Sand Valley Golf; Design and Construction Blog: Working the Banks

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.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Working the Banks

On portions of holes 6, 7 and 16, all in close proximity to one another, we have fairly abrupt transitions to the waste areas or water hazards; this for a multitude of reasons; part aesthetic, part strategic, and part due to engineering.

On Thursday we had topsoil dropped along the banks of fairways 7 & 16. This was pushed over the edge with a bulldozer and then Martin (Submarine Captain) compressed the material on the banks and smoothed it out.

Next step is to hand rake the banks and seed.

The bank to the right of the 6th fairway. To its right will be a sandy waste area.

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

Tony Ristola

Associated Blogs

Blog Archive

Short Project History; The Good and Bad

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Working the Banks