Sand Valley Golf; Design and Construction Blog: The hands of a true Hands-on Golf Course Architect

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, August 22, 2009

The hands of a true Hands-on Golf Course Architect

One of the most abused claims in the business is "Hands-On" golf course architect. The term now has been dumbed-down to the point where a few site-visits during the project, driving around in an air conditioned truck, and barking out design changes to work completed according-to-plan is hands-on.

It used to mean the architect spent months on-site and was actually involved in the construction, making improvements to the course as, or even before features were being built.

Below are the hands of a true hands-on architect... yours truly. The product of long days with my girlfriends... the shovel and rake, creating the individual bunker forms that set Sand Valley apart.

The left hand looks like it used to when I hit a couple hundred balls a day as a tournament professional... so I've included the right hand too... which has the same three mountains of calluses... which I call Mt. Everest, K2, and Zugspitz.

Back in the old days as a tournement professional my left hand used to look like this from hitting hundreds of balls a day.

But not the right hand... unless I had hit hundreds of balls left handed on a daily basis.
Now these calluses are the product of crafting special golf courses... building them one-at-a-time, being on-site all-day... everyday... in the old and fullest meaning of "Hands-on".

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

Tony Ristola

Associated Blogs

Blog Archive

Short Project History; The Good and Bad

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The hands of a true Hands-on Golf Course Architect