Mohegan Sun golf course being redone for 2012 debut

For years, descriptions of the former Pautipaug Country Club frequently referred to it as one of eastern Connecticut's, or Connecticut's or even New England's "best kept secrets."

Mohegan Sun may have let the cat peek out of the bag when it acquired the private Baltic golf course for $4.4 million in 2007, rechristening it Mohegan Country Club at Pautipaug. But the course's real coming out party figures to be in 2012 when it reopens following renovations begun last month.

"It will be a more exceptional value for members and (casino) guests," Gary Crowder, Mohegan Sun's senior vice president of resort operations, said Thursday.

In recent years, many resort casinos, including Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, have begun offering golf as an amenity for its guests. Foxwoods opened the 36-hole Lake of Isles club in North Stonington in 2005, its North Course gaining recognition as the top public course in Connecticut and among the top 100 in the country.

"Lake of Isles has been something that differentiated them from us," Crowder said. "Golf was missing (at Mohegan Sun). It's almost a requirement nowadays, especially in a competitive environment. We're trying to be as many things to as many people as possible."

The Pautipaug renovation includes improvements to the course's irrigation system and the rebuilding of holes 6, 7, 11 and 12, as well as new greens on 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8. Some 125 yards of length will be added to the existing 6,691-yard layout and about 16,000 feet of asphalt cart paths will be laid. The project does not include any work on the clubhouse.

By far, the biggest part of the project is the irrigation system, which the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority knew it would have to upgrade to meet the requirements of a state Department of Environmental Protection permit. The authority, which operates Mohegan Sun, closed the course Aug. 2 and work on the project began immediately.

Its price tag is "in the millions," according to Crowder, who declined to be more specific.

The work calls for the clearing of more than 100 trees in a five-acre area and the excavation of 150,000 cubic yards of soil. Three ponds with a surface area of 4.7 acres will be created to store up to 13.5 million gallons of water. Seven wells capable of pumping 225,000 gallons per day during the season will feed the ponds. More than 2,400 sprinkler heads and 16.7 miles of plastic piping will be installed.

Crowder said most of Pautipaug's nearly 260 members retained their memberships when Mohegan Sun took over the course and were supportive of the renovation plan. Since acquiring the club, Mohegan Sun has added some seasonal members but no new full-time members, he said.

Many of the members have arranged to play elsewhere in 2011 and have indicated they will return to Pautipaug when it reopens in 2012, Crowder said.