GreatHorse
Hampden, Massachusetts
- Address128 Wilbraham Rd, Hampden, MA 01036, USA
The realization of the Antonacci racehorse family, GreatHorse is an extraordinary $50 million Brian Silva transformation of the bankrupt Hampden Country Club property into an opulent, private golfing retreat.
The golf course has undergone a complete facelift – "everything is new… the irrigation, tee boxes, fairways, greens, bunkers and cart paths,'' according to head professional Billy Downes – with only the routing remaining intact from its original 1973 design.
Renovations started when the club closed in July 2012, six months after it was purchased at auction.
“We started tearing apart bunkers at the start of that season, but then it turned from a ($3 million) bunker renovation to a full-course renovation,” Billy Downes said. “The big complaint was the 1st and 10th holes, with tee shots that were blind (so) we moved the most earth on holes 1, 9, 10 and 15.”
Notable on-course changes include a peninsula green on the 4th which is driveable from the forward tees; a double green at the 5th and 7th; and a pond that’s surrounded by a large horseshoe-shaped tee box at the par three 12th hole.
Summing up the upgrade, Billy Downes said: "Silva gave it a ton of modern characteristics, with an old school feel.''
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Brian Silva joined Geoff Cornish and his partner Bill Robinson in 1983 and he remained with the company until 2000, when he left to establish his own design practice.
