Renovation at Wakonda Club, Des Moines Iowa

[tatertot]

I've heard rumors of what went down at the club before and during this major renovation ... Anybody have insider/member details?

[sleuth]

Who cares? The master plan looks great and the renovations will improve the course. Considering their downstroke is/was one of the lowest in the Des Moines metro, and at one point they even waived it -- why the uproar? Anyway, it's really not worth discussion.

[tatertot]

Well ... From what I've heard, a number of members cared enough to leave and go to other area clubs.

 

But before I start another thread, I'll run it past you and see if it's worthy of discussion.

[sleuth]

Lol this concerns you -- why?

 

They decided to renovate. They assessed. Members left. They're the most exclusive club in Des Moines now. Submit your membership.

Edited August 3, 2023 by sleuth

[jshel]

It is going to be wonderful. They have shared a ton of photos/videos on Instagram. 

 

I played this spring and even with the tree removal they started last winter, the course was much better. 

 

I look foward to seeing it next year after they reopen. 

[lewis17web]

The renovation went better than could be expected and the membership is already rebounding and likely full again by this time next year. Considering the quality of the work assessment wasn't that bad. 

[pmang]

I drove by on Fleur Dr today. From the road it looks great!

Edited October 28, 2023 by pmang

[tatertot]

12 hours ago, pmang said:

I drove by on Fluer Dr today. From the road it looks great!

It really does, shocked by how green and filled in it looks.

 

They won't be opening for play until the Principal, however.

[lewis17web]

We should be out before PCC. Course has generally grown in well. Some of the approaches and surrounds need to fill in more. A few tee boxes that were seeded late need to grow a bit. The greens have all grown in and 5 new greens will blend in well. Bunkers are deep for sure. New 18 is going to be a tough hole with a deep mid fairway bunker. 

[Hawkeye]

The restoration at Wakonda has been exceptional. The course has improved in about every way. The club has this brochure that explains the details of the restoration. Can’t wait to see how it plays during the Principal Charity Classic in late May. 

Wakonda Club Rack Card.pdf

[lewis17web]

Probably will be easier for the pros. Fairways are wider and there are a lot of new bunkers in play but doubt they will have trouble avoiding them. A lot of the old runoffs in the valleys are gone because the landing areas on 4, 6, 12 were evened out. Greens are bigger with more subtle breaks now so with increased green speeds that will be a bit of an equalizer. Overall the new course is awesome and greening up well. Seeing the 8th and 10th fairways combined with one big open space is impressive. Same for 11/15 connector green. I expect demand to play the course this summer will be up.