This is a downhill par-3. The members tees are right in front of the clubhouse; subject to all the peering eyes of members and guests. The back tees are down the hill a little. It gives a nice view across the hillside.
Much has changed since this plan was sketched. Only the tee and green positions remain the same. The wetland was already excavated upon my arrival, and then we filled it in. There are no bunkers fronting the green, the tees for the 8 and 17 have shifted, and the massive expanse of sand runs tight to the right side (per this illustration) and behind the green.From the Member's and Forward tees, the green sits at a very slight angle, but from the back it is at an angle; almost like a Redan, except the green isn't contoured like one (A Redan green is 45 degrees to the angle of play, slopes from the front to back, allowing you to hit a draw to the front and have it release to the back).
The green has moderate contour, and is surrounded by sand to the left and behind. The bunker is between 1.3 to 2-meters deep (4 to 7 feet). To the right is fairway, but the bank is as much a 6-feet high. Miss it right and the bank could kick your ball 20, 30-meters from the green.
The most interesting hole locations will be the back left, followed by the back right.
We toyed with the idea of having the ladies play from the back tee as a short par-4. I think this option should be left open. It would make a thrilling, fun par-4 for the ladies.
The prevailing wind comes from the west, BUT... we've learned the wind comes from multiple angles at all times of the year. We get winds from the South, North and East at least half the time. This variety will only add to the interest of the course.
How it appeared at the end of April last year. A mass of clay was deposited at the greensite. It was meant for the foundation of the green. Instead the poorly stockpiled clay was trucked away, and sand brought in. Instead of trucking it to the "Buffer Wall" on 5, one concept was to create ridge to set bunkers in before the green. Don't ask what the mess left by the previous builder (in the foreground). I'll deal with that in the book or a future post about creating the 18th greensite.
As the greensite looked this morning. By afternoon the piles of topsoil to the back left of the green was placed along the left bank.
The hole will look something like this.
April 2007; How it looked from the Back Tee.
Today from the same vantage point.
How the hole may appear when grown-in.
April 2007; What poorly stockpiled clay looks like. When poorly stockpiled the material holds water, and when you push this stuff, it has a pudding-like consistency. This should have been flattened, smoothed out with a little slope so water would have run off it, and the material stayed dry.
Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
+1(909) 581 0080
