The Course is Part of ‘The Heritage,’ a 1,500-acre Residential Development Along Lake Martin
A new Coore-Crenshaw golf course is being built along the shore of Lake Martin about 30 miles northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.
The course, the first Coore-Crenshaw project in Alabama, is being constructed for Russell Lands, which is developing a 1,500-acre luxury residential community along 12 miles of the lake at Wicker Point. Lake Martin was formed by the damming of the Tallapoosa River.
Each hole is memorable, accentuated by indigenous hardwoods, long leaf pines, bridges and creeks. The front nine will take players through stunning elevation changes set among pines and creeks, the company said in a news release. Lake Martin dominates the vistas throughout the back nine. Players will remember the dramatic variety between the holes, the company said.
The Coore-Crenshaw golf course is adjacent to Russell Forest on a site naturally conducive to golf along the lake’s shoreline and is the defining element in The Heritage master plan. Six holes will have lake frontage.
Coore-Crenshaw have designed some of the world’s most celebrated courses including Kapalua Plantation Course, Sand Hills Golf Club, Friar’s Head, Cabot Cliffs and most recently, Bally Bandon Sheep Ranch. Coore-Crenshaw restored Pinehurst No. 2 to Donald Ross’s original vision in advance of the 2014 U.S. Open and Women’s Open held there.
“During the design process, we wanted to draw out the beauty of the natural environment by providing an atmosphere that showcases the lake and the hills in the heart of Alabama,” Ben Crenshaw said. “Our approach honors the Russell legacy to the area to love and preserve the land, which became the driving factor in the golf course design.”
With so many people working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic, the need for another golf course in the area became apparent, Russell Lands Vice President Roger Holliday told the Outlook, a newspaper serving Alexander City and Lake Martin.
“We have more than 900 members at Willow Point, the most we have ever had,” Holliday said. “The need for golf became apparent. We called up Bill and let him know early on in (the pandemic) we were ready to go again.”
“It will be a golf club,” Holliday told the newspaper. “There will be no tennis courts, no pool. Any relationships with Willow Point have not yet been determined. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle.”
Holliday told the newspaper Coore-Crenshaw was the right fit for both the development company and the terrain.
“The neat thing about a Coore and Crenshaw golf course is that they look for a golf course to make sure it fits on the land. They don’t use a lot of heavy yellow equipment, bulldozers, mountain movers and diesel fuel. They look to make a golf course look like it belongs …. They want to make the golf course look like it has been there 100 years,” he said.
The course is expected to open in 2023 although Holliday said he did not rule out a fall 2022 opening.
By Alabama Golf News staff
