Course of the Week: Omni La Costa begins renovations to Champions Course

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., recently broke ground on the renovation of its Champions Course — one of its two 18-hole courses. The Champions course will host three consecutive NCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships beginning in May 2024.

Gil Hanse’s, Hanse Golf Course Design, which recently designed Fields Ranch East at the soon-to-open Omni PGA Frisco (Texas) Resort, will lead the renovation.

Photo: Omni La Costa Resort & Spa

“We are excited to officially kick off this work with Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and the rest of their team,” Kurt Alexander, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts, said. “We believe that the Champions Course will be one of the marquee courses available to the public in Southern California after this renovation, and is another example of Omni’s commitment to elevating the experience across our golf portfolio nationwide.”

Specific changes planned include the creation of a drivable par 4 on hole 11, a repositioned green on the par 3 16th hole that is reminiscent of Augusta National’s 12th hole, and a reachable par 5 on 18 with its putting surface brought closer to the existing creek. The course will play as a par 72 and have the flexibility to play from 4,300 to 7,500 yards.

Other considerations in this project are environmental in nature. For example, transitioning irrigation lines that will continue to use reclaimed water, removing man-made ponds and reintroducing natural barrancas composed of drought-tolerant and native species.

“The setting and surrounds of the Champions Course lend themselves to a golf experience that looks and feels authentic to Southern California,” says Hanse. “Our design work will bring a bit more simplicity and elegance to course aesthetics. This will be accompanied by a strategic focus balancing enjoyment for everyday play by members and resort guests, with shot-making requirements that test the best of collegiate golf.”

In addition to this renovation, another project focused on reimagining the resort’s golf practice facility is in the works. This project, led by Beau Welling and his firm, Beau Welling Design, focuses on elevating the practice experience with a newly lengthened driving range and expanded short game area.

Like the golf course project, the practice range upgrades would incorporate a new irrigation system that will allow the facility to maintain efficient usage of water for sustainability considerations.