Ross course makeover reveals gem at Biltmore Hotel in Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fla., - Coral Gables is said to be one of Miami’s most exclusive and beautiful communities. It was named after the native home of famed landscape architect, Fredrick Law Olmstead who implemented architectural motifs from historic cities in the south of Spain as a compliment to Florida’s rich Spanish history.In this beautiful city above the traditional tree-lined streets it is hard to miss the striking 315-foot central tower of the Biltmore Hotel. The tower was modeled after the Cathedral of Seville’s Giralda tower. It is absolutely magnificent and as you approach it you find what lies beneath it is equally as stunning. The Biltmore Hotel has been called an “opulent sanctuary, a relic of the past made new again.”
The Biltmore Hotel has fused together traditional architecture with the most modern luxuries of today. Take one step inside its grand lobby and you will be taken away by the sites that surround you. The details all along the walls and ceilings are brilliant. And then within this gem of the past are its renowned new additions which include a Zen-inspired Spa, exquisite restaurants and an award-winning gym facility.
To go along with this clash of traditional infused with contemporary it only seemed logical to revamp the Biltmore Golf Course. The course has been proclaimed to be one of Donald Ross’s more original designs. In November of 2007 The Biltmore Golf Course was reopened after a $5 million makeover. It has been said that the redesign will make this course barely recognizable to long-term patrons of the resort. The only things retained in the wake of its restoration were the original corridors for the holes.
A scenic view of the Biltmore Hotel from a newly constructed bridge leading to the 16th tee.
When Brian Silva was hired to revitalize the golf course, he said, “the Biltmore Golf Course was a great story before I ever stepped foot on the property.” He was able to work with original routing plans, vintage aerial photographs and Ross’s handwritten notes when conducting the redesign. Silva described his work at the golf course as a “sympathetic restoration” of Ross’s design.
In the process all of the greens, tees and bunkers have been reconstructed and grassed to contemporary standards according to USGA specifications. A new irrigation system has been installed and as a result of a six-month rehabilitation program course drainage has been improved.
The course certainly pays tribute to the vision of Donald Ross. Each hole possesses its own unique characteristics. No one hole resembles another. The end result is that the course is truly fun to play. It avoids any attempt at being unbearably complicated and serves as a fair test for golfers of all ages and skill levels.
Due to the high degree of authenticity at the Biltmore Golf Course no major changes or alternations were necessary during its restoration.
In conjunction with the exquisite landscape of the course the wildlife serves as a yet another unique feature. The canal is home to manatees and also has been said to attract great blue herons, great white ibis, red tailed hawks and other birds. The iguanas however are truly an unbelievable sight. Several of them, up to five feet in length, roam the course and tend to favor the banks of the canal along the 8th and 9th holes.
Upon the conclusion of the Biltmore Golf Course Brian Silva said, “I’d like to think the golf course is now much closer in quality to the hotel, if not its equal.” And after having had the chance to experience both the course and the hotel we’d have to agree that the course is now a wonderful compliment to the Biltmore.
The golf course will prove a great and positive return to the past for those lucky enough to have played it in the past, and a real treat for those trying it for the first time.
One of the many iguanas to be found along the
banks of the canal between hole Nos. 8 and 9.
For readers of this feature the Biltmore Hotel is offering a special exclusive promotion to play the Ross course anytime during June thru September. For details call 305-445-1926 or 800-727-1926 or visit their website at www.biltmorehotel.com.
The Biltmore Hotel is conveniently located for those conducting business in the city of Miami, close to both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale airports and only a 15 minute drive to the shopping and nightlife of South Beach.
Return to Travel & Leisure archives