By Jeff Lawrence, ASGCA – Lawrence Golf Design
For many golf clubs across the Southeast, the decision to renovate often starts with a single question: Can we afford it? The better question is: Can we afford not to?
A well-planned renovation is not just about new greens or fresh bunkers, it’s a long-term investment that increases a club’s value, improves operational efficiency, and strengthens member satisfaction. Over time, the return on that investment becomes clear in both the balance sheet and the experience of every round played.
Successful renovations begin with a thoughtful master plan. This is where the architect, superintendent, and leadership team work together to evaluate the course’s long-term needs.
At Lawrence Golf Design, Jeff Lawrence, ASGCA, takes a strategic approach — ensuring each design decision supports both playability and long-term sustainability. By assessing existing infrastructure, soil conditions, turf health, and member expectations, a thoughtful renovation becomes more than cosmetic; it becomes a plan for decades of consistent performance.
Courses like Pine Lake Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Holly Tree Country Club in Simpsonville, South Carolina, have benefitted from this approach, blending modern design concepts with practical solutions that make maintenance and operations more efficient.
While renovations require an upfront investment, they often lead to measurable financial returns. Enhanced course quality attracts new members, strengthens retention, and can justify modest dues increases or entry fees.
In the private club market, members want to see reinvestment in their course. A project that improves playability, aesthetics, and course conditions reinforces confidence in club leadership. For semi-private and public courses, improved turf quality and drainage translate directly to higher rounds played and better reputation.
In many Southeastern markets, from Greenville, SC, to Naples, FL, clubs that renovated strategically within the past decade have seen sustained membership growth and higher usage rates, even during economic slowdowns.
The cost of maintaining a golf course is driven largely by design efficiency. Older courses often include excessive bunker area, outdated irrigation systems, and turf that struggles under today’s climate stresses.
A thoughtful renovation simplifies the golf course while improving its character. By reducing unnecessary sand area, installing modern drainage, and selecting turfgrass varieties suited to the regional climate, annual maintenance costs can decline dramatically.
Bonita Bay in Naples, FL, is a strong example. By modernizing greens, re-grassing, and updating bunkers, the club reduced labor hours and improved turf resilience, savings that compounded year after year.
Deferred maintenance always carries hidden costs. The longer a course operates with failing irrigation, compacted drainage, or degraded bunkers, the higher the eventual expense to fix it.
A comprehensive renovation allows clubs to address infrastructure issues before they become capital emergencies. It’s the difference between patching problems every season and creating a long-term solution that will serve the next generation of golfers.
Jeff Lawrence’s philosophy emphasizes proactive design: fix the root cause, not the symptom. That mindset ensures each dollar spent contributes to the course’s longevity rather than a temporary repair.
Beyond dollars and cents, a thoughtful renovation transforms how members and guests experience the golf course. Improved greens and surrounds create consistency; renovated bunkers provide visual drama; and smarter routing or drainage keeps the course playable year-round.
For private clubs, that consistency leads directly to satisfaction and retention. For public courses, it means repeat play and stronger community engagement. The better a course performs under pressure (heavy rain, high heat, or limited staffing), the more reliable its revenue becomes.
That’s why Lawrence Golf Design emphasizes balance: every design decision should serve both the golfer’s eye and the superintendent’s budget.
Renovation success in varying golf markets depends on understanding the region’s unique conditions, from sandy soils in Florida to clay in the Carolinas and rocky soils in New York.
Jeff Lawrence’s work throughout these states gives him a distinct perspective on how to build courses that perform efficiently in hot, humid climates as well as cold climates. Whether it’s optimizing grass selection, planning water movement, or adapting classic design principles to modern sustainability goals, local knowledge translates directly to lasting performance.
Renovations that are rushed or purely cosmetic often create new problems within a few years. But when design, construction, and maintenance considerations align, the payoff compounds over time.
A thoughtful renovation pays for itself not just through cost savings, but through member loyalty, improved reputation, and fewer future disruptions. Clubs that take the time to plan properly and trust an architect who understands their long-term goals enjoy decades of return on investment.
Every golf course eventually reaches a point where renovation isn’t just beneficial, t’s necessary. The clubs that approach it strategically, with expert guidance and regional understanding, are the ones that see real financial and operational rewards.
In the Southeast, where conditions allow for efficient year-round construction, now is an ideal time to invest wisely. Lawrence Golf Design continues to help clubs across the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and beyond design smarter, play better, and be more cost efficient.