Reconfiguring the fairways of the Royal Montreal Golf Club is a bit like trying to retouch The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí or restore the Taj Mahal. As a general rule, you never transform a work of art.
However, in view of the Presidents Cup, presented from September 24 to 29, the club has given itself the ambitious mission of transforming the appearance of one of the most prestigious courts in North America. The Press was invited to report on the progress of the work 100 days before the event.
Ryan Hart, general director of the event, joined us at the tee box, where the best players from the American team and the international team will tee off.
According to the images revealed by Hart on his phone, the players will be surrounded by stands when they hit their first shot on this magnificently maintained tee. “It will have a bit of the look and feel of a stadium, but on a golf course,” said the man who wore a jacket in the tournament colors.
For comparison, the decoration of this first tee will somewhat resemble, in appearance, the installations created at the Marco Simone golf club, venue of the last Ryder Cup.
Hart first drives us to the 14th hole of the Blue course in the cart of Mike Weir, captain of the international team. In terms of visuals and comfort, this car is nothing like the carts in which we are used to returning to write our often disappointing results. It is painted completely black and has cushioned seats. No detail has been overlooked, right down to the rims on which we find the logo of the city of Montreal.
Going towards the 14th hole, the landscape is lined with facilities whose construction is already well underway. Behind the green, it is possible to imagine the stadium effect mentioned by Hart. “But we also wanted to keep the contour as natural as possible. »
Indeed, as the mature trees which make up the charm of the property will be at the end of their cycle once autumn arrives, it would have been a shame to obstruct them with the metal structures.
In fact, the stands were still under construction. Only the first of the two planned levels was completed, to the left and behind the green. Sixteen lodges are planned there.
At the other end of the aisle, the starting markers have been moved back compared to the last Presidents Cup presented on this same field in 2007.
The next hole highlighted is the 13th, and it’s probably the favorite of the day.
On this 224-yard par 3, on which Bryson DeChambeau would probably use his 7 iron, the green will be surrounded by fans. Two split-level box facilities on each side and stands for regular ticket holders at the back of the green. Once again, the trees placed behind the stands have a predominant place in the horizon. “That’s really it. We really wanted to keep the beauty provided by all these trees,” says Ryan Hart.
It is difficult, while standing at the edge of this undulating and sloping green, not to imagine the pressure that golfers will have to deal with in the center of this temporary arena when having to hit a putt of around ten feet, especially right in the heart of the back nine.
At the 15th hole, where there will also be facilities around the green allowing a view of other holes, this time we are presented with the fairways. Mainly because the shape and dimensions are constantly evolving. “The darker turf on the right will be tall grass,” Hart says, pointing.
As the usual layout is a little too maneuverable for PGA Tour golfers, the width will be reduced to make the fairway a little less accessible.
“Members are surprised every week to see how much taller and taller the grass is,” the general manager continues.
In fact, the width of the aisle will be narrowed by approximately 25 yards. Moreover, all the sand traps have been redone and improved.
During our last visit, last fall, several ideas had been put forward, but the construction and installation were still embryonic.
A few months later, and 100 days before the event, the sketches are gradually transformed into creations. During our visit, 30 to 50 employees were working full time on the redesign of the route.
These, to the great satisfaction of Ryan Hart, will be as numerous as at the Bell Centre. Between 96 and 100 boxes will be available to fans willing to spend a little more.
At the end of the visit, several members were practicing at the training field. “What you see there is going to be a space for fans. It’s really very central. There will also be space for media,” says Hart.
And to add to the local charm, three areas reserved for fans have been named in honour of the host city. Many fans will therefore appreciate the qualities of this historic course by stopping in the “Old Port”, “Mont Royal” and “Griffintown” zones.