If you haven’t noticed it yet, Golf is evolving as a great pastime. With the introduction of Top Golf and Drive Shack facilities opening around the country, non-golfers and golfers alike are finding a fun way to eat, drink and be merry while swinging a golf club. Even Tiger Woods has entered the entertainment side of the business with his new Pop Stroke facility in Port St. Lucie, less than an hour from his home.
In Greenville, South Carolina, golf course architect Jeff Lawrence has helped create a new design concept from the aging Crosswinds par three course as part of the facility’s transformation into a hospitality experience. The course is located directly north of Greenville Downtown Airport and originally opened in 1997, when primary architect John LaFoy brought together par three designs from 18 different architects Including Pete Dye, Rees Jones, Arnold Palmer, Bob Cupp, and Tom Fazio.
Lawrence’s design for the new owner, Davis Sezna, has a newly renovated 12-hole course, a 17,000 square foot Himalayas putting course inspired by the original St. Andrews, a 6.5 acres short game area and even a toddler’s par 3. The Upstate’s newest dance floor is not actually a floor at all- it’s a putting green, but at night it becomes a party atmosphere, with revelers walking with brewskis and putters in hand under the energy-saving LED floodlights shimmying around to the music coming from the adjacent clubhouse.
Sezna said the goal for the redo of the facility was to appeal to a broad audience of golfers, both serious and casual, as well as non-golfers who just want an enjoyable outing. The decision to reduce the course to twelve holes was in order to maximize the 29 acres space while also appealing to a changing demographic.
“We have respected the design concepts of the original architects while also making a few refinements to enhance the golf experience,” said Lawrence. “It has even included greens with different grass species- Zoysia, Bent, and TifEagle Bermuda- so that golfers can practice on a variety of surfaces.”
Greens have been resurfaced, bunkers rebuilt, and one of the existing holes rerouted to accommodate the new layout. The Himalayas putting green wraps around the clubhouse, and the finishing hole features what Davis describes as “the deepest and most challenging bunker in South Carolina.”
For the serious golfer, the Gravity Golf School will be scheduling 2-day golf schools, individual instruction, and youth golf schools at 3’s Greenville.
The entire facility reopened with a new name, 3’s Greenville Golf & Grill, will be lighted until 10:30 pm. Throughout, the emphasis will be on delivering an entertaining experience that promotes fun for all with music and video throughout the course. Visit 3sGolf.com for more information. Come and Enjoy!
