RESTORATION

Rees Jones has spent his life studying the work of the game's greatest golf course architects and their prominent courses from past eras. Growing up playing many of the renowned golf courses in the New York Metropolitan area, Rees was exposed to classic designers such as A.W. Tillinghast and Walter Travis. As a member at Montclair Golf Club, he grew up playing the designs of Donald Ross and Charles Banks, who worked with Seth Raynor and C.B. Macdonald. These designs were the basis for what has become the classic design style that Rees Jones, Inc. is known for today.

In working with existing golf courses, our firm approaches each with the philosophy of preserving the past while recognizing the needs of the modern game. We carefully collect and study historic plans and photographs as well as assessing the needs of current infrastructure. We use this information to develop a long-term vision for the golf course that will ensure that the design work or style of the original architect is retained, while making sure that the golf course remains relevant for current and future generations of golfers.

Our firm has extensive experience successfully restoring the work of many of the classic "Golden Age" golf course designers. A good example is The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where our restoration of the course prior to the 1988 U.S. Open proved that strategic design elements could still test the game's top players. By restoring this historic course to its original style, we started a trend that persists to this day.

In its Spring 2012 issue, Golf, Inc. Magazine recognized Rees Jones, Inc. as the most active renovation design firm: "Rees Jones is known as the Open Doctor and is the most sought after architect for renovations over $1 million. His recent work has breathed new life into Tulsa Country Club, Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, NC and Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto. All three renovations helped the clubs attract a combined 300 new members."

With respect to Medinah Country Club bringing back Rees Jones to restore Medinah No. 2 in 2016, Golf Course Architecture magazine stated: “Reviewing the work on No. 2 this May, it is easy to see why the club again tapped Jones to assist with the project. If there is anyone who knows about golf course restoration, it is Rees Jones, who some consider to be the father of the restoration movement starting with his work at The Country Club in Brookline and continuing with the work at such places as Bethpage Black, Baltusrol’s Upper and Lower Courses, East Lake, Golden Horseshoe’s Gold Course and Tulsa Country Club.”

The following is a list of examples of our most notable restoration work:

Willie Campbell / William Flynn

• The Country Club, Brookline, MA

A.W. Tillinghast

• Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower Course), Springfield, NJ
• Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper Course), Springfield, NJ
• Bethpage State Park (Black Course), Farmingdale, NY
• Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, NY
• Tulsa Country Club, Tulsa, OK

Donald Ross

• East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA
• Pinehurst Country Club (Course No. 2), Pinehurst, NC
• Montclair Golf Club, West Orange, NJ
• Echo Lake Country Club, Westfield, NJ
• Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville, TN
• River Oaks Country Club, Houston, TX
• Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course), Bloomfield Hills, MI

Alister Mackenzie

• Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City, CA
• Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken, SC

Seth Raynor

• Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Dunes Course), Pebble Beach, CA

Charles Banks

• Hackensack Golf Club, Oradell, NJ
• Montclair Golf Club, West Orange, NJ

Walter Travis

• Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, NJ
• Canoe Brook Country Club (North Course), Summit, NJ
• The Golf Club at Equinox, Manchester Village, VT

Robert Trent Jones

• Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course), Johns Creek, GA
• Atlanta Athletic Club (Riverside Course), Johns Creek, GA
• Congressional Country Club (Blue Course), Bethesda, MD
• Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO
• Duke University Golf Club, Durham, NC
• Mauna Kea Golf Course, Kohala Coast, HI
• Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer Course), Greenville, SC
• Golden Horseshoe Golf Club (Gold Course), Williamsburg, VA
• The Patterson Club, Fairfield, CT
• Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, MN
• Montauk Downs, Montauk, NY
• The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Myrtle Beach, SC
• London Hunt & Country Club, London, Ontario, Canada
• North Hills Country Club, Manhasset, NY

Dick Wilson

• Cog Hill (Course #4, Dubsdread), Lemont, IL
• Lyford Cay Club, Nassau Island, New Providence, Bahamas
• The Royal Montreal Golf Club (Blue Course), Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada