How Chequessett Club’s Massive Renovation Is Changing Its Future

A major phase of reconstruction at Chequessett Club on Cape Cod has wrapped up, with Turco Golf completing its construction work on a project designed to protect the nine-hole course from changing tidal conditions associated with the Herring River restoration.

Since mobilizing in January 2026, construction crews have moved approximately 250,000 cubic yards of sand to elevate five of the course’s most flood-prone holes by about 6.7 feet. The extensive earthmoving effort is part of a larger transformation that includes rebuilt greens, tees and bunkers, improved drainage, a new irrigation pond and three timber bridges.

The work follows plans developed by Howard Maurer Golf Course Design, LLC, with improvements focused on holes 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Raising the Course Above Future Tidal Conditions

Unlike a traditional golf course renovation focused primarily on playability or aesthetics, the Chequessett project addresses an environmental challenge.

The nearby Herring River restoration is intended to reestablish tidal exchange within the surrounding ecosystem. For Chequessett Club, that means preparing portions of the golf course for higher water levels and increased tidal influence.

Crews used fill excavated from an on-site borrow pit to raise vulnerable playing areas, reshaping the landscape while maintaining the course’s relationship with the surrounding marshland.

Once the elevation work was completed, crews established new contours, reconstructed golf features and installed drainage improvements. New cart paths were also incorporated into the layout.

Aerial images shared during the project show the extent of the transformation, with newly shaped fairways and playing surfaces extending toward the marsh.

New Irrigation Infrastructure and Timber Bridges

Water management is another major component of the reconstruction.

A new irrigation pond with a reported capacity of approximately one million gallons has been constructed behind the club’s maintenance facility, near the second fairway. The project also includes a new irrigation system, pump station and pump house.

Three timber bridges provide crossings within the reconstructed landscape. York Bridge Concepts, Inc. completed the bridge installations, including a substantial timber bridge deck highlighted in recent construction updates.

The bridges serve as both functional infrastructure and architectural features within the course’s coastal setting.

Multiple Contractors Contribute to the Reconstruction

The project brought together several specialized contractors working under Howard Maurer’s design plans.

Turco Golf handled golf course construction, shaping and reconstruction activities. National Lawn Sprinklers performed irrigation work, while Speakman Excavating was responsible for earthmoving operations.

Peter J Govoni Landservices handled land clearing and tree removal, and York Bridge Concepts constructed the timber bridges.

The coordinated work included site preparation, erosion control, excavation, grading, drainage, golf feature construction, irrigation infrastructure and finishing work.

Seeding and Grow-In Mark the Next Phase

Although Turco Golf has completed its assigned construction work and demobilized its crews, the overall project is not yet finished.

Recent progress updates show seeding, hydroseeding and final course preparation continuing throughout the property. These activities are important steps toward establishing healthy turf on the newly constructed playing surfaces.

The next phase will focus on turf establishment and grow-in, allowing the reconstructed greens, tees and fairways to mature before the course welcomes golfers again.

Chequessett Club is targeting a reopening in 2028.

For golf course superintendents and construction professionals, the project offers an example of how course renovation, irrigation improvements and large-scale earthmoving can come together to address changing environmental conditions.

Rather than simply repairing areas vulnerable to flooding, Chequessett Club is rebuilding significant portions of its course to accommodate the landscape’s changing relationship with the Herring River.

With major construction now complete, attention turns to establishing the turf and preparing the course for its next chapter.

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Source: Turco Golf construction announcement, November 6, 2026, and subsequent project progress information shared through industry social media updates.

Project Team: Chequessett Yacht & Country Club; Howard Maurer Golf Course Design, LLC; Turco Golf; National Lawn Sprinklers; Speakman Excavating; Peter J Govoni Landservices; York Bridge Concepts, Inc.