Duke University Golf Facility
Rod Myers Traning Center
DURHAM, N.C. – The construction process at the Rod Myers Training Center continues to move forward. The driving range continues to develop with a clear split fairway look allowing the teams to practice a variety of shots. The range features more teeing area to practice from along with a variety of lies for both short game and longer shots, whether that be downhill or uphill lies. With a variety for grasses, including Bermuda and Zoysia turf, the teams will have the ability to prepare for play at venues all across the country.
The much needed rain to hit the area this week will assist with the sod and growth of the facility, but it has also slowed the final stages of the project. All sod and turf on the main range is projected to be in place prior to the Rod Myers Invitational, Oct. 10-11th, with the final project completed no later than mid October to allow the surface to grow in during the prime fall growing period. J.D. Downey and his team at Golf Course Services, Inc. continue to work diligently on the project, bringing in some of the finest people from across the southeast and across the country to ensure that the project is of the highest quality. The cooperation between his crew, the coaches and the Duke Golf Club maintenance staff have made the project progress along smoothly.
Rod Myers Training Center Construction–
The Rod Myers Training Center, which is used by the Duke men’s and women’s golf programs, has kicked off a major renovation of the driving range, bunkers and chipping green. The target completion date is the beginning of the spring semester. The Rod Myers building is a heated indoor facility equipped with the latest video and teaching software technology (V1) as well as the best-selling launch monitor (Trackman). The Duke Golf Teams’ practice area will be improved to become a state-of-the-art facility for the golfers to maximize their potential.
The work is being completed by Golf Course Services, Inc.
Listed below are some of the improvements to the areas:
Driving Range:
Better layout of the landing area and targets by creating a visual of a long fairway with several slightly elevated greens on both sides.
Target greens protected by deep bunkers forcing players to work on carry yardages and attacking tucked pins.
Laser-level the teeing ground.
Three (3) challenging pitching greens close to the tee area allowing players to work a variety of “100 yards and in” shots to multiple pin flags from all angles.
Dig down in front of the teeing ground to acquire fill dirt and effectively remove the close wedge target green (preserving its materials for placement elsewhere).
Chipping Green:
Current chipping green is being resodded and redesigned to lessen the severity of the slopes.
All areas around the chipping green will be utilized for a large variety of shots such as downhill, uphill, side hill lies, long chip-and-run shots, flop shots, first cut lies and deep rough lies. The steep hills around the current chipping green will be eliminated by creating a few mounds and flatter grounds in between. After the renovations are completed, the whole practice chipping area will be used more efficiently.
One of the bunkers will be deep enough to encourage players to practice high sand shots.
Bunkers:
Move the fairway bunker in front of our teeing ground to a more “user-friendly” place between the putting green and the teeing ground
Greenside bunkers will be slightly relocated and there will be three types of sand to practice from.
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