A viral video last October showed what happens when hungry javelinas have free rein on a golf course in the dark of night.
Now, Seven Canyons Golf Club, located in scenic Sedona, Arizona, is getting ready to unveil a new look.
Originally a Tom Weiskopf design that opened in 2003, the course is putting the finishing touches on a Phil Smith renovation and, according to Golf Course Architecture, will reopen in April.
The course got new ownership in 2022 and Weiskopf visited later that year to offer some thoughts on the renovation, according to Golf Business News.
“It was Tom’s last site visit out of his home state of Montana,” Smith said of Weiskopf, who died in August of that year. “It was wonderful to have him here.”
The renovation includes a re-sequencing of the holes, levelling tees and rebunkering, with new sand in all the sand traps, which were returned to their original shapes.
New amenities include an 8,000-square-foot putting green and a social space called the Turn House.
Seven Canyons is tied for 178th on Golfweek’s Best Top 200 residential courses. The course does have a membership but tee times can be secured by staying in the Enchantment Resort or renting a townhouse at Seven Canyons.
During its back and forth with the javelinas, the grounds crew at Seven Canyons, with the aid of Arizona Game and Fish Department, managed to corral 18 of the wild animals before relocating them to less populated parts of the national forest nearby. It’s likely to be an ongoing battle, however.
Just when we thought we’d caught a break…with the wet weather this week, the javelina are back out causing problems on 6 fairway. Funny how they tore up the fairway right next to the trap, they ate all the snacks inside the trap and were still hungry so they started digging. pic.twitter.com/lRrDHhffVe
— Em Casey (@emcaseyturf) January 21, 2024