Sand Valley Golf; Design and Construction Blog: Getting Near the Finish Line…

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.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Getting Near the Finish Line…

…for the mass earth moving on the Driving Range. The target greens are visible, the back of the range too. The main line for draining the front half of the Short Course has been cut through The Range. We’ve got about a half day of earth moving left, and then the next step is to blend all the cuts and fills together so the contours are soft and rounded, so they flow together like a big block of ice melting in the hot sun.

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

Tony Ristola

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Short Project History; The Good and Bad

Monday, July 23, 2007

Getting Near the Finish Line…