In part one of this week's Metro Golf Report, we introduced you to Silo Ridge Country Club up in Dutchess County. Now in part two, we look at how the club is getting set to undergo a half a billion dollar renovation that will appeal to golfers and non-golfers alike.

Golfers have been hogging the gorgeous view from Silo Ridge Country Club in Amenia all to themselves for too long so the owners have decided to embark on a $700 million to $800 million renovation project that, they say, will turn the grounds into an all-inclusive resort and spa and even vineyard.

Golfers, of course, will remain a key focus of the property, which is why they're bringing in a top name to re-work the course.

“We hired Ernie Els to do the golf course. We're very excited about that,” says Robert Caeners of Silo Ridge Country Club. “It's his first golf course in the United States. The bones of the course are going to be similar, but there's going to be a lot of re-routing, you know lengthening, the greens and tees are going to change to different positions, a little more interesting positions.”

“The round is going to start with a spectacular hole up on top of the hill here behind the clubhouse where we're going to have our vineyard,” he continues. “The first hole is going to start there and you can actually see three states from the first hole. It's just magnificent — I think when they go to tee up the first hole they're going to be beside themselves. All the holes are going to be a bit different, there's going to be a lot of water holes, lots of aesthetics, natural, though, very natural looking, we're going to have a waterfall that looks a little like Valderama a little bit on that hole.”

The real changes around, however, will be all the non-golf-related stuff.

“Right up here on the left here where you see this wedding ceremony area we're going to have some golf villas and corporate villas, along the base of the mountain overlooking the golf course with the magnificent views,” says Caeners. “There's going to be single-family homes and down by the island green we’re going to have a small section of town homes, and then right to the right here by the clubhouse is going to be a hotel. It’s going to have a 65,000 to 70,000 square foot spa, state-of-the-art. Where the parking lot is now, this will be a village green. All the parking will be underneath. Inside the village green there’s going to be a nice central park area, there's going to be a nice water feature there. In the winter that'll turn into a skating rink with a little warming hut and then again right around the green, you'll have a series of retail shops, gourmet shop, deli shop, wine and cheese and that kind of thing.”

Work starts next June and will shut down the course completely for the entire 2009 season.

The project is then expected to be completed within five or six years.

— Adam Balkin