Sand Valley Golf; Design and Construction Blog: Another Day in the Desert :)

Short Project History; The Good and Bad

This blog reveals a snippet of the daily challenge of building a special golf course. The only value in something like this for future investors and golf architecture aficionados is to tell the truth; warts and all.

Before arriving at Sand Valley the project was being constructed according to the "detailed plans" of another golf architect using a "golf course construction company" that had built a number of courses. They broke ground in June 2006. After 10-months the builder had proceeded to rape 14-holes and was fired.

I have been brought in to fix the problem, using locals to build the course. In the process all plans except the general routing scheme have been abandoned. The current course is being designed in the field, seizing every opportunity to improve the course as we go. That's the value of time. You can see the project from all angles, in all conditions, you have time to think about the problems and come up with the best solutions, and then refine them with the guys doing the building... in real-time. This is how many of the great courses were constructed. It only makes sense. More time, more input, more communication produces the best possible result.

That's why Sand Valley, though it had a rough start (using the "Typical Method") should have a fantastic finish.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Another Day in the Desert :)

30 degrees, not a cloud in sight, and the crew working without a hitch; that’s just about the perfect day. We continue pounding sand into the 6th fairway, and the hand workers have started cleaning up the river dunes that run through the fairway.

The winds started from the west, switched and came to us hard and fast from the north, creating a dust storm for 10 minutes. In the evening they came from the east and it looked ominous; like we would get hit by a major storm. Lightening and thunder danced around the site. We got a small shower but were spared anything that would cause us difficulties.

Polski System! The photo is Diablo with his girlfriend (the rake) enjoying a day in the sun.

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1 (909) 581 0080

Tony Ristola

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Short Project History; The Good and Bad

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Another Day in the Desert :)