Bobby Weed to manage historic Palatka Golf Club

Lake City alumn Bobby Weed was recently selected to manage Palatka Golf Club, a 1925 Donald Ross design in Palatka, Florida.

"Weed's professional career began with an apprenticeship under Pete Dye, an association that stretched for over 17 years.

In 1983, Weed was hired by the PGA TOUR, where he advanced to become their in-house architect in 1987. From that post, Weed was responsible for the design of many of today's best known TPC venues, which continue as host sites for prominent TOUR events.

Weed was also able to collaborate with many of the TOUR's most familiar names, including Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd and Chi Chi Rodriguez; a cross section of experience unavailable to most.

In 1994, Weed's career and experience reached an apex with the formation of his own design firm, where he continues to "hand-craft" golf courses. Today, Bobby Weed Golf Design has amassed an impressive list of accomplished courses that are consistently ranked at the top of their respective categories."

From http://www.bobbyweed.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOBBY WEED GOLF DESIGN SELECTED TO MANAGE PALATKA GOLF CLUB
Palatka, FL; February 26, 2010 – Citing an opportunity to reverse a string of annual operating losses, the Palatka City Commission voted unanimously on Thursday night to contract with Bobby Weed Golf Design, Inc. to manage their Donald Ross-designed municipal golf course.

Utilizing a novel and relevant approach, the design firm partnered with Dublin, Ohio-based T2 Golf Solutions, LLC to propose a comprehensive vision for the course that included design, agronomic, infrastructural and operational improvements. Critical to the upgrades will be a sympathetic adherence to Donald Ross’ original intent.

“We have long advocated that golf course designers need to be aware of and influence the business aspects of any course’s operation, more so today than ever before,” commented Bobby Weed. “Our partnership with T2 allows us to offer a broad and unique spectrum of integrated services that directly benefits the bottom line. By ensuring that capital projects have a solid economic rationale, our creativity creates commerce.”

One of approximately 20 municipal Donald Ross courses remaining in the country, the Palatka Golf Club has been in operation since 1925 and is the long-running host course of this month’s Florida Azalea and Senior Azalea Amateur tournaments. Together with the Ravine Gardens State Park and St. Johns River, the golf course is one of the bedrock amenities for which the City is broadly known.

“The irreversible impact of losing such a vital, historical resource was not lost on the community,” furthered Weed, “We are already seeing unified support that crosses over the boundaries between the City, Putnam County, residents that golf, and residents that do not. Our responsibility is to protect and enhance this partnership as we invest in improving the golf course.”