During the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the golf industry’s grand annual shindig, a fair bit of chatter revolved around Dunedin Golf Club, a municipally-owned course 93 miles away. Admittedly, there’s a reference or two to Dunedin every year; after all, the club was home to the PGA of America from 1945 through 1962 and hosted the very first PGA Show in 1954. This year, however, folks were talking about the Donald Ross-designed golf course, not the club. Following a $6 million restoration by architect Kris Spence, Dunedin is rocking a beat it hasn’t enjoyed since New Year’s Day, 1927 when the course opened for play.
Debuting as Dunedin Isles Country Club, Dunedin was an expression of Donald Ross in peak form. Oakland Hills (South), Inverness and Oak Hill (East) were already on his resume, yet he called Dunedin Isles his “masterpiece.” Certainly, architects were prone to tossing out that term when there was real estate to sell, but in truth, Dunedin earned that praise.
