Redesigned holes now open at Prairie Trace Golf Course

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mikaley Kline
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio - The 88th Force Support Squadron conducted a ribbon cutting June 25 before reopening two holes at Prairie Trace Golf Course on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The ceremony marked completion in the redesign and relocation of the seventh and eighth holes, the first phase within a multiyear construction project necessary to relieve overcrowding at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. 

After years of sustained mission growth, NASIC faced a shortfall of more than 250,000 square feet of office space for intelligence analysts, but had no room to expand, given the surrounding roads, buildings and golf course. 

“The NASIC mission has grown so much and with that demand comes a need for more people to do that job,” said Col. Paul Burger, 88th Mission Support Group commander. “As a result of the expansion, we had to move a road and a couple of golf course holes.”

Between March 2017 and March 2018, installation planners — in coordination with civil engineers, NASIC, the Army Corps of Engineers and 88 FSS —  studied options for meeting NASIC’s space requirements, from building vertically on top of existing facilities or developing an addition after relocating adjacent roads and buildings to constructing an entirely new NASIC complex elsewhere.   

“The team determined the most cost-effective solution would be to build a five-story office tower addition—which is now visible under construction—after first relocating Spruce Way and Prairie Trace holes seven and eight,” said Kevin Hacker, 88 FSS Community Services Flight chief. “The relocation of Spruce Way cost $5 million and was completed in October.”

In August 2019, the Corps of Engineers awarded a contract to National Contracting Services of Louisville, Kentucky, to construct new seventh and eighth holes at a cost of just under $2 million. Construction was completed last September, with the new turf growing in and becoming established over the winter and spring.

Under Army Corps of Engineers supervision, detailed design work on the holes began in December 2018, with Dayton engineering firm Woolpert Inc. overseeing the construction documents to build the design prepared by renowned golf course architect Michael Hurdzan.

Hurdzan has worked on more than 400 courses spread over five continents.

“It’s always a challenge when you work on a military base for lots of reasons, but we had a very strong team of people that were part of solving the problems,” Hurdzan said. “It had its challenges since the land had been previously used for other things, but we’re really proud of the end result. It’s a pleasure being associated with any military golf course.”