First peek at golf course proposal

Hale Irwin listed as project adviser

Denver officials this week announced which firms have been picked for consideration to redesign the City Park Golf Course and its facilities, releasing a sketch of plans for the site and laying out what it will offer golfers.

If plans are approved, the course will be designed by architect/designer iConGolf Studio with golf design adviser Hale Irwin. Saunders Construction with Aspen Corporation will handle the reworking, and clubhouse architect Johnson Nathan Strohe will also contribute to the project.

The recommendations now head to Denver City Council for consideration and follow a collaborative, nine-month selection process that officials say was driven by a panel of city staff and community representatives, as well as golf and technical experts.

“The identification of a recommended City Park Golf Course Redesign team is a significant milestone in this important project,” Happy Haynes, executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation, said in a written statement. “The proposal developed by the Saunders design/build team will allow the City to deliver a project that reduces flood risks in nearby neighborhoods, while ensuring City Park Golf Course continues to be one of Denver’s crown jewels for years to come.”

The golf course’s redesign comes as a result of the city’s plans for Platte to Park Hill storm drainage projects. A plan to regrade the western portion of the course to create a deeper storm detention area is one of four major projects, and construction is expected to close the course from late 2017 to 2019.