DES MOINES, Iowa — After the conclusion of last years' Principal Charity Classic, Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines shut down its golf course for a year in order to make changes to the course to support its longevity. Wakonda Club has hosted
Wakonda Club has hosted the Principal Charity Classic since 2013 and is a popular location to golf in the Des Moines metro.
Director of Golf Aaron Krueger knew it was a necessary decision to close for a year, even if it resulted in a loss of revenue.
"Trees were planted in different areas, and it shrunk our playing corridors," Krueger told Local 5 in November. "When you do that, across rolling topography like we have with these hills here, you lose a lot of playability of the golf course."
Wakonda Club worked with many architectural and infrastructural companies to accelerate the renovation process ahead of this year's event.
"Our hope is to have some member play prior," Krueger said in November. "Then that's the first major event that we'll have is unveiling it during the Principal Charity Classic."
Here are some of the renovations golfers will soon experience:
- All new tee boxes – design and locations, adding length to championship tees, shortened the forward tees and spaced the yardages of each tee appropriately
- Expanded over 10 acres of fairway space, while joining two sets of fairways – 8 & 10 and 11 & 15
- Rebuilt greens on holes 2, 5, 9, 15 and 17
- Installed a new irrigation system
- Moved the pumphouse from the lowest point of the property to the highest point
- Rebuilt the short game practice area
A full list of renovations can be viewed here.
"I think we're set for years and years and years to come," Krueger said in November. "I think it's going to be fantastic for our membership. That's really, obviously what we did it for, is to enhance the membership experience here."
Aside from the Principal Charity Classic, Wakonda Club has hosted many other tournaments, including the NCAA Championship, America's Cup and the Iowa Amateur.