion ➡️ Fewer weather closures, better playability 
• Turf Conversion ➡️  Lower maintenance costs, improved summer performance 
• Bunker Renovation ➡️  Enhanced visuals, reduced contamination 
• Green Redesign ➡️  Better pin locations, smoother agronomics 

Clear communication builds trust — and trust keeps projects moving forward.

Even if a club can’t complete all improvements immediately, a master plan provides a budgeting roadmap. It defines logical sequences — for example, completing bunker drainage before regrassing or aligning irrigation upgrades with tee construction.

Lawrence Golf Design structures every master plan to be financially modular, giving clubs the flexibility to execute work over time while maintaining continuity in design.

• Budgeting is design. Each dollar should express the same intent as a contour line or bunker edge.
• Transparency prevents surprises. Clubs that plan in layers—scope, detail, and phasing—control outcomes.
• A trusted partner matters. Lawrence Golf Design’s five-phase process integrates financial accuracy into every step, from proposal to grow-in.

A realistic budget isn’t about restraint — it’s about precision.

And precision, on the course and in the books, is what keeps great design sustainable.