Golf Course Architecture - Issue47 April 2017.pdf - Tudor Rose

THE GLOBAL JOURNAL OF GOLF DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

ISSUE 00 MONTH YEAR

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THE GLOBAL JOURNAL OF GOLF DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

ISSUE 51 JANUARY 2018

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ON THE COVER

WELCOME

The closing hole at Adare Manor Resort near Limerick, Ireland, photographed by Larry Lambrecht. Fazio Design has completely redesigned the 1995 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. layout. Read more on page 50.

01

Tipping pointThe Internet has changed the world so dramatically in the last 25 years it is almost impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t lived through it how different things were back in the early 1990s when I personally entered the workforce.

I have a vivid memory of my first job, in 1992, as editorial assistant on a global financial magazine. My editor had asked me to get a photograph of a senior Wall Street executive, so I called his assistant in New York, explained that it was urgent, and she said ‘No problem, I’ll Fedex it tonight’. That conversation happened just before I left work for the day. Shortly after I arrived at work the next morning, a Fedex courier arrived bearing a package addressed to me: it was the photograph, flown across the Atlantic overnight. I was flabbergasted that something could move so quickly. But now, of course, she’d email me a photograph, of far better quality than that print, in a minute. What we thought remarkable less than a generation ago has been totally put in the shade.

That rather lengthy anecdote is by way of introducing our Design 2030 survey, which is our feature story for this issue. I truly believe we are at a tipping point in our industry, a generational shift that will see a total transformation in how golf courses are designed and (possibly) built. How is that change going to play itself out? I have my ideas; so do the many architects we talked to for our survey. Read the report on page 28.

Adam LawrenceEditor

www.atlanticgolfconstruction.com

http://www.atlanticgolfconstruction.com/

At Adare Manor in Ireland, Atlantic Golf Construction has successfully completed a major project to completely rebuild the golf course, working alongside golf course architecture firm Fazio Design.Photograph by Larry Lambrecht, courtesy of Adare Manor.

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21ST

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ISSN: 1745-3585. Printed in Great Britain by Buxton Press

© 2018 Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means,

including whether by photocopying, scanning, downloading onto computer or otherwise without the prior written permission from Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd.

Views expressed in Golf Course Architecture are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility

can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. Readers should take appropriate professional advice before acting on any issue raised herein.

The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising material and editorial contributions. The publisher assumes no liability for the return of unsolicited art, photography or manuscripts.

It is assumed that any images taken from sources which are widely distributed, such as on the Web, are in the public domain. It is recognised though that since such images tend to be passed freely

between sources it is not always possible to track the original source. If copyrighted material has ended up being treated as public domain due to the original source not

being identified please contact the publisher, Tudor Rose.

Editor Adam Lawrence

News Editor Sean Dudley

Contributors Ian Andrew; Paul Chester; Ross McMurray; Sam Thomas

Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham

Website Development Chris Jackson

Photography C.W. Golf Architecture; Carrick Design; David Cannon/David Cannon Collection/Getty Images; Ecobunker;

Gary Lisbon; Greg Norman Golf Design; Hunter Industries; Jemsek Golf Designs; Joann Dost; Joshua C.F. Smith; Larry Lambrecht;

Marco Martin; Marcus Lovelock; Matt Weinberger; ModernTake; Mungeam Cornish Golf Design; Paul McLeod; Ralph Dörnte;

Ron Forse; RTJ II; Schmidt Curley Design; Sherif Harby; Swan Golf Design; Thomson, Perrot & Lobb; Union College, Schenectady

Publisher Toby Ingleton

Publication & Sales Manager Benedict Pask

Circulation Ritwik Bhattacharjee

Reprints Stuart Fairbrother

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Golf Course Architecture is published with the support and guidance of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the European Golf

Course Owners Association, the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, and GEO Foundation

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Hogs Head Golf Club, Waterville, Ireland, Opening Spring 2018 | Photo: Evan Schiller

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CONTENTS

11

15 In this issue’s Tee Box section, GCA visits Danzante Bay in Mexico to take a look at the completed course, which has been designed by Rees Jones. We also speak to architect Tim Lobb, and find out about George Golf Design’s renovation of ‘The Hill’.

28 How might the profession of golf course architecture change between now and 2030? Adam Lawrence speaks with a number of golf course architects to get their thoughts.

38 Ian Andrew explains why he thinks restoration projects may soon be a thing of the past.

40 Ross McMurray discusses how a new concept of kaleidoscope golf has been incorporated into the design of a golf course in Russia.

43 Are innovation and golf on a collision course? Huxley Golf ’s Paul Chester doesn’t think so.

44 GEO Foundation’s Sam Thomas considers the return to the traditions of golf course design.

46 Sean Dudley takes a look at Greg Norman Golf Course Design’s ‘least disturbance’ approach.

50 Fazio Design has recently renovated the golf course at Adare Manor in Ireland, so Toby Ingleton pays a visit.

58 Adam Lawrence reports on David McLay Kidd’s recent work at Rolling Hills in Los Angeles.

64 Aguilón Golf in southern Spain is a course that has found success despite a challenging location and difficult economic conditions, as Toby Ingleton finds out.

68 Adam Lawrence visits Christian Lundin’s rebuild of a smalltown course in Sweden.

72 A recent Major Series of Putting tournament in Las Vegas was so successful, there are plans for a permanent fixture.

GCA GREEN PAGES 2018

This issue of Golf Course Architecture comes with our annual supplier directory. Also find out more online at golfcoursearchitecture.net/greenpages.

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GREEN PAGES 2018

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MAIL BOX

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Dear EditorWe are working hard with the difficult task of making golf more inclusive. How can we succeed? By building good quality courses in accessible locations that are fun/interesting to play and with a positive impact on the environment?

At Värpinge on the western edge of the Swedish city of Lund we have a three hole free short course that we call the Wild West, a six hole reversible kids’ course (Knattebana) designed by Johan Benestam, and a nine hole full length city course with two par fives, three par fours and four par threes designed by Tommy Nordström.

We are in the planning stage of building a modern eighteen hole full length course (Skt Hans) in the northern part of Lund designed by Forrest Richardson. It is a difficult time for many courses in Sweden and some are still struggling. With the perfect location for the Skt Hans course I am confident that it will be built but cannot give an exact date.

I see several initiatives on reversible courses: Tom Doak’s Loop at Forest Dunes in Michigan, and a nine hole facility designed by Frank Pont in Holland. Do you know of any others? We opened the Värpinge Kids course in August 2013 and

at that point I could not find any others. Maybe Värpinge was first out?

At the moment my focus is on the development of so called ‘agroforestry’ which will add functionality on the roughs at Värpinge; walnut, hazel, fruit trees, berries and rhubarb in places the golfers rarely ‘visit’. We still graze the whole course with sheep and are very content with the natural roughs they ‘produce’.

I attach some photos. On the aerial the Kids course is the small (two hectares) and undulated area adjacent to the clubhouse/nine hole course.

Yours sincerely

Håkan RasmussonVärpinge, Lund, Sweden

Editor’s note: the only other reversible courses of which we are aware are Dan Hixson’s Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon and Mill Creek in Russia, which Ross McMurray describes in more detail on page 41. Please let us, and Håkan, know of any we have missed.

Making golf inclusive

13

Well, last issue’s competition didn’t cause too many problems. Sandy was, of course, sitting on the famous Duel Hole at the ultra-exclusive San Francisco Golf Club – site, in 1859, of the last legal duel in California, between state senator David Broderick and former California Supreme Court justice David Terry (Broderick was killed). The hole, a 189 downhill par three, is remarkable enough, in all fairness, even without the extra history. Paul Thomas of Chicago, a regular Gopher Watch entrant, got it right and was first out of the hat, so congratulations Paul, and your shirt is on the way.

Another very famous American hole this time, a short but treacherous par four, and a source of much controversy. Some reckon it’s one of the best holes in the world; others that it’s an excrescence. We only care that you can identify it, and, as usual, we’ll give a GCA golf shirt to the first correct entry drawn. Entries, as ever, to [email protected].

GOPHER WATCH


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The third at Danzante Bay, a heroic par three, is one of seven new canyon holes

Danzante Bay opens following completion of final seven holes

TEE BOX

15

All 18 holes of the new golf course at Danzante Bay near Loreto, Mexico, are now open for play. The Rees Jones design is the centrepiece of

the Villa del Palmar resort on the east coast of the Baja Peninsula along the Sea of Cortez.

Eleven holes were completed in 2016, including the spectacular par three seventeenth hole that featured on the cover of the April 2016 issue of Golf Course Architecture.

Seven more holes – the stretch from the par five second to the par four eighth – occupying a stunning canyon area of the site have now also opened for play, to complete the course.

GCA travelled to Mexico for the opening, where developer Owen Perry and golf course architect Rees Jones spoke about the project. “Challenging but friendly was our motto,” said Perry. “We wanted to adapt the golf

course to the land, rather than adapt the land to the golf course, and we believe we have achieved that. Working with Rees Jones on our first course was really a very enjoyable experience, he was so open-minded.”

Jones said: “This is one of the most challenging, interesting and enjoyable golf courses that you will find in the world.”

The new canyon holes include some of the course’s highlights, such as the heroic par...>

16 Golf Course Architecture

three third that plays across a chasm to a green on a ledge in front of a rock face, and the steeply downhill par four fourth which may be driveable for longer hitters.

Jones and his team – including senior designer Steve Weisser – have worked hard to ensure the holes fit naturally within the surrounding environment. “Golf holes aren’t really designed and built from a plan – you feel them in to the land,” said Jones. “This land is so good it tells us what to do. The holes fit the land naturally.”

The course at Danzante Bay moves from canyon, to desert, to the beach and then into the mountains for the dramatic penultimate hole. “This is a golf course that both avid

and casual golfers will want to travel to play, enjoy, and experience,” said Jones. “The golf course has open entrances, pockets, and sandy areas to capture the ball and keep it from going into the desert. We’ve kept the green contours mild so that the putting surfaces are manageable in the wind. People will want to play this course over and over again because the conditions change in the wind.”

This was aptly demonstrated during the opening weekend, with 30mph winds on the first day followed by near-still conditions on the next. The course withstood the test of changing wind conditions well, providing a stern challenge but remaining very playable.

Danzante Bay uses two strains of Paspalum

turf, irrigated with water drawn from a recently-upgraded reverse osmosis plant. “Being located in a protected marine park, we adhered to stringent environmental rules,” said Perry. “We gladly accepted the challenge, because we feel that it is going to keep the Islands of Loreto unique.

“The views of the bay are without question some of the best I’ve ever seen. We’ve literally carved this golf course into this incredible setting while maintaining all of its natural beauty.”

For more about Danzante Bay, read the On Site article that appeared in the April 2016 issue of Golf Course Architecture

Tee Box

IN FOCUS

Players rejoin the holes that were completed in 2016 on the ninth, a drop shot par three where wind will be crucial to club selection, and will frequently push balls towards the bailout area on the right.

NINTH HOLE

The fourth hole, a par four that ranges from 271 to 394 yards, plays steeply downhill, with various kickslopes giving golfers the opportunity to get close to the putting surface.

FOURTH HOLE

The second, the first of the newly-opened holes, is a par five that is reachable in two with a prevailing wind. The par three third (foreground, also pictured on page 15) plays over a chasm.

SECOND AND THIRD HOLES

Canyon golfThe new canyon holes at Danzante Bay occupy some of the most dramatic landscape on the site. We pick out some highlights:

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Q&A

GCA caught up with the man responsible for the design of Danzante Bay, golf course architect Rees Jones, to find out what went into his design and how the course blends with nature.

Is Danzante Bay the most dramatic site you have worked on?It’s the most diverse site, and it is dramatic. It has desert, dunes, mountains, canyons, cliffs, arroyos and views of the Sea of Cortez.

What were your primary goals for the design?We looked at the site and knew we had a chance to build a blockbuster golf layout. The client wanted a course that golfers from all over the world would travel to play. We didn’t want it to be punishing, but we did want it to be challenging. So we created a user-friendly tee system so every calibre of player would want to return again and again.

The seventeenth hole (pictured below) has already received a lot of attention. What are your other highlights on this course?All the holes at Danzante Bay could be described as signature holes. Each hole could be the best hole if it were individually on another golf course. The natural surroundings highlight the beauty of this golf experience. I’ve been told that this golf course has the best backdrops for the holes of any course. I can’t think of another course that has such diversity and natural drama hole after hole.

What measures did you take to ensure the golf course sits in harmony with nature?The client let us choose the land that we felt was needed to make this a great golf layout. We didn’t have to force holes into tight spaces. When we needed to clear native vegetation to create a hole, we harvested and replanted it around the course. Bunkers and fairways were swept to blend with existing dunes, deserts, or hillsides and we incorporated natural features, such as the dramatic rock formation on hole three, into the design. On a practical note, we also enhanced the existing arroyos to accommodate water in the event of a storm and they blend into the layout naturally.

Rees Jones

The fifth is the course’s second par five. A rock channel lines the left side of the hole but there is plenty of room for a safe drive to the right of the fairway bunkers.

FIFTH HOLE

The sixth and seventh holes make great use of a narrow valley in the canyon, being formed by a single fairway with a green at either end and a set of tee boxes on each side.

SIXTH AND SEVENTH HOLES

IN FOCUS

NINTH HOLE

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The par five fifth plays towards the bay

Planning a new course?Re-modelling or upgrading your existing course?

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19

Planning a new course?Re-modelling or upgrading your existing course?

AchievingWorld-Class Results

At DAR, we pride ourselves on detail, service and reputation, undertaking all aspects of construction and remodelling, from single bunkers to entire courses. And, with over 40 years of industry experience, we work with top designers and clubs to create the best courses imaginable.

Call us to find out how we can help you achieve world-class results.

www.dargolf.com +353 59 648 1509 [email protected]

Tee Box

COURSE BLUEPRINT

Adare Manor ResortGolf course architect Tom Fazio and his team have completely redesigned the golf course at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, with Atlantic Golf Construction handling construction work. A full report on the work starts on page 50, but here are some features that golfers can look forward to once it opens in spring 2018.

Swan Lake Holes three to eight play around Swan Lake, with the sixth green

protruding into the water.

River MaigueThe River Maigue bisects the course and is directly in play on the

eleventh, the short par four fifteenth and the closing hole, where golfers will need to avoid the water to the left from the tees, before crossing the

river for their approach to a tiered green on the river bank.

Perfect practice A state of the art practice facility includes a huge short game area and

driving range with target greens that can be played from tees at each end.

Pure greensEach green has been seeded with Pure Distinction bentgrass and SubAir technology for firm and fast

conditions all year round.

Golf course architect Mark Mungeam of Mungeam Cornish Golf Design has completed a project at the Wellesley Country Club in Boston, USA, to develop of a new short course.

The club first made plans to add a short course to its golf offering in 2010, with the aim of providing a playing area for children of members who had limited access to the club’s busy course, as well as an area for tuition.

Named the Carriage Course, the layout features six par three holes on a hilly site covering eight acres. Holes vary in length from 50 to 150

yards, with an average green size of 3,250 square feet. The tees are large, providing length and angle variation on each hole.

Construction got underway in 2016, with Country Golf hired to lead the building element.

“We decided to build easily mowed features but maintained at the same level as the main course so as not to lose its desirability for practice play,” Mungeam told GCA. “A unique feature of the design is ribbons of close-cut turf extending from each tee to the approach fairways to lessen the intimidation for beginners.”

Mungeam creates short course at Wellesley CCPh

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Tournament-ready A high quality road network has been constructed

throughout the course, one of a number of measures to make the venue tournament-ready.

Tee Box

A new golf course by Schmidt-Curley Design is to open for play in Burma early next year.

Myotha National Golf Club is located in an emerging industrial zone 30 miles south of Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city.

Architect Brian Curley told GCA that the site has very strong terrain changes, with a difference of 40 metres between the highest and lowest points.

“Within the site are two very deep and dramatic arroyos that wind through the course,” Curley said. “The site is very unique and reminds me of the semi-arid, southern Arizona desert where much of the year remains quite warm and dry yet is vegetated with thick desert plant material and scrubby rock at the surface. The contrast of the arid vegetation and turf will prove to be very different for the Asia golf market.”

Unlike many of Asia’s courses, Myotha National will be generally quite dry, allowing Curley to create a course that will ‘promote hard and fast conditions and plenty of roll’.

“We have incorporated wide fairways and a number of speed slots, kick slopes, etc. that will help the player advance the ball on the ground,” he said. “With this conditioning, and with the desire to host events the way that Amata Spring has to date, the course is very long from the tips at almost 7,900 yards.”

Though the course is very long from the back tees, Curley adds that the average player will be able to easily negotiate the course at reasonable lengths.

“From the tips, the course will be one of the toughest in all of Asia for those who venture there,” he said. “At the same time, from the forward tees, the course is quite manageable. In that regard, I would consider it one of those few courses that can be managed by

most any level of player. While the course reads as a whole with a common playbook of design thoughts and execution, the individual holes benefit from very different terrain, backdrops, arroyos, etc. and there will be great debate about which holes are best.”

Myotha National to open in early 2018

Above, fairway bunkers on the fifteenth hole; top, the approach to the green on the fourteenth hole and, main picture, the par three thirteenth


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A renovation project at the Blacksburg Municipal Golf Course – also known as ‘The Hill’ – has reached completion.

Work at the Virginia course has been led by Lester George of George Golf Design.

“Our golf course has never reached its full potential, in large part due to turf issues,” said Jeff Kleppin, general manager of The Hill. “In 2014, we realised we needed some help with the course. I e-mailed Lester at 11am on a Tuesday, and at 11:30am he called me and said: ‘I know your course. I’ve walked on your course. I can come visit you the week after next’.”

George has a connection to this property, as his wife Pat is from Blacksburg and her parents were original stockholders of Blacksburg Country Club, from which the Town of Blacksburg purchased the course in 1971.

The renovation included a facelift of the course’s tees, bunkers, greens, and fairways, with George overseeing all work. Key aims included enhancing the course’s playability, sustainability, turf quality, safety, strategy, and competitive standing.

“As a municipal course, The Hill was what it was,” explained Kleppin. “The course

was originally designed by locals and had received no improvements in 40 years. The grass on the course was whatever would grow. In order to attract the avid golfer, we wanted this place to be a real golf course. We’re putting in the ‘TLC’ to make this property something the town of Blacksburg can be really proud of.”

The Hill closed for construction in July 2017, and course employees spent the month of July removing trees and eradicating turf in preparation for construction, re-grassing, and the addition of a practice facility. The renovation began on 1 August.

“We at George Golf Design are proud to be involved in smaller-budget municipal projects like The Hill,” said George. “This project is the poster-child for the current issues pertaining to golf. Nine-hole courses are important because of the options they provide for pace of play, affordability, and family play. Maintenance, sustainability, and playing conditions are integral challenges in golf. With enlarged greens, bentgrass fairways, and many added tee options, we have created a place that can be inviting to all skill levels and ages.”

The course is scheduled to reopen for play in May 2018.

“This place is different since Lester got a hold of it,” Kleppin added. “We are now going to attract golfers who might not have come to play at The Hill in the past. A certain level of golfer would drive by us in the past to go to a different course. Now, people are champing at the bit to get out here, and it’s going to be a great experience for the good player.”

George Golf Design renovation breathes new life into Blacksburg’s ‘The Hill’

FROM THE ARCHIVE

The Schenectady Municipal Golf Course in Schenectady, New York, was one the first courses in the US to be built after the Great Depression in 1935. Its construction provided work for many unemployed people of the time, and the photo on the left shows men using pick axes in freezing conditions to create a trench for the herringbone drainage pipe and gravel. The centre photo shows course designers Jim Thompson and AF Knight out on site, while the right-hand photo shows their original design. Architect Raymond Hearn is currently leading a major restoration and renovation project at the course.

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Lester George, below right, is working to enhance the course’s playability

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Tee Box

Tim Lobb

Can you describe what the site was like originally, and how you’ve worked to create the course using what the site gave you?The site was an old limestone quarry originally with a lot of random excavations throughout the land. The site is over 500 hectares, so finding the routing through the abrupt and unique site took some challenges. In principle, we felt that we would like the golf in the excavations to create drama and make use of this land within the overall development masterplan.

How does designing and creating a course for generally hot, dry and arid conditions change your approach?We have adopted an approach of using local indigenous landscape material in all cases to create a desert golf experience. Obviously, water conservation is at the heart of our design. We did a comprehensive grassing audit on all of our design to ensure that no additional turf

was used on the course other than what was required for the playing of golf. Local ornamental grasses are used to stabilise banks and help to reduce wind damage.

Is the course likely to cater for the local population, tourists, or both?The course is aimed at both the local and international tourist market. A generous selection of teeing locations will cater for the average golfer and back tees in place for tournament golf.

What do you believe golfers will enjoy most about the course once it opens?The playability of the course will be one of the key features. The strong site characteristics have been punctuated throughout the design and we have always tried to give the story of the old quarry throughout the golfing experience. With the pyramids in sight, a number of holes will have these grand structures in view and will surely be unforgettable.

A new golf course is set to open for play next year near the Egyptian capital of Cairo and close to the Giza necropolis, – a World Heritage Site. The Newgiza course has been designed by Thomson Perrett & Lobb (now Lobb + Partners), with Tim Lobb now readying the course for a soft opening in spring 2018. We spoke to the architect to find out what golfers can look forward to.

THE INTERVIEW

Forse completes renovations at CC of OrlandoForse Design has recently completed a renovation project at the Country Club of Orlando in Florida.

One of the state’s oldest clubs, CC of Orlando was originally designed by Donald Ross, though little to none of his work remains today.

Forse and the project team aimed to give the course’s greens more of a ‘Ross-feel’, while also making subtle alterations to other features on the course. Drainage was completely reengineered, while some environmental

swales were added. Renovations were also carried out to the driving range and three-hole short course.

The construction work was done by Landscapes Unlimited, while Forse was particularly complimentary of the work of Josh Dunaway, the course’s superintendent.

“We’ve had great feedback about the work and players are delighted with the historic feel,” Forse said. “It’s playable while still providing a challenge, which was ultimately the aim.”

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Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, UK, is benefitting from a new irrigation system delivered by Hunter Industries.

The club’s moorland style course was originally designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, and hosted the Ryder Cup in 1929.

In order to enhance the efficiency of its irrigation and distribution of water across its course, the club has introduced the Hunter Pilot decoder central control system, which was installed by Full Circle and distributor Irriplan.

The Pilot system analyses electrical and hydraulic data to effectively balance sprinkler demand, while maintaining flow at safe velocities.

Installation began in October 2016, and included Hunter I-20 and G885D rotors, mainline pipes, and coverage to 18 holes, tees, approaches, surrounds, greens, and practice facilities. The system is now in use and has been well received by club staff.

Hunter delivers new irrigation system for Moortown GC

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EUROPEAN PROJECT ROUND-UP

The construction of a new golf course on the Spanish Costa del Sol is now complete. The course at Doña Lucia Golf near Estepona has been designed by Global Golf Company. The course is grassed with Bermuda Riviera on its fairways, while Agrostis L93 XD features on the greens. It is hoped that the new course will be ready and available to play towards the end of 2018.

CONSTRUCTION OF DOÑA LUCIA COURSE COMPLETEThe final stages of a project which has seen the development of a new 18-hole course at Gut Wissmannshof Golf Resort near Kassel, Germany, have been reached. Architect Holger Rengstorf of Rengstorf Golf Design told GCA that the new course features wide fairways and five sets of tees on each hole. The new course has been constructed by Pötter Golf.

NEW COURSE COMING TO GUT WISSMANNSHOF

Golf Club Lignano on Italy’s Adriatic coast faced the challenge of replacing long lengths of timber retaining walls on its ponds and lakes, which were past their best, and represent a genuine hazard. After reading about the Aquaedge solution in GCA, the club’s director of golf Fabrizio Bertoli contacted Ecobunker with a view to introducing the solution to improve aesthetics and enhance the course.

Ecobunker founder and director Richard Allen explained: “The timber edgings, over 25 years old, were rotting, and the weak clay and silt soils, which were dredged from a nearby Marina to raise ground levels during construction, exerted considerable pressure, causing the walls to start failing. They represent a significant safety and aesthetic problem.”

EcoBunker installed a 50 metre trial length of Aquaedge along the front of the tenth green, which was positively received by the club.

This original trial took just four days to complete, and led to the club giving the go ahead for a much larger second phase, which is being planned for early 2018.

ECOBUNKER ADDS AQUAEDGE AT GOLF CLUB LIGNANO

Pines Nine reopens at Woodmont CCThe Pines Nine at Woodmont Country Club in Tamarac, Florida, has reopened following a major renovation and restoration project led by Jemsek Golf Designs.

Originally designed by Robert Von Hagge in the 1970s, the club’s Pines and Cypress nines were forced to close in the late 2000s due to the recession.

The course went untended for five years, so in order to bring it back into a playable condition, architect Joe Jemsek and the project team opened up greens entrances and surrounds with expanded chipping areas. Green contours were softened and putting services were seeded with G12 Champion bermudagrass, while large areas of rough were replaced with woodchips to improve prevent lost balls and speed up play.

The club now aims to carry out a similar project on the Cypress nine in the summers of 2018 and 2019.

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Tee Box


A global spanFrom new golf courses to renovation work, Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects will remain busy in 2018, continuing its work on a number of projects across different global regions. GCA provides a round-up of what the firm has been focusing on

Hogs Head Golf Club, Waterville, IrelandAn RTJ II original design adjacent to scenic shoreline cliffs, Hogs Head Golf Club has all the playing characteristics of fabled Irish links designs. A headlands course surrounded by farmland, Hogs Head is a continuous 18-hole sequence. Nine visually and strategically dramatic holes are routed along the edge of 100-foot coastal bluffs, while an inland stretch navigates the ever-present Finglas River.

Hoiana Golf Club, Hoi An, VietnamA stunning windswept dunesland course along the South China Sea featuring numerous holes adjacent to the ocean, Hoiana Golf Club, near the ancient village of Hoi An (a UNESCO World Heritage site), will be unveiled in spring 2019, as part of a Boutique Rosewood Villas and larger destination resort. The design emphasises fairway width and a fun playing experience and incorporates a short course and multiple playing loop options.

North Ridge Country Club, Fair Oaks, California, USRespecting the legacy of original collaborators William P Bell and William Bell Jr., the RTJ II team has restored this San Joaquin Valley classic, which will officially reopen in early 2018. All green complexes were reshaped to introduce the ground game into the equation. RTJ II also reshaped fairway bunkers to create more decision making and strategic options from tee to green, and overhauled drainage to help create an all-weather course.

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Guayaquil Golf Club, Guayaquil, EcuadorRTJ II’s first project in Ecuador sees the creation of an 18-hole course for an existing club that is moving to a new, riverside site and will serve a planned community. Scheduled to break ground in May 2018, Guayaquil has been cleverly designed so that while the routing meanders along residences, golfers will never have to cross a public road during play.

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Serena del Mar Golf Club, Cartagena, ColombiaThe centrepiece of a master-planned community, Serena del Mar is set to break ground in mid-2018. The design takes full advantage of an estuary, with the routing then following ridge lines along rolling hills. Elevation change will provide a variety of shot values and strategy.

Costa Palmas Golf Club, Los Cabos, MexicoProjected to open in spring 2019, RTJ II has designed a scenic seaside golf experience into The Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos destination community. The 18-hole continuous routing weaves within dunesland, arroyos and a yacht harbour, with views to the Sea of Cortez.

ONGOING DEVELOPMENT

Oxbow Country Club, Oxbow, North Dakota, USRevisiting an award-winning RTJ II design that debuted in 1975, this renovation project is halfway to completion. Nine newly-created holes are in play, with the second nine – original holes updated to match the character of the new holes – scheduled for light play next autumn. The result will be a more spacious course, with visible bunkering and larger greens, all sitting above a flood plain.

The upcoming openings and projects are the latest wave of RTJ II global assignments, following on from a number of recent accomplishments. The firm completed a renovation at Golf Club De Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, in summer 2017, while new designs at Terralta Country Club in Monterrey, Mexico, and Zala Springs Golf Resort (pictured) in Zalacsany, Hungary, debuted in 2016.

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Termas Rio Hondo International Golf Club, Santiago del Estero, ArgentinaAn original RTJ II design, Rio Hondo opens in spring 2018 in northern Argentina. Bearing similarities to RTJ II’s design at Chambers Bay – host of the 2015 US Open – Rio Hondo weaves along a large wetland habitat while negotiating natural ravines and the Rio Dolce. Fairways are wide and engaging, allowing golfers room to play in the changing winds.

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FEATURE

HOW WILL THE PROFESSION OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE CHANGE IN THE YEARS BETWEEN NOW AND 2030? ADAM LAWRENCE SPEAKS WITH DESIGNERS TO FIND OUT THEIR VIEW

The transformation of the golf design industry since the Coore and Crenshaw-designed Sand Hills Golf Club in Nebraska opened in

1995, is remarkable. Just compare a top 100 courses ranking from the late 80’s or early 90’s with one issued this year, and it is easy to see; at the top end of the rankings, the game has changed completely. The influence of Sand Hills and C&C’s subsequent work, Pacific Dunes and the other courses designed by Tom Doak and his Renaissance practice, and the architects who followed on from them – people like David McLay Kidd, Gil Hanse and Mike DeVries – has been huge. Not since the end of the Golden Age in the 1930s has such a flood of highly-rated courses been built.

The spread of this influence to the mainstream of golf design, though, has been more sporadic. Until the Great Recession basically stopped new development in its tracks in 2007-8, ‘normal’ golf courses – which is to say, ones built for reasons other than trying to be mentioned among the world’s elite, and primarily with a commercial goal – continued to be built in numbers, rather than the trickle that we have seen since. And, while there were occasional examples of the influence of the so-called ‘minimalists’ (a term that really does not accurately represent the C&C/Doak-led movement, but is probably the best collective noun we have) seen in the mainstream – the Bobby Weed and Chris Monti rebuild of Deltona Club in Orlando, Florida, is a good one – in general, most architects worldwide continued to build in broadly the Robert Trent Jones, Sr. derived style that they always had.

Since the recession, that has changed. The change can really only be seen in renovation work, because that has been the stock in trade of almost every golf architect in the world since 2008, when new-build golf projects have been few and far between. And the change has been, in many cases, superficial: take a look through the pages of GCA over the last few years, and you will see a lot of photographs of bunkers that, consciously or otherwise, have been constructed in a would-be ‘natural’ lacy-edged style aping those built at places like Sand Hills.

But what works on an elite private course built entirely on sand dunes in the middle of nowhere Nebraska does not translate perfectly to a course in the suburbs of London or Washington DC on heavy clay. The kind of rough, random edge that, whether or not they like it, has come to be regarded as the signature of firms like C&C and Renaissance, has mutated into wavy edges, more complex than the shapes of old, but scarcely random and in no sense natural. And, similarly, perhaps the key lesson of the minimalists – that the traditional ‘draw it and build it’ model of golf construction, with limited supervision of the build by the architect, often gets inferior results to the ‘design and shape’ process they pioneered – has been partially understood by the mainstream industry, but architects have realised that it is harder to operate that way on sites that are less than ideal. They thus require more earthmoving, and contractors – much larger businesses than the design firms, and therefore with more resource – have concluded that a construction model that leaves them, at best, as muck-shifting grunts, is not ideal for them.

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Design 2030

So, what does this mean for the future of the industry? Will new course building come back in anything more than a desultory fashion, and if so what sort of courses will be built? How will construction models change? How will technology impact, both in terms of construction and the actual playing of golf? We polled a large range of golf architects to find out what they think.

Tom Doak, one of the men who has most influenced the industry we see today, says that he himself is working on completely changing his business model, which over the past twenty years has seen him and his associates design courses like Pacific Dunes, Barnbougle Dunes and Tara Iti. He won’t spill the beans on this change, though, saying he’s not yet ready. But he does say that he thinks the days of the big design practice are basically gone. “I see the business continuing to evolve as it has – favouring collaborations between young architects who are happy to take turns designing one project and shaping the next one for their friend, or do other things part-time, just like the rest of the gig economy,” he says. “That evolution is certainly not great for people who want job security, but to be honest the idea that you could have a comfortable long-term career as an associate in a big firm was

always a bit naive. The reality is that even the established firms don’t know where the next job is coming from, or when. Those who can embrace the uncertainty will thrive, while those who spend their down time worrying about it would be better off finding other careers.”

Rob Collins, a young architect just trying to make his career, albeit after a spectacular start with the acclaim given to his and his partner Tad King’s Sweetens Cove course in Tennessee, also focuses on construction. “I think we will see a continued push and trend toward architects being more heavily involved in the construction process than

they typically are now. Every time I receive a note from someone asking for advice about how to crack into the profession, I respond that they should get as much on-site construction experience as possible. In particular, any experience that includes running equipment is extremely beneficial,

as I see the industry moving toward architects multi-tasking in the field.”

Unsurprisingly, this message is echoed by the young men and women who have trained under the likes of Doak, Coore and Hanse, and are just now trying to get a start as architects in their own right. Riley Johns, one of the leaders of that wave after his work with Keith Rhebb at Winter Park in Orlando, says: “I think large firms with multiple employees will be a thing of the past and operations will be much smaller and more boutique. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops will largely replace the need for paper, pencils, printers, and office staff. Technologies and tools such as Google Earth, phone apps, drones, and easily accessible information will put a lot of power in just one individual’s hands. Paradoxically, with the ubiquity of computer aided design, I also think clients will yearn for more handcrafted plans and drawings. Something more personable, real, and authentic perhaps. The perfectness and soullessness of computer generated plans might become passé in the future. We are certainly starting to see the adverse results of computer designed golf courses today.”

Rhebb himself focuses on technology and environmental issues. “As scientific data continues to influence climate change practices and policies, architects will face increasing pressure to design strategic, playable courses that reduce environmental impact and protect the quality and availability of natural resources,” he says. “I think this will lead to an emphasis on site selection (choosing sites/routings that minimise intrusion upon sensitive areas), instead of forcing a design on land without regard to environmental sustainability. Architects will not only need to factor in the current climate, but consider long-term trends when choosing species of grasses and trees.

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Design 2030

Ultimately, I think this will lead to growth in the number of design-build firms, whose project delivery methods facilitate innovation and collaboration that improve environmental sustainability while remaining economically feasible.”

And Jaeger Kovich, yet another of these young men, says he thinks that the future will prove that he and his ilk are on the right track. “I don’t think there is going to be a major difference in the way I work. I think the design/shape model is going to continue to thrive. Many of the best courses built over the last 20 years have been a product of this design philosophy, and I expect to be sitting on the seat of a bulldozer and excavator creating fun golf in the field just like I do today,” he says. Colton Craig, currently an associate with architect Tripp Davis, emphasises the point. “Since there will likely not be a golf development boom like what we saw in the 90s, I don’t expect many celebrities of the PGA Tour to start their own design firms, because there will not be enough money to be made,” he says. “Perhaps there will be partnerships similar to Coore and Crenshaw in the future, but I highly doubt there will be a Rory McIlroy Signature Golf Design company dominating the industry like Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player did. By winning the Olympic course job, Gil Hanse proved that the boutique design firms are the future.”

So that’s what the youngsters, and the man who has been a mentor to many of them, think. What about the guys from what might be called the mainstream?

Canadian architect Ian Andrew is an interesting source here, as he began his career in the mainstream, as an associate for Doug Carrick, but has, since creating his own practice focused on restoration, transformed himself into something more like the new breed. “I don’t believe there will be any more new work than what we see now. I think this cycle is going to be very, very long,” says Andrew. “The major trend from 2018-2030 will be the repurposing of existing golf courses. The focus will be on playability and environmental sustainability (lower input models will be legislated in most areas). There will be lots of carving off land and reducing facilities for economic gain or

survival, implying shorter courses – lower par – and no remaining spaces between holes. The underlying theme on the majority of non-elite club projects will be economic sustainability – half of private golf will be in some kind of survival mode. And the architects themselves will all be design/build model by this point.”

Drew Rogers, another who has made the transition from large firm associate

to his own boss, takes a similar view: “It will continue to become more personal – more and more of today’s savvy clients are slowly realising that a big-name architect costs more and sometimes yields less in return,” he says. “They really want to have a collaborative relationship with their architect – someone who listens and works with them, and someone who will help produce something that fits the user and operator first rather than the architect’s ego. Lesser known names are cracking through already – doing great work and they’re easy to work with. I see this trend continuing to grow. There’s so much great talent out there, many of whom are not yet mainstream identities.”

Kansas-based David Hart says: The practice of golf architects will move more into consulting, functioning as advisors for renovations of older designs which need modernisations to accommodate the newer generation of golfers who want the game in a simpler form. They may lay aside older standards of fairway width, hazard placement and now common standards of design. Public golf courses will become far

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“ I EXPECT TO BE SITTING ON THE SEAT OF A BULLDOZER AND EXCAVATOR CREATING FUN GOLF IN THE FIELD JUST LIKE I DO TODAY”

Design 2030

less demanding, with more executive style golf courses; shorter, softer, and quickly played.

Georgia-based Mike Young, a man who has been ploughing his own furrow for a long time, emphasises similar themes, but also raises the point of what will happen with the contractors. He says: “One rarely sees a really good course today that was built without design/build. Therefore I sense that as less and less work is out there, the notoriety and fame associated with so much of golf design will fade and guys who can design and build the product will get the jobs and be the norm. The day of having room for a set of plans and a full general contractor are waning. Actually, many of the contractors may evolve into the design end of things since they will be better suited.”

“Running a big shop of designers and support staff has seen its day and is likely not coming back,” says Brian Curley, who should know; in many ways his firm is the last of the big shops, because of its success in Asia. “Big drawing production will be handled by landscape architecture and engineering firms when detailed, coordinated plans are needed. Most future great courses will be built on top of mature, existing courses in well located areas – with the occasional destination exception, but many of these will prove to be financially unsound and lose their lustre with potential developers. The successful golf architect of the future will be a financially independent, well-connected, decent player with enough skills to get by with rudimentary plans. Salesmanship and proper inroads to jobs will outweigh any skill factors. Fees from jobs will be irrelevant and the job will be much more of a hobby than a profession. Competition will drive fees down overall.”

And then there is technology. Without doubt, technological advancement will change the industry. With so much of today’s talent having started out as shapers, it is perhaps not surprising that none of them mentioned the possibility of computer-controlled shaping, but it will surely come at some level.

Jim Urbina, formerly Tom Doak’s lead associate, now running his own practice, has a dramatic view of the future. “Golf architecture will serve two different entities,” he explains. “The old standard guard will still get their due; greens, tees and fairways as we know it. Less acreage for sure. The new entries (young crowd) into the game will rely on gizmos such as 3D goggles and virtual reality to experience the game of golf. They will be able to play in Central Park without even carrying a club or ball. I think two styles of golf will evolve. Golfers will seek out golf grounds that inspire thought and beauty in their designs. Hand built golf courses that are so pleasing

to look at and require a slow walk to enjoy the detail work that they bring out from the land. And there will be virtual reality layouts that take no time to seek out and play but allow us to escape from the rigours of work and everyday stress in life.”

Ty Butler has an even more apocalyptic view. “Maybe architects will be obsolete by 2030,” he says. “There might be artificial intelligence based programs that will design courses. An owner simply has to download a map of their property and the AI will do the rest. From developing conceptual routing plans to producing 3D renderings of each hole or better yet developing a complete virtual reality experience where you can play the course before it is even built and then customise the design based on your pre-build experience. Finally, a complete set of working drawings is produced. And possibly all of this happens in a matter of days!”

Bruce Charlton of Robert Trent Jones II, shares some of Butler and Urbina’s

visions of technological golf. “I think the speed in which golf course design work will be requested will increase. With golf course design becoming more digitally oriented, it is my hunch that clients will expect the work product from their golf

course architect sooner,” he says. “I also see drone technology being used more in the conceptual phase of routing a golf course and initial imaging for the course. Perhaps more golf course plans with be drawn from an oblique perspective with base mapping being drone footage? It is my dream, and perhaps it will happen before 2030, to design a golf course that can only be played in virtual reality mode. A golf course that is designed on a piece of land that is purely the figment of one’s imagination and cannot be replicated in any way. Therefore, I think the knowledge of moving images and how to create them digitally may come to the forefront in the skills of the future golf course architect.”

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“ THE NEW ENTRIES INTO THE GAME WILL RELY ON GIZMOS SUCH AS 3D GOGGLES AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO EXPERIENCE THE GAME OF GOLF”

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Design 2030

Todd Quitno of the Lohmann Designs firm, has other thoughts about technology’s impact. “The way we design will be influenced by the way we manage golf courses – with GPS/drone mapping and spraying technologies, automated infrastructure and equipment, virtual management (from afar), intuitive course handicapping and the like. Of course, this flies right in the face of the history and traditions of the game and its naturalist architecture, so it will be interesting to see how the old melds with the new. That’s no different than today, I suppose, those who respect the past while embracing change seem to be the best suited to succeed.”

And the Czech architect Libor Jirasek has perhaps the most complete vision of a technological future. “I see five types of golf services,” he explains. “Luxury, with service from people or humanoids. Manicured courses with artificial grass on greens and tee boxes. Play as many holes as much you want. Glance and scent of old times if your imagination cooperates. Then the middle: robotic services – unmanned lawn mowing machines and voice-controlled golf carts linked to your ball. Automated services at the reception desk. We will wear a chip under the skin. No balance? No golf. The cheap offer will be short public courses with balls for appropriate distances. Fenced. Automated services. Limited time to play. Effective greenkeeping. And then there will be the underground: unofficial courses, played on weekends. People to people

services. Mental connection to nature, and to immaterial lifestyle. Return to the beginning of golf – pure joy of meeting others at almost no cost. And finally, there will be virtual golf. Like to play Pinehurst? Or to have a game with Tiger? Or even better: with an improperly dressed Katy Perry? No worries, everything is possible. From low-cost to indecent prices levels.”

Toby Cobb, a long-time C&C associate, takes a wise view, knowing that the future, by its very nature, is unpredictable. “By 2030, because of climate change, there have been massive droughts and heatwaves around the world,” he posits. “There is no longer water to irrigate golf courses so all is played on synthetic surfaces. Since these surfaces are much harder and with the advancement in golf club design, the average drive is now 4,752 yards and average lengths or courses are 134,388

yards. Thankfully there are flying golf carts and fembot (or malebot) caddies. It can only be played at night however under artificial sunlight due to the fact that daytime temperatures are far too high for humans to survive for more than a few minutes at a time. That’s golf in the year 2030. Or not. Maybe golf in 2030 is just like today. What do I know?” GCA

“ THERE IS NO LONGER WATER TO IRRIGATE GOLF COURSES SO ALL IS PLAYED ON SYNTHETIC SURFACES”

WEST CLIFFS

PROGOLF [email protected]

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PROGOLF-GROUP.COM

QUINTA DA OMBRIA

OLYMPIC GOLF COURSE


AND RENOVATION

MORE ON THE FUTURE

You can read more on the future of golf course design in the latest issue of By Design, the quarterly magazine from the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

Our feature topic spans both magazines, with the cover story for By Design focusing on the perspectives of ASGCA members.

The Winter 2017 issue of By Design also includes details of projects honoured within the ASGCA’s Design Excellence Recognition Program, a feature on accessibility in golf, and a tribute to Pennsylvanian architect David William Gordon, who passed away in late 2017.

Download a copy via www.asgca.org.

Excellence in Golf Design from the American Society of Golf Course Architects

BY DESIGNIssue 36 | Winter 2017

Also: Design Excellence • David W. Gordon, ASGCA Fellow • Accessibility

Lookingintothe future

http://www.asgca.org/


OPINION

“ The truth is, all restorations contain compromises and adjustments, whether for time, equipment or circumstance”

The end of the restoration eraIan Andrew explains why he thinks

the restoration movement is on its last legs

The restoration movement began at places like the National Golf Links of America, where golf course superintendent Karl Olson

began to remove trees and uncover lost bunkers. Slowly he peeled away the layers and rediscovered the original golf course dimensions, restoring the intended concepts and returning the original opportunities.

At the time, golf design was becoming about celebrity and name recognition. Many architects were trying to expand their own legacies and were willing to alter even famous Golden Age courses. Many of these architects believed they were better than the original architect, so it was out with the old and in with the new. They went into most renovation work with the arrogant assumption that they would eventually rebuild the entire course in their own style. This was an aggressive period of golf architecture and one that saw the wilful destruction of some very iconic pieces of architecture for personal gratification.

The Donald Ross Society was formed in response to some of the more egregious work, specifically as a reaction to a couple of particular renovations to his work. Society members were frustrated after watching original Ross work disappear, and felt it was in the best interest of golf to learn more about his designs, which would lead to the preservation of more of Ross’s original work. Their efforts to promote preservation led to the idea of restoration. A few dedicated architects and many club historians began to actively research their courses’ histories. The use of aerial photos, historical photos and even original plans began. This led to the earliest attempts to revert features and even courses back to their original form.

The restoration movement was born of frustration. But it flourished through success. Once prominent clubs had come on board and provided high profile examples, other

lesser known examples of Golden Age works, in the same area, would also embrace their heritage and look for a restorative approach.

Eventually it became the key phrase for getting architectural work done at private clubs. Interestingly, at the same point it began to flourish, Tom Doak, one of the earliest people to perform restoration work, cautioned: “Not every golf course should be restored.”

Early on, there were a lot of very honest and accurate restorations. The concept was exceptionally popular with memberships and particularly with players who were knowledgeable about architectural history. It didn’t take long for renovation architects to seize on the phrase and call their works restorative to sell a project that truth be told was just another insensitive renovation. The fight for the right to use the word restoration was on.

It was during this initial stage that I canvassed the leading restoration architects on how much change they believed was acceptable when restoration was the goal. The interesting thing I found was pretty much everyone agreed that some accommodation had to be made for the golf ball. Some, like myself, felt relocating a few fairway bunkers was acceptable, whereas others felt a lot more latitude was necessary to address issues of distance. They reasoned they could completely recreate the original feature in a new location.

The most interesting conversation revolved around the use of short grass. Tight puttable chipping areas were very effective at showcasing the contours of the ground and returning the ground game. But this was not restoration. The tight turf around greens we think of today did not exist until the equipment was developed to deliver those playing conditions. The ground game options we currently enjoy are actually only about thirty years old. Every one of the architects felt that if tight short

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grass made the game more interesting, and they did not need to alter original ground features, that this was an acceptable improvement and did not compromise the spirit of restoration.

The truth is, all restorations contain compromises and adjustments, whether for time, equipment or circumstance. While I have intentionally done one absolutely pure restoration where I put back everything, warts and all, the remaining projects are full of decisions. Unfortunately, restorative work has very few simple black and white decisions. We are missing information, evolution has altered the property, communities grow up around golf courses and technology always wins. Often what we decide is based upon multiple competing shades of grey where we interpret or make a choice. A pure restoration is an extremely rare event.

In recent years the biggest change in golf architecture is the lack of opportunity to build new courses. This is an essential outlet for architects to express the grandest ideas and express the features and concepts that they believe will be most appreciated in play. That work, except for a handful of very successful architects, has completely dried up. This means architects only have renovation work to showcase their creativity.

The other influential factor is there have been some exceptional hybrid projects that combine restoration with renovation. The California Club by Kyle Phillips may be the most famous. Kyle built a series of brand new holes to solve some sequential problems while restoring the remainder of the course.

He did such an outstanding job of tying the new holes into the original architecture that he has presented an even stronger course than a restoration would have achieved. This caused quite a few architects to alter their mindset on restorative work.

I recently listened to an interview with Keith Foster where he said that he looks at what makes the golf course better and doesn’t let the original forms prevent him from incorporating a better idea. While he does collect historical information to work with, he begins without it and lets the landscape dictate where he should go. He clearly restores some attributes, but changes others when he feels he will achieve a better end. Then, most importantly, he works extremely hard to tie it all back into one cohesive historical looking form. What’s interesting is these projects are still being called restorative works.

Minimalism is now the dominant school of design. Many of those architects have worked, at some point, on restorative projects. I’ve noticed as their careers evolve, they are beginning to show more flexibility in their decision-making process. I’m finding more and more that these architects have begun to take Keith and Kyle’s approach to restoration projects. They are sympathetic to the original architecture, but far more willing to tweak or even change the features.

There is still restorative work being done by a small handful of guys, who will always remain largely unknown. But many have mentioned that the new restoration projects just aren’t coming any more. The movement was pretty successful and most of the

significant courses have been restored or preserved. But the architects also point out that in recent years the clubs they work with are not as adamant about preservation and restoration as they were ten or twenty years ago. They are thinking a lot more along the lines of the hybrid approach. They want to make sure their course reflects the change in equipment and remains relevant today. Their history matters to them still, but it’s no longer the definitive decision maker on exactly what gets done.

The movement that began with Karl Olson and others permeates all the work done today. Architects now do a much better job of working with the original fabric, features and ideas. They may choose to make important changes to the structure, but they will do that within the context of the original work. They will also identify and preserve the most interesting original features out of respect to the original designer. The still leans hard towards restorative, but like any successful movement, restoration has run its full course. The current work remains respectful, but it’s beginning to make larger departures, because the architects are far more adept at hiding their handiwork and fooling you into believe it was a restoration. Perhaps Tom Doak was right when he said not everything should be preserved, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t look and feel like it was anyway. GCA

Ian Andrew is a golf course architect based in Ontario, Canada

Kyle Phillips’ work at The California Club was an exceptional combination of restoration with renovation Ph

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OPINION

A kaleidoscope of options

A new golf course in Russia has been designed to be played in a multitude of ways. Ross McMurray explains more

Located about forty-five minutes drive to the east of St Petersburg, Russia, Mill Creek Golf Club is a new development which opened

its doors for play this autumn. Designed by European Golf Design, the 7,200 yard par 72 course forms the central core of a large new multi-use residential development and features extensive practice facilities and a three-hole academy course. But the truly exciting aspect of Mill Creek is that the golf course offers much more than just eighteen holes, for it also provides other playing possibilities featuring multiple eighteen-hole and nine-hole layouts influenced by cross-country golf.

This innovative concept, which is protected by a patent of invention, is the brainchild of Mill Creek’s owner, Sergey Borisov, who has christened it ‘Kaleidoscope Golf ’.

Surrounded by forest, the 280 hectare property is flat and open with a high water table within a metre or so of ground level. The site’s great advantage is its deep, sandy soils. As part of the development 50 hectares of lakes were planned for visual amenity and water based leisure facilities. This provided millions of tonnes of sand, necessary to raise the golf course above the water table as well as influencing the style of the golf course.

The intention of the shaping was to transform the flat, expansive nature of the site into a visually interesting golf course with rugged features where each hole is framed by dramatic landform or water. Wide fairways featuring many bumps, ridges and hollows run between fescue covered hillocks, while bunkers are grass faced and relatively deep, a necessity with the locally windy conditions to prevent wind blow of sand. The greens are generally large with a combination of subtle and occasionally more dramatic movement and there are plenty of run-off areas. With several large lakes it is no surprise that water is a strategic threat

at several points around the course and especially over the last four holes.

The objective has been to take elements of seaside golf and combine them with more modern design influences to create a golf course which has its own distinct character and one that is certainly unique for Russia.

However, whilst Mill Creek has been designed to compete with the best courses in Russia it also has a number of unusual features not found on most other courses.

The first of these is that Mill Creek is actually two courses within one. This has been achieved by providing each hole with two distinct teeing areas to create a pair of courses which, although played over the same ground have differing characteristics. The Red Course plays between 5,100 and 6,600 metres with a par of 72, while the Blue Course is slightly shorter, playing 5,000 to 6,500 metres, again with a 72 par. Both courses have been certified by the Russian Golf Association.

With two extensive tee complexes the golfer is also able to make up their own course variations adjusting the layout, length of holes and challenge as they prefer.

Every golf hole has been designed to offer different challenges and shot values. The two sets of tees create alternative lengths and angles for the drive and subsequently set up very different approaches. Bunkers and other hazards have been cleverly incorporated into the layout so that they work for both courses without feeling out of place or redundant.

As an example, the fifth hole on the Red Course measures 536 metres and plays as a par five. However, on the Blue Course the same hole plays from different tees as a par four of 381 metres, with an alternative line of play and with its own unique shot values. Altogether there are potentially eight par fives within the course with six of these holes offering a par four option. All the par

“ Kaleidoscope Golf can be achieved with a design and construction budget not greatly different from the cost of creating a single course”

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fours provide longer and shorter alternatives, usually with different tee shot angles, as do the par threes.

Of course the use of two teeing areas has been seen many times before, but normally on nine-hole courses to create eighteen. It is unusual to see an eighteen-hole course of this quality use the same technique to successfully create an additional course both of which succeed as stand-alone layouts.

However, the two courses within one concept is not the only unique feature at Mill Creek. Taking on board the client’s wishes to create a form of cross-country golf, other layouts have been planned that can be played in many different ways.

This has been achieved by providing tees which offer alternative directions of play, facilitated by openings cut through mounding for new fairway corridors and designing greens which accept shots from two or even three different directions. The variety of playing options has then been further extended by the addition of a number of extra

tees, outside the standard golf layout.Several eighteen-hole Kaleidoscope Golf

options have been laid out, including a reversible course, but there are no doubt many other variations which have yet to be discovered. There are even additional options to play different six- or nine-hole par three courses around the clubhouse.

Importantly Kaleidoscope Golf is laid out to fit within all the usual parameters required for the certification of new golf courses and play follows the normal rules of the game. Of course, by its very nature Kaleidoscope Golf involves crossing holes which somewhat limits the occasions that it can be played and the use of alternative routes does mean that on some holes not all the hazards are perfectly aligned. However, it does open the door to new opportunities for the golf management team to offer members a greater variety of different experiences.

It should be noted that Kaleidoscope Golf can be achieved with a design and

construction budget not greatly different from the cost of creating a single course. At Mill Creek each hole has two tee complexes but this need not be required to create Kaleidoscope Golf. Moreover, maintenance costs are similar to that of maintaining one course, which is a definite bonus for the club owners.

Mill Creek offers much more than a high quality golf course and it is a testament to the aspirations and enthusiasm of a client who has not been afraid to push the boundaries that traditional golf developments offer. Mill Creek may be just an eighteen-hole golf course, but it can be a different eighteen-hole golf course for every day of the week! GCA

Ross McMurray is a designer at European Golf Design and is currently serving as president of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects

At Mill Creek in St Petersburg, Russia, Ross McMurray of European Golf Design has created a golf course that has multiple different nine and eighteen hole layouts

OPINION

“ We are witnessing clubs and courses across Europe reinventing the rules to create interest”

It never used to be the case, but running a golf course today is much like playing: you’ve got to keep working at it. Rest on your laurels and some new upstart

will walk away with the prize! We know this all too well: as a company steeped in history ourselves, we too have had to embrace new ideas to adapt to new market demands.

I believe that there are three key trends which are transforming the golfing landscape which can be addressed with some very practical steps to embrace innovation and secure the future of your club or course.

The first is the trend for state-of-the-art practice facilities: multi-purpose practice studios and coaching zones indoors or larger short game practice areas outside. There’s an added benefit to this approach which is that it gives you something fresh to talk about; new news to kick-start your marketing and incentivise membership.

Secondly, there is the inevitable rise of technology designed to help players improve their game. In the last year we’ve seen hi-tech simulators and robots join the ranks of existing training technologies. It might sound like the stuff of science fiction but, with excellent success rates, it’s easy to see how computer-aided equipment has the potential to get younger players hooked.

The third trend is speed. While this may seem at odds with the traditional golf experience, it’s a fact that the demands of modern life rarely allow for 18 holes twice-weekly. There’s been a lot of publicity around the need for much quicker rounds of golf to attract more people into the game. There are various ways to achieve this: shortening the length of holes, and creating smaller (six- to nine-hole) courses which are more appealing to novices, younger players and time-strapped golfers. Finding ways to make a round of golf last one-and-a-half hours, instead of four, is the aim.

Although there is an up-front investment in any new approach, the payback potential with high quality artificial surfaces far outweighs this when you consider that there’s no skilled maintenance requirement, no watering, mowing or fertilisation needed. And, of course, they open up the opportunity for year-round play whatever the weather – rarely possible with exclusively natural grass courses.

The flexibility that all-weather surfaces offer cannot be understated. Aside from infinite possibilities in terms of size and shape, there’s no seeding period required, meaning that tees and greens can be installed at any time and are immediately ready for play. They can be blended into the natural surroundings with all-weather fringes and pathways too, to create a pleasingly consistent aesthetic around the course and practice areas.

We are increasingly seeing innovation and golf seamlessly work together. We are witnessing clubs and courses across Europe reinventing the rules to create interest and get more people engaging with the game. And with a well-publicised ageing population, this innovation revolution cannot come soon enough. GCA

Paul Chester is general manager at Huxley Golf. Find out more at www.huxleygolf.com

Innovation and golf: on a collision course?

Is golf ’s tradition of long, leisurely days set for a collision course with today’s fast pace of change? Far from it, says Paul Chester, general manager at Huxley Golf

The new Yellow course at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire,

England, has all-weather greens

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http://www.huxleygolf.com/


OPINION

This is how we have always done it

Sam Thomas of the GEO Foundation considers the return to the traditions of golf course design

Twenty-first century golf development is starting to look reassuring familiar. In new marketing materials we find

descriptions like: “Resembles many of the great old courses of Great Britain” and “Rolling terrain, sand and vistas which are reminiscent of the Sand Belt of Australia”. Are we a bunch of old romantics, or do we know a good thing when we have seen one? Are we repeating or are we revolutionizing?

Since it began, golf has been evolving – and continues to – at pace. The equipment, the courses, even the players have evolved and adapted to changing times. This creates a changing image and importantly a dynamic environment that the game is played in.

Early examples of where the game was, and still is, played have respect for their surroundings. They are stewards of their natural and social environments, because they need and respect them in a way few other sports can. Those courses have allowed their location, its history, endemic character and geomorphology to shape them and, crucially, not vice versa.

In recent years, we have seen new courses such as Sand Valley, Tara Iti, Streamsong Black, West Cliffs and Trinity Forest come forward, as well as projects that reintroduce lost features such as the recent Pandy bunker at Ganton or herbicide free grow-ins like those at Irie Fields or Georgenthal in Germany.

This recent tranche of projects represents part of a neo-traditionalist design movement that stretches back to when people first started to get a look (again) at a more rugged or stripped back form of golf design, at new courses like High Point and Sand Hills. There has, since the mid-90s, been a growing adoption of these principles into many parts of the industry. Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design reflects: “I only realised after building a couple of courses

that even more important than minimalist design, is minimalist construction. When we resist the temptation to reshape fairways, and incorporate the natural contours, we preserve the integrity of the topsoil and its valuable ecosystem. When someone says our course looks like it’s been there for 100 years, that’s because most of it has been there all along.”

But perhaps labelling these new projects as neo-traditionalist is not doing them justice, perhaps there is more to them. Often, these new projects are stepping beyond the primary issues of design development and discussions of playing strategy, they are embracing an increasing number of design challenges. Today’s project team seems to be stretching into new areas such as deeper considerations of how the course will be managed and presented, how the course will be grown-in, are we being faithful to the heritage of a course, are people going to play it, how will this affect resource consumption long-term, what else could we do on this land and could it work harder for us.

The modern architect, thanks in part to technological advances but also through sheer determination for success, forensically examines not just site contours for green locations, but shifting underlying geology, diminishing resources, increased legislation, intense economic and social pressures, and rising wider expectations. The result that we are seeing is an increased application across the industry of the established ideals of past designers, a desire to return to a ‘purer form’ of the game. Preference is now showing a bias not to seek out the latest and greatest, but to build on and reinterpret the traditional forms and achievements of the past’s great minds.

In connection to this shift, we have been through a period of significant economic change. Well documented, this has meant greater scrutiny being placed on economic budgets, right across the board. Under such

“ A lower input or less intense maintenance regime can deliver a superior golfing experience”

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intense pressures is where, remarkably, these recent projects have emerged – constraints drive our creativity and innovation, just as constraints of a different nature did over 100 years ago.

We can say then, that more spend does not necessarily always equal better golf. If we isolate for a moment the issue of maintenance on a golf course, Micah Woods, the chief scientist at Asian Turfgrass Centre, proposes: “Our principle aim should be to maintain the highest quality of playing surface for the lowest amount of resource consumption.” Through monitoring and evaluation, we can demonstrate that a lower input or less intense maintenance regime can deliver a superior golfing experience – more genuine, less ‘amped up’.

Bill Coore of Coore & Crenshaw sets out this perceived shift in thinking: “We sense that golf development is shifting back to the traditional core values of the game, with courses that evoke a distinct and natural sense of place, unique and responsive to their site and conditions. With attention to design detail, these courses can be more

fun, affordable and accessible to play, with lower construction and operating costs.”

Creating great golf can mean doing less. The difficulty is being confident in doing less – creating something great doesn’t necessarily need more water, doesn’t need more nitrogen, doesn’t need to be hollow cored four or five times a year. Of course, each situation is different in the various corners of the world or even in each corner of the golf course. But when designers are thinking early on about the long-term and vital variables at play, they are laying the foundations for a more sustainable and resilient golf course for the future.

In our work, we will emphasise the importance of leaving nothing on the table. Maximise the values of your site and context no matter what they may be; choose a site very carefully; work with what you have got; be flexible in construction to take advantage of a situation; gather a deep understanding of how the site lives and breathes before the machinery starts to roll.

This total value approach is resulting in the projects we see setting new targets in terms of expectations, commitments and creativity.

We are now seeing carbon neutral or even net ‘climate positive’ projects, chemical free grow ins, zero-waste projects, outdoor classrooms, 100 percent locally linked supply chains, community farms alongside golf courses, restoration of whole watersheds and cleaning river corridors, and creating places that are driving ranges by day and rock concert venues at night. This work is continually evolving, and change is slow, but it is exciting to think where it will go in the next 10 years.

The core idea is that, throughout the process, an awareness of the larger forces at play are always required. As Max Behr said, in 1927: “The forces of nature must expend themselves in the design. Only in this way may golf architecture reach finality as an art.” GCA

Sam Thomas is Golf Development Manager at the GEO Foundation, an international not-for-profit dedicated to helping golf to deliver and be recognised for a positive impact on people and nature. For more see www.sustainable.golf and follow @sustainablegolf on Twitter

Natural golf, old and new. Royal North Devon in England (top), and Cynthia Dye’s West Cliffs in Portugal, a GEO Certified DevelopmentPh

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When Greg Norman established his golf design firm in 1987, it was done so with a focus on preserving landscapes,

respecting mother nature, and creating truly enjoyable golf courses.

“Greg’s upbringing in Australia really made him an outdoorsman, and he’s always loved the environment,” explains Chris Campbell, senior vice president of Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD). “When he got into golf design, he really embraced that part of it. Growing up in Australia, his favourite courses were in the sandbelt – places like Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. These are very natural courses, that meld beautifully with the area’s environment. When he played those courses as a young man, it really inspired him and ultimately became part of his design philosophy.”

Fast forward 30 years and Norman’s firm has established a rich portfolio of course

designs based on those initial principles. “We have a definite least disturbance

approach, but every site is different,” says Greg Norman. “Each course we have is a true reflection of the region in which it’s built, and I feel that sets us apart from other designers. Sometimes, if we have a good site, we work with the features throughout the design and construction, and disturb as little as we can. If we don’t have a good site, we try to mimic something within that region to make that golf course fit architecturally and from a landscaping perspective.”

One of Norman’s most high-profile openings of 2017 was Cathedral Lodge Golf Club near Thornton in the Australian state of Victoria. Located on the banks of the Goulbourn River in a natural valley, this private course has been heralded as a potential ‘Top 100’.

The design at Cathedral Lodge favours playability, with the project team initially looking to identify the most spectacular potential green sites on offer. From there

A legacy

disturbanceWith a portfolio of

over 100 courses in 34 countries, Greg Norman’s design firm has a mantra

of ‘least disturbance’. Sean Dudley reports

FEATURE

of least

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Greg Norman on site at high profile 2017 opening Cathedral Lodge in Thornton, Australia; top, the fourth hole, and left, the fifteenth

they worked backwards, taking into account the site’s numerous wetland and water features, as well as its impressive topography.

With the course now open for play, highlights includes the 250-yard uphill twelfth hole, the par three seventeenth – which shows little mercy to over-faded shots – and a 593-yard finishing hole with numerous water hazards for players to negotiate.

Away from his homeland, Norman’s global appeal has helped GNGCD gain develop an equally global span. The firm is at the forefront of developing new courses in a number of emerging markets.

“Greg played in events and helped promote golf in areas such as Asia and the Middle East in the 1980s and 1990s,” explains Campbell. “As a firm, we’re now reaping the rewards of Greg’s efforts during that time.”

The emergence of Vietnam as a golfing destination is something GNGCD has actively supported, having designed two of the country’s top courses at Danang Golf Club

and The Bluffs Ho Tram. In 2018 the firm will open another links course at KN Royal Links in Cam Ranh, which is poised to be another marquee course for Norman.

“Cam Rahn is a great coastal dunes site,” says Norman. “When we approached it and

started thinking about routing the golf course, it was certainly more about what not to disturb than what to disturb. We asked the owner to let us route the golf course before he did any land or infrastructure planning. The owner told us to build the best course in Vietnam. We said ok, let us go out and route the golf course as we see it, and you’ll have a good chance of getting it.”

The course at Cam Ranh features ocean views from most holes, while also boasting indigenous plant material throughout.

“As we had to disturb the ground to plant the grass, we pulled up the dunes grass and replanted it in the outer areas,” explains

Campbell. “It’s all native material, and there’s not a tree on the site, which favours links golf. We balanced dirt to create playability, but the course’s true strength really is its routing.”

GNGCD is committed to developing courses in parts of the world where golf is yet to truly take off. The firm’s design at Ayla Golf Club opened in April 2017,

“ If we have a good site, we work with the features throughout the design and construction, and disturb as little as we can”

Greg Norman Golf Course Design

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S H A P E T H E L A N D S C A P E . C H A N G E T H E G A M E .

Visit gngcd.com

A R C H I T E C T O F T H E Y E A R 2 0 1 7 – Golf Inc.

B E S T N E W I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O U R S E 2 0 1 7 – Golf Magazine

B E S T N E W P R I V A T E C O U R S E 2 0 1 7 – Golf Magazine

Cathedral Lodge Golf ClubThornton, Victoria, Australia

http://gngcd.com/

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becoming one of the first golf courses in the country of Jordan.

“Ayla is the first grass golf course in Jordan, and we’re very proud of it,” says Norman. “In this case we moved a fair amount of dirt, but it looks like something that belongs in the desert. It’s all indigenous plant material, and the stream features look like the stream features that come out of the mountains close to the site. Even though we had to create most of the course, there was a lot of inspiration taken from the natural landscape.”

Naturally, when designing a course in a landscape such as that of southern Jordan, environmental factors were front and central of the project team’s mind.

“On most projects, we will sit down with environmental agencies and work out what their objectives are,” says Campbell. “Greg himself is often involved with that process. For example, at Ayla Golf Club, Greg spoke to the owner there before work began. The owner wanted everything to be recycled, to have reusable energy, to have things running via solar power, and for the water system to be recirculated and pumped back to the irrigation lake. We bought into this with the design and looked to support this sustainable approach as best we could.”

Norman helped form the Environmental Institute for Golf, an organisation that was created by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America to help establish a standard of environmental stewardship. Norman served as chairman of the organisation, recruited high level board members, and helped its initial development. He’s also been involved with Audubon International, with many of GNGCD’s courses Audubon certified.

“For projects with protected trees for example, we will walk the centre lines with an environmentalist, who will tell us what they want to save, and we’ll incorporate that into our routing,” says Norman. “It’s the same with other natural areas like plants or wetlands. Least disturbance isn’t necessarily just about minimising earthworks, it’s about protecting and preserving what makes a site great, and incorporating a golf course into that. This approach really is a pillar of what we do.”

GNGCD’s combination of environmental stewardship, appreciation of nature and desire to bring golf to more corners of the world have been cornerstones of the firm’s success to date. With courses such as Cathedral Lodge, Cam Ranh and Ayla open to be enjoyed, the firm is expecting similar success in 2018 and beyond.

“We believe in what we do, and want to continue to reach the levels we have set for ourselves as we move forward, while adhering to the beliefs that have brought us success so far,” concludes Norman. GCA

S H A P E T H E L A N D S C A P E . C H A N G E T H E G A M E .

Visit gngcd.com

A R C H I T E C T O F T H E Y E A R 2 0 1 7 – Golf Inc.

B E S T N E W I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O U R S E 2 0 1 7 – Golf Magazine

B E S T N E W P R I V A T E C O U R S E 2 0 1 7 – Golf Magazine

Cathedral Lodge Golf ClubThornton, Victoria, Australia

Greg Norman Golf Course Design

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Ayla is the first grass course in Jordan

Cam Rahm Links in Vietnam (eighteenth hole pictured, and the sixth above) opened in 2017


ON SITE

The renovation of Adare Manor in Ireland, spearheaded by Fazio Design and Atlantic Golf Construction for owner J.P. McManus, is a project like no other. Toby Ingleton reports

Themanorreborn

The fourth hole on the Bay course at Navarino Dunes runs along the coast

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Adare Manor

Speak with anyone involved in the renovation of the golf course at Adare Manor and the superlatives will quickly start to flow. You’ll hear awe

and wonder in their voices, a first indication that this project is different to the norm.

The original course – designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and opened in 1995 – has been completely overhauled, with an investment in quality that is above and beyond the realms of most ‘ordinary’ golf projects.

Adare Manor is located in the small town of Adare, a 30-minute drive from Limerick,

Ireland. The manor itself is an imposing grey limestone-walled gothic-style building, completed in the 1860s for the Earl of Dunraven. It was built as a ‘calendar’ house, with 365 windows, representing days of the year, 52 chimneys, one for each week, and four towers, for the seasons.

It passed through generations of Dunravens until the 1980s, when the burden of upkeep became too great. The property was sold and converted into a resort, the golf course being added a few years later.

In 2015, Irish businessman J.P. McManus,

well known as a racehorse owner, bought the property, and set about a substantial renovation of the house and grounds. To realise his vision for the golf course, he returned to the Fazio Design team that helped him create two courses at the luxury Sandy Lane resort he co-owns in Barbados.

“The vision was a manicured, clean, very playable golf course. There was a request for basically no rough, all of the course to be mown down to a level where you could see the back of the ball, and play a round of golf with no lost balls – that was the

The golf course at Adare Manor has undergone a complete renovation by Fazio Design, with

construction work by Atlantic Golf Construction

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ortAs part of Fazio Design’s redesign of the Adare Manor course

in County Limerick, Capillary Concrete has introduced its bunker liner product to every bunker on the famous layout. When it reopens in March 2018, the course’s bunkers will benefit from better drainage and moisture control, helping club staff create a superior experience for all golfers. Capillary Concrete was delighted to partner with Adare Manor’s Alan MacDonnell and his team to ensure the highest standards are met at this prestigious course.

Pictured above is a large bunker, complete with liner product from Capillary Concrete, on the first hole at Adare Manor.

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Reinventing a modern classic

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ortAs part of Fazio Design’s redesign of the Adare Manor course

in County Limerick, Capillary Concrete has introduced its bunker liner product to every bunker on the famous layout. When it reopens in March 2018, the course’s bunkers will benefit from better drainage and moisture control, helping club staff create a superior experience for all golfers. Capillary Concrete was delighted to partner with Adare Manor’s Alan MacDonnell and his team to ensure the highest standards are met at this prestigious course.

Pictured above is a large bunker, complete with liner product from Capillary Concrete, on the first hole at Adare Manor.

Find out more by visiting www.capillaryconcrete.com or contacting: Worldwide: [email protected] +46 705 500 123 United States: [email protected] +1 847 337 0808

Reinventing a modern classic

starting point for the conversation,” says Tom Marzolf, senior design associate at Fazio Design, who relocated from the United States to Ireland for more than a year while the work was in progress.

“The goal here was a championship golf course, thought out so it allowed for the staging of tournament golf. From the beginning we were thinking about space around the greens for spectators and gallery flow from hole to hole.”

It took an impressive group of collaborators to turn McManus’s vision and Fazio Design’s plans into reality. Agronomic consultancy from Turfgrass Ireland, hydromulch and soil amendments from Profile Products, seed from Tee-2-Green, turf from Tillers Turf, aeration systems from SubAir, bunker lining by Capillary Concrete, scanning by Greenscan 3D, a new irrigation system from Toro and installation by MJ Abbott. Tour professionals including Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were invited to the course by the McManus family to share their observations with Fazio Design.

Heading this cast list was golf course construction firm Atlantic Golf Construction, which has earned a reputation as experts in mobilising large teams quickly and effectively, producing work of the highest standard within aggressive timescales. Under the direction of Anthony Bennett and management of Russell Stanworth, and working alongside golf course superintendent Alan MacDonnell, the Atlantic team comprised, at peak times, a crew in excess of 150.

Bennett outlines the scale of the challenge. “The site was capped with over 220,000 tonnes of sand,” he says. “There are 50 miles of drainage, that’s a pipe under the ground at least every five metres on the entire course, including the rough, SubAir systems for every green, extended to many approaches, a high-quality road network and fibre optic conduit buried around each hole, ready to connect broadcast equipment for televised coverage.”

The course was completely recontoured and now has over 135 acres of maintained turf – MacDonnell, operating from a new state-of-the-art greenkeeping compound, is

working on boosting his team to 50 in time for a spring 2018 opening.

“There was a fluidity to the project too,” continues Bennett. “It began as a smaller undertaking, but once the owners began to see the impact of the Fazio team’s design, they extended their vision.” This changing dynamic brought further pressure to Bennett’s team, but a ‘can-do’ approach meant the work continued apace.

With so much focus on the infrastructure of the site – spectator flow, road access, communications – one might expect this to

overshadow the golf experience. But a huge success of the design is that it is all expertly blended or hidden away from the everyday golfer, the resort guest, who could play the new course oblivious to the fact that a primary focus of the project was preparing the site to stage tournament golf. “Tee to green, shot to shot, this is a championship golf course, first and foremost,” says Marzolf.

The routing of the golf course (see page 19) has not changed. But within each hole corridor, virtually everything has. The ground was totally regraded, both for the strategy of golf holes and to optimise spectator access, and engineered

to maximise the quality and resilience of the playing surfaces, providing firm and fast conditions. The site is low lying with most holes playing at a similar elevation, so getting it to drain effectively had always been a challenge, particularly given Ireland’s propensity for rain.

Now, with a six-inch sandcap and extensive drainage throughout the property, the surfaces are pristine and always firm. “It’s going to be one of the driest rounds of golf you’ll play in your life. You could walk to the lowest spot on the property and

Adare Manor

“ There are 50 miles of drainage, that’s a pipe under the ground at least every five metres on the entire course, including the rough”

The par three eleventh, the only bunkerless hole on the course, can play from 132 to 224 yards

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jump up and down and it’s now firm, sandy turf,” says Marzolf.

The greens are so immaculately presented that you almost feel you should remove your shoes before stepping onto them. They are seeded with Pure Distinction, and the light hum of SubAir reminds you that the perfection on the surface is the result of the sophisticated engineering below it.

Areas of the site that had become overgrown have been cleared and non-native species such as laurels have been removed, meaning there is good visibility, plus movement of air and sunlight, throughout the site, which not only enhances the quality of playing surfaces but also opens up vistas throughout the course – the manor is now visible from most holes.

These changes mean the golf course is extremely playable from the tee – the only lost balls will be those that find a water hazard. This will make for the experience enjoyable for resort guests, but don’t be fooled into thinking scoring will be easy.

Adare Manor’s primary defence is its fearsome greens. They are generally raised high above their surrounds, often way above head height. If you fail to reach or hold the surface with your approach, you’ll need an expert short game to get the ball close to the hole. Relative to their profile above the surrounds, the surface contour seems quite modest. But that is a visual deception – once on the green the challenge will feel like it’s only just beginning, particularly given the guarantee of quick surfaces. Large sweeping plateaus form

greens-within-the-green, and two-putting will be a great achievement for anything beyond a few feet from the hole.

Comparisons with Augusta are inevitable. There isn’t considerable elevation change on the property, but the quality of the surfaces, the challenge presented by the greens and the amoeba-shaped white sand bunkers will have most visiting golfers thinking of Georgia.

“The property is manicured wall to wall. But it’s a very unique golf course,” Marzolf is keen to emphasise. “There is nothing in Ireland to compare it with. The commitment of the owner to build this high a quality of golf course is rarely done.”

‘More’ and ‘bigger’ doesn’t, of course, always mean better. And one of the most impressive aspects of the design is the restraint in bunkering. There are just 42 in total – “the fewest that have been shaped on one of our courses,” says Tom Fazio – and each one has a clear impact on the strategy of the hole. This is perfectly typified on the opening two holes, which each have a single fairway bunker. Get as close as you can to these, and you’ll have the best line into the green. There is no fairway bunkering on the third, but a deep trap on the left of the green, the base of which is far below the putting surface, should be your primary consideration when evaluating where to aim your tee shot. Throughout the course, the bunkers reveal how best to approach the hole. “A lot of detail went into understanding drive carries, so the bunkers are in play and

Adare Manor

Q&A

What do you consider to be the most significant features of this project?Adare Manor has always been a great fun place to stay and enjoy Irish hospitality with a beautiful setting along the River Maigue. The challenge was to create a course that tourists would want to play on a golf trip to Ireland, which is known for oceanfront, windswept links golf. To accomplish this task on an inland site which is definitely not links, we went the other way and created a strategic, park-style championship venue that will be meticulously manicured. Most golfers will have never seen anything like this course. It is unique and special, with its own very distinctive Irish vegetation and wildlife. Through extensive redesign and shaping of every hole and installing 135 acres of drained, sand-capped, fast and firm, low cut turf, wall to wall, this golf course looks and plays like no other course in Ireland.

How satisfied are you with the result?We look forward to opening the course this year and letting the world play Adare Manor. This will be a stand-out course in Europe and with the manor hotel refurbishment, this will be one of the finest stay-and-play venues ever created. The manor hotel is fabulous, everyone is going to want to see this place.

Are there any holes/aspects of the course that you feel are highlights?Every hole is strategic and very playable. You can hit it anywhere and not be in the rough, and see the back of the ball. However, to score and win, you have to place the ball on each shot. The greens will be fast and very firm, as the SubAir system will be on daily, removing the Irish mist. The finishing holes, fourteen through eighteen, are perhaps the most memorable stretch, with great views along the river and the manor in the backdrop.

Tom Fazio is the principal of Fazio Design

Tom Fazio

The short par four fifteenth plays alongside the River Maigue, with the manor on the opposite bank

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57

strategic,” says Marzolf. “It’s a chess match, you’re going to have to think your way around the golf course and place the ball, to attack the angles that go into the flags.”

Appropriately for a course which has been designed to host the highest level of tournament golf, the most exciting stretch of holes are the final five.

The fourteenth sees players emerge from the wooded higher ground of the previous two holes to a par four with a green that juts into a lake on the border of the property, with the remains of the thirteenth century Desmond Castle as a backdrop.

The short, maybe driveable, par four fifteenth is dominated by the River Maigue that bisects the golf course, with the manor on the opposite bank. It will require extreme bravery and accuracy to follow the direct line to the green, while a large bunker and deep swale will bring indecision into the various layup options.

The sixteenth plays over a lake to a green that is a massive 60 metres in length, the angle of which opens as you move up each of the tee boxes that curve around the water’s edge. The seventeenth moves back inside the treeline before a grandstand closing par five brings you back towards the manor, where the river will need to be crossed to reach the tiered final putting surface on the opposite bank.

The Adare Manor project is a showcase for golf course design and construction, demonstrating what can be achieved with the best that the industry has to offer.

“What Anthony and the team at Atlantic Golf Construction did every day was amazing,” says Marzolf. “Assembling a team to do this work, and to get it done – we had 150 men, seven bulldozers, 38 track hoes – just the organisation of the construction effort, it was an amazing collection of talent that was brought in to work on this site, and it really allowed us to concentrate on design.”

It is workmanship of the highest calibre.“This is the way to do a successful project,

Adare Manor is the perfect example,” says Martin Sternberg of Capillary Concrete, himself a certified golf course superintendent for 25 years. “Atlantic Golf Construction and Fazio have combined the best of European and American practice.”

All this comes at a cost, of course. And the golf course represents just a fraction of the overall investment in the resort, with the manor having been extended and completely refurbished to an impeccably high standard. A positive return may arise, as the resort is clearly aimed at the very highest end of the market. But there’s a strong sense that the owner was otherwise driven. It’s hard to imagine Adare Manor having been more glorious at any point in its past, and its future was in doubt. But now the resort will not only provide a source of great pride and influx of visitors to the local community, but it will be a livelihood for hundreds working both at the manor and within a supply chain that extends throughout the country. It is some legacy. GCA

Adare Manor

INSIGHT

We were very privileged and excited to be approached by Adare Manor in the autumn of 2015, to initially supply in excess of 40,000 square metres of our Arena turf to be laid around the greens complexes. The turf was chosen to give contrast between the finer grasses of the greens and collars and the fringing rough.

A representative from agronomic consultants Turfgrass Ireland came to visit our production site in Lincolnshire and after viewing several options, an area of turf was selected as a perfect match to meet the required turf specification and objectives.

Turf deliveries commenced soon after and continued throughout 2017. With so many loads making the journey from Lincolnshire, the challenge to the logistics side of the business over the last two years was not only organising the lorries, but ferry crossings too. Timings were critical to ensure the turf arrived in pristine condition for the contractors to lay. The turf itself was harvested during the cool of the morning and transferred onto refrigerated trailers for the duration of its journey, especially important during the warmer summer months.

Having been fortunate enough to visit the site during and post construction, I can speak for the whole of Tillers Turf, and say how proud and grateful the company are for the opportunity to supply not only our Arena for the greens complexes, but further loads of our Arena Gold Shortcut, and pure Fescue products for other applications for the duration of the project. It really is an outstanding venue and we wish Adare Manor and all those involved every success and all the very best for the future.

Richard Owens is golf and technical manager at Tillers Turf

Richard OwensThe green on the par three sixteenth hole, seen here from the forward tees, is over 60 yards long. The back tees play directly over the lake

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ON SITE


digBig

At Rolling Hills in Los Angeles, David McLay Kidd and his team have just completed a huge engineering project. Oh, and they built a golf course too. Adam Lawrence reports


Rolling Hills

Brand new golf courses in major metropolitan areas don’t happen too often. And when they do, they usually require a special set of cir-

cumstances to align; it isn’t easy to find the 150-200 acres typically required for an eight-een hole course today within the boundaries of a major city, let alone the considerably larger area needed to develop something alongside the golf, to make it pay.

Consider three courses built in and around New York over the past decade or so; the municipal Ferry Point project in the

Bronx, involving the capping of a landfill, and costing NYC taxpayers almost US$240 million to build, or the private Bayonne and Liberty National clubs, right across the water from Manhattan, both built on recovered brownfield sites, Bayonne by way of 250 trucks every day for five years, dumping construction spoil, Liberty National in a similar fashion, at a cost to developer Paul Fireman of somewhere between US$250-300 million.

On the other hand, when the stars are in alignment, and such a project does come to

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The fifth and eighth holes occupy a narrow spit of land. Kidd and his team opted to connect the two holes in one large area of short grass to give

enough width to create strategic interest

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fruition, the rewards are often substantial. Major metropolitan areas typically have plenty of affluent residents, willing to pay big money for golf and associated items such as housing. And any golf architect who gets to build in the city in this way knows that it will be among the highest profile projects of his career, guaranteed to attract a pile of attention from media and golfers alike.

The story of the recreation of the Rolling Hill Country Club course in the area of Los Angeles known as Palos Verdes is, even by the standards of golf development today, a long one. Founded in 1965, Rolling Hills occupies a prime location on the hill of Palos Verdes, even for Los Angeles a wealthy area, and thus the club became successful. But its course, squeezed in between houses, roads and hilly land too steep for golf, was at best adequate. The original course, a nine hole par three layout, occupied only 14 acres, while in 1972, the club leased another 66 acres from the Chandler family, who operated an enormous sand and gravel quarry on the site. Still very tight, the club managed to get an eighteen hole course, designed by architect Ted Robinson, which served it for the rest of the twentieth century. But in 2000 came a bombshell: the Chandlers announced a plan to sell the quarry, and all the additional land it owned in the area. Although the club’s lease ran until 2022, its long term prospects were bleak.

After long negotiations, in 2008 the club,

partnered with developer John Laing Homes, announced it had struck a deal with the Chandlers, and the dozens of regulatory bodies that had oversight. The golf course property would be combined with the quarry, and a new golf course, along with a

substantial residential development, would be built. Arnold Palmer Design was signed up to create the new course. But then, disaster: the Great Recession saw Laing file for bankruptcy protection. The deal was dead.

And dead it stayed until 2014, when developer Chuck Lande, a Palos Verdes native, got involved, and talked architect David Kidd into doing the new golf course. “I turned up at the current clubhouse and thought ‘oh, this might not be all I hoped’,” says Kidd. “It was obvious that the course had been cobbled together. But as I got to the top of the golf course, I looked down into the sand quarry.”

It was the sand quarry that convinced Kidd that the Rolling Hills project had legs. Not only did the quarry give enough space

to build something good, it also meant that sand – the golf architect’s best friend – would be plentiful.

So in August 2015, the construction began. And now we get to the meat of our story, because the construction of this course

is a real doozy. To summarise: sand was extracted from the quarry to cap the rest of the property to a considerable depth. Huge machines cut down the rolling hills after which the club was named, to produce ground sufficiently level for golf, and to fill the 240 foot deep quarry. Cuts of up to 120 feet were necessary, giving houses at the top of the property a view over the panorama of Los Angeles for the first time.

We should note that Kidd, in recent years, has preferred to handle his projects on a turnkey design and build basis. Now, when you’re building among sand dunes, as he and his team have been doing at Mammoth Dunes in Wisconsin simultaneously to Rolling Hills, that’s not too difficult. But to operate as main contractor, as well as

Rolling Hills

“ Not only did the quarry give enough space to build something good, it also meant that sand – the golf architect’s best friend – would be plentiful”

Rolling Hills has a remarkable view over the city of Los Angeles

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Rolling Hills

golf course architect, on a project where 6.5 million cubic yards of dirt needs to be moved? Well, that’s a wee bit different.

And the enormous earthmoving – itself pretty remarkable for a firm that has always been thought of as part of the minimalist movement – is only the first part of the story. Perhaps even more remarkable is the enormous civil engineering project that the build required. Two large canyons at the western end of the Rolling Hills property drain across the course, and, previously, emptied into the sand quarry, which acted as a giant storm drain, protecting much of south-west Los Angeles from flooding. But, with the quarry being filled, this drain was going away. So Kidd and his team – led by his key associate Nick Schaan, who has lived on the property for two years – had to construct

a vast alternative drain network. Located under the sixteenth green – which is in the middle of where the quarry used to be – are nine enormous pipes, 240 feet long, which take storm water down into the aquifer.

So that’s the construction story, and what a story it is. Now, let’s turn to the golf course itself. Los Angeles is a pretty strong area for private golf, with clubs like LACC, Riviera, Bel Air and Wilshire all world renowned names. But these are almost all found on the north side of the metropolis. The southern part of the giant city is much less well supplied with great golf.

In this context, Rolling Hills promises to be a game changer. The new course is extremely strong, with holes ten to fourteen, which run along the top of the newly-created main body of the property,

perhaps the best stretch. The tenth, a fine par five, has another of Kidd’s (soon to be patented?) ‘Redanarritz’ greens, a hybrid of the two famous templates. First seen at Guacalito de la Isla in Nicaragua and also used at Gamble Sands in Washington, the idea may sound wacky, but the reality is very clever. To hit a running approach onto such a green that catches the kicker slope and feeds to the flag through the swale is to put a big smile on a golfer’s face. The par four eleventh, which plays into a canyon right at the top of the site, incorporates a fiendish bunker cut into the canyon wall on the left side of the fairway. Carry it and the green opens up, bail out and the approach will be much harder.

The final punch comes on the eighteenth, a big hole with a huge, extravagantly contoured green. And the size and contours are needed, because right in the middle of the green area sits a bunker, described by Kidd as ‘Nick Schaan’s homage to Riviera’. I spent fully an hour putting on this green, and there are innumerable possible pin locations, with many different ways to access them. It’s a spectacular finish to a pretty remarkable golf course.

Next April will see the course’s first big test, when the Pac-12 finals are played at Rolling Hills. Contestants will find a practice facility on the grand scale – 400 yards long, 100 wide and double ended, with three tiers of teeing area facing the LA basin, and nine replicas of famous British greens serving as targets. GCA

Kidd and team have built a varied and interesting set of greens at Rolling Hills

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The top of the course plays into a canyon


ON SITE

On the journey to Aguilón Golf from the nearby small town of Águilas on Spain’s southeastern coast, you pass what at first

glance seems to be an expanse of desert wasteland. But closer inspection reveals an irrigation lake and a network of cart paths, the few remaining traces of a golf course that is rapidly being reclaimed by nature.

So, what is it that destines some to fail, and others, like Aguilón, to thrive? Clearly not location alone, as these two courses, whose fortunes have taken opposite paths, are little more than a kilometre apart.

Location was the factor that most concerned golf course architects Marco Martin and Blake Stirling when they were first introduced to the project. Both former designers for the Dye family and now principals of the transatlantic firm Stirling & Martin, the architects’ first question to the telecommunications entrepreneur developer was ‘why here?’

Aguilón sits in a wilderness between southern Spain’s golf hotspots. Malaga is three hours west, Alicante two hours east. If, like most golfers in southern Spain, you’re a tourist or expat, Aguilón is not likely to be the most convenient course to visit.

It’s not like the site was perfectly suited for golf either. The course lies among mountains about three kilometres inland and in the driest part of Spain – it typically rains on just one day per year, says Martin. It was always going to require substantial cut and fill to be playable and some expensive engineering to provide a water supply.

So far, this isn’t sounding like a formula for success. And to make matters worse, Aguilón opened in 2008, just as the Spanish property market – upon which the development’s business model relied – was, like the rest of the global economy, in freefall.

But people are coming, and they are coming in droves. On the week in November when

Toby Ingleton visits Aguilón Golf in

southern Spain and discovers a course

that has found success despite a challenging location and difficult economic conditions

Desertdesign


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Aguilón Golf

GCA visited, the course was welcoming over 160 players each day. In 2017 it expects 35,000 rounds. All without a permanent clubhouse or a single property sale.

The answer to Stirling and Martin’s question, ‘why here?’, is that the developer had invested in the land before he had decided exactly what to do with it, and eventually settled on a golf-oriented real estate project. Golf course architects frequently emphasise the importance of engaging with them before land is purchased, so they can advise on suitability of the site in terms of ease of construction and the market for golf in that area. But often, the architect is presented with a site and must make the best of it.

The viability of this project hinged on the availability of water. The developer’s solution was to construct two huge pipelines from the nearby towns of Pulpí and San Juan de los Terreros. These towns are founded on

agriculture, growing crops like tomatoes and lettuce. Water used to wash the crops could not otherwise be reused due to its resulting high salt content. But Martin took the decision to use salt-tolerant paspalum grass at Aguilón, meaning the course could survive on this water, recycled from agricultural processes and pumped up the hillsides to four large irrigation lakes on the property.

The developer incurred substantial cost in constructing the pipelines and also an ongoing cost of purchasing urban wastewater from the towns, which, while providing local communities with a new source of revenue, meant the development was facing a considerable financial drain before it even got started.

How then, is Aguilón thriving?There are several reasons, first and

foremost of which is the golf experience. Stirling and Martin have turned the challenging location to an advantage,

successfully incorporating the natural characteristics of the site to create a desert course that is more typical of golf in Arizona than Andalucía. When golfers make the journey to Aguilón, they are rewarded with an experience that is different to what they are used to.

One of the planning conditions of the development was that all the natural ravines and creeks should remain intact. These have been expertly integrated within the routing, notably on the par three twelfth and seventeenth holes, both of which are near-island greens, albeit without any surrounding water, as the ravines are almost always dry.

At first glance, the predominance of the native landscape makes the course look extremely difficult. But Martin has succeeded to deceive, wayward shots are often diverted back into play. And where a ravine carry is required, it’s either short enough to be straightforward, or far enough

Natural ravines have been integrated within the routing at Aguilón Golf, as can be seen here at the par three seventeenth (left), par three twelfth (top) and the par four second

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away that a lay-up is the obvious option for all but the expert or foolish.

Led by general manager Jose Javier Serrano Peñas, the club has excelled in its marketing too, making extensive use of a Eurosport journalist’s description of it as ‘the best desert golf course in Europe’ and succeeding greatly in encouraging golfers to choose the tee that best matches their abilities.

The club highlights ‘the five courses’: eagle, falcon, partridge, sparrow and red lory, and provides clear signage for golfers to assess, based on their handicap, which set of tees is most appropriate for them.

Martin’s tee placements provide a wide range of distance, from 4,500 to 6,600 yards in total, and those who bite off more than they can chew will be regretting – and probably changing – their decision after the first three holes. The first requires a carry over one of the irrigation lakes, the second over a ravine, and the third a long iron to a green protected by water. Choose the correct tee and you will comfortably negotiate these hazards. Choose badly and you’ll likely be moving forward by the fourth.

By encouraging the correct tee selection, Aguilón’s visitors are more likely to have a pleasurable golf experience and therefore also more likely to return. Since the course

first opened, Martin has made tweaks to the design to enhance playability, grassing over some of the bunkers that were aesthetically impressive but punishing, like on the par three eighth. The sprawling front bunker has been grassed over, which makes it easier average players, who can now chip or putt from the resulting deep swale onto the green, without compromising the challenge good players face in getting close to the pin.

Other bunkers to be grassed over include those on the right of the thirteenth fairway; golfers are now more inclined to aim away

from the course’s perimeter and the housing development on the left, although the further right they hit, the more the greenside pond comes into play for the approach shot.

The course was already bravely contoured, perhaps evidence of the architects’ background with the Dyes, and the removal of bunkers brings more fairway contour

into play. Interestingly, Martin has noticed that some nationalities, including the English, are more comfortable with this rolling terrain than others – he says the Spanish tell him they want flat fairways! From my (English) perspective, the contour is a redeeming characteristic of the course – it feels appropriate to the mountain environment, and makes low scoring difficult without overly punishing or instilling fear in average players.

The course presents many strategic choices, most notably on each nine’s closing hole,

both par fives with water the primary hazard. On the ninth, an iron is likely to be required off the tee, and then the braver the second shot, the easier the third. On the eighteenth, a good drive will leave you with a choice of almost any club in the bag, and multiple ways to negotiate two lakes. The temptations offered by this closing hole will ruin a few scorecards.

Despite the challenges of the location, Marco Martin and the team at Aguilón have done a lot right: they have created an enjoyable golf course that looks harder than it plays, focused on high standards of maintenance, marketed the course well, and taken pride in the friendly and welcoming service offered. And the location isn’t all bad: there’s a year-round near-guarantee of good weather and views out to the ocean from almost every hole.

Aguilón Golf is now owned by Metrovacesa, Spain’s largest real estate company, backed by Banco Santander and BBVA. Undoubtedly, financial strength allows some to weather the storm when others would fail. But when a golf course can sustain itself, owners can hold out for the property market to recover. Good golf design and sound management have been crucial to this project’s success. GCA

Aguilón Golf

The course features bold contouring, as seen here on the par four sixth

“ By encouraging the correct tee selection, Aguilón’s visitors are more likely to have a pleasurable golf experience”

Each nine closes with par fives that feature lakes. The eighteenth is on the left side of the above image, the ninth on the right

67


ON SITE

Adam Lawrence visits Christian Lundin’s appealing rebuild of a smalltown course in Sweden

Two out

ain’t badof three


69

Skövde

Every golf architect dreams of getting that perfect project where a great piece of ground and an ideal client combine to enable him to build

the course he has been planning in his head since he was small. But such projects are rare indeed, because of the number of different factors that all have be lined up to produce the green light that says go.

Let’s list those factors. The site is the most obvious; you want an interesting, rolling piece of ground with lots of small-scale land movement. Nothing too enormous or steep; anyone who has studied the Old course at St Andrews knows that the soul of golf resides in elevation changes that are pretty tiny by most standards. But as well as the landforms on your site, what’s under the surface is critically important too. Sand, as any long-time reader

of GCA knows only too well, is the golf architect’s best friend. Sandy soil basically ensures perfect permeability, meaning there’s no need to invest a ton of money in drainage pipes. It’s easy to move and shape, so that, even where the natural contours of the ground don’t match up to what the golf designer wants, it can easily be moulded into new forms. And it is the perfect medium for growing the sort of fine-bladed grass species that are the best and most sustainable surface for golf.

The third key factor is the client. The absolute perfect client, I guess, is a billionaire who wants to build the best golf course in the world, but who accepts that he knows nothing about golf design and therefore leaves it entirely to his architect. But perfection basically doesn’t exist; billionaires tend to be

the kind of people who like being involved in things, are good at making decisions, and know it. Good luck trying to persuade one of those to keep his big nose out of your business, Mr Architect. So let us try to be a little more realistic; a very good client is one that can provide an adequate budget to do the job, is supportive of the architect’s work, and, broadly speaking, knows not to second guess the professionals.

So, we have ground, soil and client. There are plenty of other factors too, but it’s not unreasonable to suggest that those three are the most important. With none of those three factors in his favour, any architect is going to struggle to do a decent job – and frankly, most successful ones would probably turn down the project. One, maybe. Two is good, three is a dream.

The beautiful undulations of the Skövde site conceal pretty heavy soil

Well, Swedish architect Christian Lundin can reasonably say he had two of the three key factors in his favour for his rebuild of the Skövde club in central Sweden. Skövde is a town of 70,000 people, fairly isolated in that it’s 150km from Gothenburg, the nearest large city (but this is, to be fair, not especially isolated by Swedish standards!), with a huge Volvo plant as the backbone of its economy. Originally founded in 1934, the club was recreated in the late 1980s, and Swedish architect Peter Nordwall built its new course. Nordwall is a bold designer – he was the only architect who said he would be prepared to build a blind par three when GCA wrote about such holes back in 2009 – with a definite style that typically incorporates extremely large greens. But, almost thirty years after its construction, the club was having issues with the course, and commissioned architect Christian Lundin of reGOLF to redesign it with a view to easier maintenance and better playability for golfers of all levels.

“The old course had a bunch of problems connected to maintenance,” says Lundin. “The greens were so big that they were very expensive to maintain, and there was a lot of winter damage caused by bird baths and pockets. And the course was not very playable for weak golfers. So our brief was to create a course that was fun and exciting for everyone, using the ‘tee it forward’ concept where needed. We were all agreed in advance that the course would be grassed with fescue, and that the ground game would be encouraged wherever possible.”

The Skövde property is quite beautiful, gently rolling hills with the sort of contour a golf architect dreams of. The club is extremely

successful; when GCA visited, despite the fact that the course was closed for the rebuild, the clubhouse was packed with members and guests having lunch – and general manager Clas Christensson told me that was the case most days. Judging by the extremely detailed ‘new course’ page on its website, the club is highly engaged and enthused by the rebuilding project, and Christensson himself is clearly a strong supporter of Lundin’s work. So that’s two of our three criteria; unfortunately, the soil does not complete the trifecta, as it is very heavy clay.

“The soil is terrible but the site itself, with the backdrops, is superb – the canvas is perfect,” says Lundin. “The site is so good so I was never that worried about the design itself. The key to the project was finding a contractor that would work well on a tight budget and have the right people to work with the club.”

The contractor that Lundin eventually chose was David Nelson of Scottish-based firm Nelson & Vecchio. With a project budget of €2 million, both architect and contractor knew they would have to manage the construction very carefully to bring the work in on time and on cost. Construction started in the middle of September 2016, and the new-look course will open next spring. “David is very easy to work with, because he really is a boutique contractor,” says Lundin. “He is passionate about the golf courses and suits perfectly these quirky little courses. His attention to detail is superb.”

“The site had its challenges due to the bedrock and some adjustments had to be made to the design to keep the earthworks costs in line. But with Christian on site each week making decisions on the problems we

encountered, it allowed us to keep a good momentum during construction,” says Nelson.

With a strong relationship between client, contractor and architect, Lundin has been able to push the envelope a little on his design. The far end of the course (it is essentially an out and back routing) occupies the best terrain, and probably also has the most interesting holes. Examples include the excellent par five seventh, where the architect has used the classical trick of the ‘lion’s mouth’ bunker in the centre of the front of the green to create great strategy, depending on where the flagstick is located. The short par four eighth is also a fun hole; the tee shot looks extremely intimidating, with bunkers appearing to block off any sensible possibility of driving the green, but in fact the bunkers are well away from the putting surface, and a range of options exist for the golfer. But possibly my favourite hole is the ninth, a par four that doglegs to the left around a threatening bunker, and has a really attractive feature at the greenside, a bunker that protects that flank of the putting surface, but also blocks the way to the next tee – normally a no-no. But Lundin has fixed that problem by building a path through the bunker. It’s extremely pretty and old school, and it gives the hole an appealing vintage look.

Coming home, the most dramatic hole is the seventeenth, an extremely long (230m from the back tee) par three. It looks terrifying, and anyone determined to make par will have to figure out whether to bash a big club in an attempt to get home, or to accept being short and try to chip and putt for a three. The home hole is another strong par five, and it completes a course that I’m sure will be regarded among Sweden’s best. GCA

Shaping the Skövde course

Skövde


71

Nelson & Vecchio Ltd

The golf course builders with experience and proven excellence at building new golf courses and renovating existing.

Talk to us, we get it right.

David NelsonManaging Director & Founder+44 7785 271 [email protected]

Nelson & Vecchio Ltd

The golf course builders with experience and proven excellence at building new golf courses and renovating existing.

Talk to us, we get it right.

David NelsonManaging Director & Founder+44 7785 271 [email protected]

tel:+44 7785 271 154


http://nelsonvecchio.com/

R461-046452-6 Enhanced Customer Experience Pubs: Golf Course IndustrySize C: A4: Bleed: 216mm x 303mm Trim: 210mm x 297mm Live: 186mm x 273mm4/CSwanson Russell

80 70 70 10010.2 7.4 7.4 100 100 100100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 100 10070 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 4070 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3.1 2.2 2.270 40 40 75 66 6650 40 4025 19 19B 0 0 0 0

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HOLING OUT


Creating a putting puzzleA putting course designed by Nicklaus Design and featuring artificial turf systems from Southwest Greens Construction recently hosted a number

of Major Series of Putting tournaments in Las Vegas. GCA spoke to those involved to find out how the course fared, and what the future might hold

An 18-hole putting course created for the Major Series of Putting (MSOP) recently graced the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Designed by Nicklaus Design and featuring artificial turf systems from Southwest Greens Construction – the construction arm for Southwest Greens International – the course was built on a site adjacent to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and close to the famous Las Vegas strip.

Between 27 October and 5 November, the course played host to a series of tournaments with a number of amateurs and professionals participate with the aim of winning cash prizes.

GCA caught up with some of the people involved with the course’s development to get their thoughts on how the new facility turned out.

“The main goal of this project was to make a statement to the world about how cool putting can be, how lucrative and exciting it can be, and also how inclusive it can be for all types of people,” explains Eric Thibaudeau of MSOP Entertainment. “We also wanted to show that an amazing facility like the MSOP Stadium could be impressive and entertaining for players and spectators alike.”

David Savic, an associate at Nicklaus Design, was tasked with drawing up the layout of the course.

“For me, the defining feature of the golf course was taking the ideas that the organisers of the MSOP presented, and solving all of the compartmentalisation and complexity of

the design to create a putting puzzle for the competition,” says Savic. “I drew inspiration from Oakmont’s practice putting green, which is attached to the back of the ninth green, as well as the Ladies Putting Course at St Andrews. I have fond memories of visiting both places and putting for quarters as a kid.”

Savic wanted the MSOP course to be a great social and competitive space that “was as creative and as fun as putting for quarters in my youth.”

“In this case, they are putting for a lot more than that!” he says. “Developing something that was competitive and fun is the defining feature for me, and it’s something new for MSOP and the general golfing public to have into the future.”

Kevin Holinaty of Southwest Greens Construction, who supplied the artificial turf systems used on the course, was delighted with how the course turned out.

“It was a challenge to make the breaks challenging and acceptable, but the feedback on the surfaces has been very

positive and encouraging,” he says. “I think the players appreciated the subtlety of the playing conditions on the course, and there were some very challenging putts. We purposely created a fast and compact surface with a true ball roll, much like tour players experience on tour.”

Following a successful 2017 tournament, the course is set to make a return in 2018, while a more permanent venue could soon become a reality.

“It’s a shame that this stadium had to be demolished after the event, and we all hope that MSOP will open something permanent – and that’s certainly the plan,” said Thibaudeau. “This event proves that it could work!” GCA

“ We all hope that MSOP will open something permanent – and that’s certainly the plan”

The course was built on a site close to the Las Vegas strip and featured artificial turf from Southwest Greens Construction

R461-046452-6 Enhanced Customer Experience Pubs: Golf Course IndustrySize C: A4: Bleed: 216mm x 303mm Trim: 210mm x 297mm Live: 186mm x 273mm4/CSwanson Russell

80 70 70 10010.2 7.4 7.4 100 100 100100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 100 10070 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 4070 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3.1 2.2 2.270 40 40 75 66 6650 40 4025 19 19B 0 0 0 0

100 70 30 100 10 25 50 75 90 100100 60 100 70 30 100 60 40 70 4070 30 100 40 40 100 40 100 40 70 40 70 40 40 340 70 40 70 40 40100 60A

3%ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2009

Using real-time diagnostics to prevent real-big problems.That’s intelligent.

Visit rainbird.com/DefendYourTurf to watch a video about how top courses like The Club at Admirals Cove

are getting more from their irrigation—and their turf.

Follow us @RainBirdGolf

Rain Bird innovation gives The Club at Admirals Cove total control. When The Club at Admirals Cove decided to renovate in 2016, they chose

the Rain Bird® IC System™ for its real-time diagnostics and single-head

control. From running instant pass/fail tests and voltage checks to quickly

controlling individual rotors from anywhere, they have the power to

defend their turf with Rain Bird.

http://rainbird.com/DefendYourTurf

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Documents

Golf Course Architecture - Issue47 April 2017.pdf - Tudor Rose