Elcona Country Club is preparing to renovate its main practice tee as part of the club’s continued commitment to improving playing conditions and providing members with one of the finest practice facilities in the region.
The project is designed to restore the approximately 30-year-old tee to a smooth, level surface while introducing a turf variety selected for improved durability, environmental tolerance and faster recovery from divots.
Over three decades of use, the practice tee has developed an uneven surface and a mixture of grass varieties with different irrigation and maintenance requirements. The renovation will replace that patchwork with HGT bluegrass, a newer variety that can be maintained at a half-inch mowing height and offers greater tolerance to drought, heat and fungal diseases.
The grass also spreads through underground stems known as rhizomes. Because more plant material remains below the point of impact when a golfer takes a divot, properly sand-filled divots are expected to recover more quickly.
“The goals of this project are to fully restore the tee to a new, flat surface with new turf that has better genetics and increased divot recovery times,” Golf Course Superintendent Ryan Cummings explained in the club’s Rub of the Green course-maintenance blog.
Preparatory work began with applications to remove the existing turf. During the week of September 14, Elcona’s grounds team was scheduled to remove the bluegrass surrounding the tee and spread approximately 100 tons of sand across the surface in preparation for the contractor’s arrival.
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The primary renovation is scheduled to begin September 21. The contractor will incorporate the new sand into the existing surface, laser-grade the tee to create a level hitting area with a slight slope for drainage and seed the renovated surface with HGT bluegrass.
Elcona’s maintenance team will also make minor irrigation adjustments and install new sod around the tee once grading and seeding are complete. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be finished by September 28.
The practice facility will remain available during construction with temporary access and operating changes. Beginning September 22, golfers will use the front tee while the main upper tee remains closed for the rest of the season. The short-game area will also remain open, although access routes will be modified while work is underway.
Club officials recognize that the renovation will create short-term inconveniences but believe the finished project will provide lasting benefits for members, the maintenance team and the overall practice experience.
“This renovation may create some short-term inconveniences, [but] the long game and finished product will be a major upgrade and continue to set the standard as the best practice facilities in the area,” Cummings wrote.
The project reflects Elcona Country Club’s broader commitment to thoughtful course improvements and sound agronomic management. The club’s grounds team regularly communicates with members about turf health, course conditions, maintenance practices and upcoming capital projects through its educational Rub of the Green blog.
Elcona is also partnering with local high schools to introduce students to careers in golf course maintenance. Two students are currently being onboarded to gain real-world experience working with the club’s grounds team.
Founded in 1956 and designed by noted golf course architect William Diddle, Elcona’s course was later renovated by Arthur Hills. The property features mature tree lines, Poa annua greens and bentgrass fairways. Elcona is also a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and maintains close ties with Purdue University’s turfgrass management programs.
About Elcona Country Club
Located in Bristol, Indiana, Elcona Country Club provides golf, dining, aquatics, fitness, hiking, social activities and special-event services in a friendly, family-oriented environment. Its golf course is recognized for its mature landscape, conditioning and history of hosting major Indiana golf tournaments. Additional information is available at ElconaCC.com.
Source: Adapted from Ryan Cummings’ September 4, 2026, Rub of the Green course update for Elcona Country Club. Read the original blog post at Course Notes, 9/4/26.
