KTUA Landscape Architecture and Planning recently contributed to the renovation of the Torrey Pines North Course, which took place throughout last year. That project has received a 2017 “Project of the Year Award” from the San Diego Chapter of the. American Public Works Association (APWA). The award was presented on May 11 at Paradise Point Resort. Also, the renovation project will automatically be considered for “Outstanding Project of the Year” later in the year. For the renovation, the City of San Diego Public Works Department utilized a design-build delivery method, in which the contractor, in this case, Wadsworth Golf Construction, both creates the design and carries out the construction. KTUA acted as a sub-consultant to Wadsworth Golf, working together with other groups such as O’Day Consulting Engineers, Bryant Taylor Gordon Irrigation Design, and famous golf-course designer Tom Weiskopf. The design of the course had one main goal: to provide the scenic course with a much-needed update; the North Golf Course had not had a major change since 1958. Other goals included increasing playability for amateurs, increasing the difficulty for PGA circuit golfers, reducing the cost of maintenance, and decreasing the environmental impact of the course. To achieve this vision, the project included a multitude of changes. Bunkers were reconstructed, tee boxes were replaced, new golf paths were laid, greens were reshaped, turf was removed, native plants were transplanted, and course irrigation was changed, to name a few. One interesting change is the flipping of the nines. The 18 holes used to start from the more scenic, much more difficult South Course, before heading to the North Course. It only made sense to flip the nines so players have a nice difficulty progression as they play through the holes and end with a picturesque surrounding landscape. KTUA principal, Kurt Carlson, has worked on other projects for Torrey Pines for more than a decade. He brought on Chris Langdon, a KTUA senior associate because he believed he needed someone who loved golf. Langdon headed the design effort to replace turf with native shrubbery. He played a big part in identifying the five acres of turf to be removed, which were typically not in play but visible to players and passersby. Incorporated in the design was an effort to highlight and showcase the City of San Diego Golf Operation’s efforts to conserve water. The new plant landscape is estimated to reduce water usage by 88 percent compared to the old turf, it will also be irrigated using recycled water. This high-profile renovation has received positive reviews from PGA Tour professionals, putting the City of San Diego Golf Operations in the spotlight and showcases its drive to maintain a high level of player experience, which is why Torrey Pines has remained an international golfing destination.