Zinkand Golf Design has announced the completion a major bunker and greens restoration project at the 112-year-old course at Old Elm Club in Highland Park, just north of Chicago.
Thanks to the revered Illinois course’s unique design pedigree, which was routed by Harry Colt in 1913 and subsequently constructed by Donald Ross, the engagement represented a unique opportunity for ZGD and its principal designer, David Zinkand, as Old Elm, recently ranked among GOLF Magazine’s 2024-25 Top 100 Courses in the US, represents the only project where Colt and Ross crossed paths.
Although Colt’s ingenious routing and Ross’s inspired greens remained very much intact, by the early 21st century Colt’s original bunker layout had been lost through successive course renovations. Golf course architect Drew Rogers began initial restoration efforts, recapturing width with tree clearing and expansion of fairways and putting green perimeters. Then, with Colt’s elaborate sketches and notes as inspiration, ZGD – as the club’s designer of record – and Old Elm superintendent Curtis James brought the original bunkering back to life.
“We took painstaking care to reintroduce Colt’s preferred bunkering at Old Elm, merging his aesthetic preferences and strategic concepts with modern play and maintenance expectations,” said Zinkand, who spent more than a decade working as a design associate for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. “The course now features bold bunker forms with dramatic ‘ripped’ and ‘torn’ edges that complement the site’s beautifully rolling terrain.”
The bunker restoration work occurred in parallel with the re-grassing of the golf course, including the famed Ross putting surfaces. ZGD touched six of the greens, including the celebrated Redan at Hole 17, incorporating subtle contour modifications to ensure Old Elm continues to deliver on Ross’s cunning intentions. The bunker and greens work, combined with the re-grassing and expansion of fairways to match Colt’s vision for a course presentation supporting firm and fast playing conditions, has received glowing reviews from members and guests alike.
“It’s an incredible honor to work on Old Elm’s incomparable Colt-Ross hybrid and play a role in ushering the two titans’ design ambitions into the future,” said Zinkand. “We’re proud to have earned the trust of Curtis James, former general manager Kevin Marion and the rest of the Old Elm team as they focus on delivering a unique playing experience.”
