Renovation classes will be in session

remodel university comes to mvRemodeling University comes to Mesa Verde Country Club to show golf course decision-makers how to properly undertake a redesign.Like an old house in need of renovation, or a car that needs some work done, so too do golf courses need a little work.

But at what point does a course need to be remodeled? When does a bunker need to be moved further back on the fairway? How often do the tee boxes need to be refurbished?

And most importantly, how much does it all cost?

Southern California golf course superintendents, professionals, managers, club leaders and course owners -- basically anyone involved with the operation of a golf course -- will have the opportunity to learn more about golf course renovation when the Remodeling University comes to Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa on Wednesday.

Presented by the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Southern California Golf Assn., the seminar will cover all of the above topics in a six-hour session.

"And in the last 10 years, the change in clubs and balls -- where even average players are hitting further off the tee -- that impacts where hazards are."

Scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m., the Remodeling University will cover specific topics directly related to the Southern California region, said Chad Ritterbusch, the society's executive secretary.

"Obviously, water is such an issue in Southern California that often times an irrigation system needs to be replaced to make it more effective," Ritterbusch said.

The idea behind the program is to educate golf course decision-makers into how to properly undertake a course remodel, Ritterbusch said.

And with so many renovations being done in Southern California, Ritterbusch said the architect's society noticed many projects were being done by those who lacked specific expertise or background in golf course remodeling. The decisions were being made by business people, he said.

"We tell people they won't be able to walk out with all the answers, but they will be better able to ask good questions," Ritterbusch said.

So, just when does a course need to be remodeled anyway?

"Somewhere in the window of 15-25 years after the course has opened," said Damian Pascuzzo, a former president of the society. "A couple [of] things happen. Some of the underground systems, like the irrigation and drainage, start to wear out. Also, the equipment technology changes or needs to be upgraded or replaced.