Lester George Creating Master Plan for Bella Vista Country Club
Lester George, A.S.G.C.A. has been hired by the Bella Vista Property Owners Association to create a Master Plan of Renovations for their Bella Vista Country Club Course (BVCC). Bella Vista, voted by Forbes and Money magazine as one of top 25 places to retire in United States in 2017, is one of the nation’s largest property owners associations, with 3100 residents. Development of amenities-rich Bella Vista began in 1965, and the BVPOA now has five 18-hole golf courses, two 9-hole courses, tennis facilities, seven private lakes, miles of nature trails, swimming pools, a beach, recreation centers, parks, pavilions, and an RV park and campground.
Originally Designed by Joe Finger in 1966, the BVCC course the premiere course in the Bella Vista collection and has been the cornerstone of the golf development since its opening. The course has experienced a lot of flooding along Little Sugar Creek, which cuts through the golf course and acts as a water hazard on several holes.
“The population upstream is exploding with growth, which has made the flooding of Little Sugar Creek. Upstream development will certainly continue so we want to do what we can to prevent – or at the very least decrease – future flooding on the golf course,” said Tom Judson, Chief Operating Officer of the Bella Vista Property Owners association.
“We want to be proactive, rather than reactive. We are motivated to fortify the golf course ahead of future flooding to hopefully avoid damage to the course,” said Judson.
“We sent an initial request for qualifications to six individuals and groups, asking specifically about their experience mitigating flood damage. We narrowed the field down to three, and Lester’s experience with similar flooding problems at other facilities impressed us, so we selected him to design the plan,” said Judson.
“The Bella Vista Property Owners Association has 30,000 members playing on six golf courses, three of which are in continuous jeopardy of flood damage,” said Lester George. “Although the primary focus of the master plan includes flood plain modeling, flood prevention, and flood damage prevention, George Golf Design will be incorporating a complete renovation plan for the property to bring the course back to its original splendor.”
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About Lester George: A member of the esteemed American Society of Golf Course Architects, internationally renowned golf course architect, Lester George, has quite a versatile resume. In addition to his award-winning new course designs, has developed a niche in renovating and restoring classic golf courses designed by some of the most revered golden age architects. He has worked on everything from plains to steep, rocky terrain to brownfield and environmentally challenging sites, including a course under which thousands of unexploded bombs were discovered once excavation began – and he has become somewhat of a master at designing practice facilities that offer a realistic experience for golfers. George’s Kinloch Golf Club is the highest ranked golf course in the history of Virginia, having won countless awards. Ballyhack Golf Club is rated # 7 in the state by Golf Digest and was on several top ten Best New Course lists. The Old White Course at The Greenbrier was honored as Golf Digest’s Best New Remodel and now hosts a PGA Tour event; the James River Course at The Country Club of Virginia was the #5 Best New Remodel; and Willow Oaks Country Club was one of Golf Digests’ Best New Remodels of 2009. Most recently, Lester’s renovation of Independence Golf Club was listed as one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 Best Remodels of 2015.
For more information, contact: Shannon Fisher, Vice President of Communications, George Golf Design, 804-314-3268
