PANAMA CITY BEACH – In an era when many golf courses nationwide are trimming budgets, Jim Carlisle and the owners overseeing Holiday Golf Club saw an opportunity to expand and improve their course.
Carlisle, Holiday’s general manager, said the course will open play on resurfaced greens beginning Saturday. A million-dollar renovation that broke ground in mid-March also includes new tees that extend the par-72 course to a little over 6,800 yards, Carlisle said.
Carlisle said the changes will make for a better golfing experience.
“Over time as the greens get older, they get smaller,” Carlisle said. “We expanded the greens out. They cover three acres. … With the amount of play that we get and the foot traffic that we get, we’re better off if we have a bigger set of greens.”
(Click here for a video of the new greens)
All 18 greens and the putting green feature new grass, and the expanded greens will offer course officials more options in terms of pin placement. Carlisle explained that bigger greens are easier to maintain because foot traffic is spread out over a larger area.
Carlisle said the greens consist of tiff eagle turf – an ultra dwarf grass – and that Holiday is the only public course on the beach to feature it. The greens meet USGA specs, and Carlisle said golfers can expect the greens to play consistently one hole to the next and one day to the next.
Carlisle on Monday showcased the new 12th green, which featured a pristine, untouched carpet of grass. The gentle undulations on the green’s surface are typical of what is present on every other green, Carlisle said, adding, golfers can expect green speeds to be consistent course-wide.
Temporary greens have been in use since March 17, and Carlisle said the club’s 200 members have welcomed the changes and have supported the renovation. Carlisle credited Holiday owner Hilton, Inc., and course president Allan Bense for pushing forward with the improvements.
“It was time to make a change, and they saw value in renovating the golf course,” Carlisle said. “A lot of people are cutting back, and a lot of courses are closing their doors. The Hilton family, Allan Bense and Cody Khan – they see the benefit of putting money back in the golf course.”