Denver officials announced this week what firms have been picked for consideration to redesign the City Park Golf Course and its facilities, releasing a sketch of plans for the site and laying out what it will offer golfers.

If plans are approved, the course will be designed by architect/designer iConGolf Studio with golf design adviser Hale Irwin. Saunders Construction with Aspen Corporation will handle the reworking, and clubhouse architect Johnson Nathan Strohe will also contribute to the project.

The recommendations now head to Denver City Council for consideration and follow a collaborative, nine-month selection process that officials say was driven by a panel of city staff and community representatives, as well as golf and technical experts.

“The identification of a recommended City Park Golf Course Redesign team is a significant milestone in this important project,” Happy Haynes, executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation, said in a written statement. “The proposal developed by the Saunders design/build team will allow the City to deliver a project that reduces flood risks in nearby neighborhoods, while ensuring City Park Golf Course continues to be one of Denver’s crown jewels for years to come.”

The golf course’s redesign comes as a result of the city’s contentious plans for Platte to Park Hill storm drainage projects. A plan to regrade the western portion of the golf course to create a deeper storm detention area is one of four major projects, and construction is expected to close the course from late 2017 to 2019.

Opponents of the drainage plans, including parks advocates, say the golf course project is an affront to a prized urban green space that threatens to uproot 150 to 280 trees and relocate the clubhouse. But some golfers have argued the project offers a chance for a much-needed redesign that could incorporate the drainage area into a fresher layout

The redesign would cost an estimated $40 million, and the city says it will “seamlessly integrate stormwater detention into the course and provide critical flood control to the surrounding community.” Related Articles December 17, 2016 Denver’s City Park Golf Course is overdue for a redesign

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While plans for the course remain in the works, some of the redesign highlights include:

An 18-hole Parkland style course with par 71

Additional course yardage

A new, relocated clubhouse that allows for “returning nines”

A full driving range that accommodates all clubs and meets safety needs without netting

Denver City Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet on Tuesday to consider the recommended redesign team for a full City Council vote.

City Park Golf Course is slated to remain open through the 2017 golf season.