Ravenna’s New Short Game Practice Area Set to Open

Members at The Club at Ravenna in Littleton have an exciting summer ahead. In addition to a new pool, fitness center, outdoor event space, grill, and sunset terrace set to open as part of Ravenna’s Clubhouse Project, a newly constructed short game practice area is also near completion and will be available for use in a couple of months.

In September, Ravenna – along with Kevin Atkinson of Phelps-Atkinson Golf Course Design – began construction on the 1-acre practice area which includes two practice greens, four sand bunkers and surrounding fairway and rough that will allow golfers to practice virtually any shot they can imagine within 80 yards. Several trees were added to the location just north of the green on the first hole, and the practice area sits adjacent to the scenic landscape of Pike National Forest. Golfers would have a hard time finding a more picturesque location to improve their short game anywhere in Colorado.

New target greens are also being added to the driving range to enhance the entire practice facility at Ravenna, a winner of three 2018 CAGGY Awards (Best Denver Region Club, Best Par 3 – #16, Best Par 5 – #14) and host of the Schomp BMW Cup in June.

For the construction of the practice area, golf course superintendent Steve Datwyler says, “In the fall, we were faced with a decision to seed or sod the newly constructed area. We chose to seed which offered us the benefit of choosing newer water saving turfgrass varieties that are better adapted to our specific site. Seeding also produces better results once the 8-12 week establishment period is complete.”

This spring, protective covers were removed and frequent fertilizer inputs have been applied to accelerate growth. Datwyler adds that after the first mowing the new turf has begun to spread laterally and over the next two months will be ready to be mowed to the maintenance height of 1/8”. Bunker liners and sand will be installed by June 1 and the area will open a few weeks after that.

“The new practice area is the latest in our ongoing commitment and promise to deliver an elite club experience for our Members throughout our Club,” adds George Kahrhoff, Director of Golf and Club Operations. Ravenna’s members, now nearing 300 in total and forecasted to be near capacity by 2019, can now look forward to fine tuning their short games throughout the summer in the quiet seclusion of the new practice area. They’ll just have to sneak away from the pool to do so.

For more information, visit Ravenna’s brand new website at https:///www.ravennagolf.com

Ravenna Short Game Practice Area – 4/22/18 from The Club at Ravenna on Vimeo.