Trump About To Close On Doral; Tabs Hanse For Blue Monster Redo

Bradley Klein says Donald Trump is about to close on his purchase of Doral resort and has hired architect Gil Hanse "to undertake a dramatic renovation of the Blue Monster, the most famous of the resort’s five courses and home to the PGA Tour's annual World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship next month."

Renovation work on the Blue Monster likely would not start until after the 2013 WGC-Cadillac. Preliminary plans including lengthening the course, with particular attention to moving six greens, and stretching out the opening hole, which is a short par-5. The driving range also will be expanded, all greens rebuilt, and a new turf cover of Bermudagrass will be installed.

Wilson’s plan for the golf course showed a 7,065-yard, par-72 layout, with dramatic use of bunkers on the inside of doglegs that featured turn points of 250 yards from the back tees. He also used a strong diagonal orientation of the greens to create strategy. Hanse and his design associate Jim Wagner will seek to reinstate those angles of play at distances more suitable to modern tournament play – all while making landing areas and greens more receptive for average resort goers.