This Florida golf course is undergoing a major ‘top to tail’ renovation

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Florida golf courses fight a balancing act with water.

They need enough, and then some, in many places. But not an abundance in other spots.

Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach, one of Central Florida’s most respected courses for 50-plus years, is taking on that balancing act with a renovation project that’s both complete and still ongoing.

Sugar Mill’s 27 holes are divided by color — the Red, White and Blue. The Red and White were the original 18 holes when the course was built in 1970 by architect Joe Lee, who died in 2003. The Blue nine opened in 1984.

The restoration, ticketed at $6.5 million, is being handled by architect Ron Garl, who once worked under Lee.

“The current project is ‘top to tail.’ It keeps the bones of the course but brings it up to date,” says Derek Morrison, Sugar Mill’s director of golf.

Tees and fairways, greens and bunkers are all getting a makeover. The White nine recently reopened, with the Red nine still undergoing work and projected to reopen in November. The Blue nine is scheduled for similar work in three years.

Upgraded irrigation replaces the course’s original system from 1970, and the new bunkers include a new-age element to controlling water. A layer of capillary concrete in the faces, under the sand, is designed to help the bunkers survive driving rains (and reduce post-storm manpower needs).

“A state-of-the-art irrigation system replaces the original, and new tech in the bunker faces will help avoid the washouts Florida courses fight with the downpours we get,” Morrison says.

Sugar Mill is a members-owned, private facility that includes tennis, pickleball and a full-service clubhouse. The golf course has been host to several U.S. Women’s Open qualifiers.