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

Links Golf? Not so fast!!!

Just to be on record, Sand Valley is not a "Links Course" or an imitation links. Elements from the links have been stolen, that is for sure, but what was taken from the links is the heart and soul. Not the aesthetics.

Honestly, I cannot tell you what type of golf course Sand Valley is. She is schizophrenic. Has multiple personalities. There are holes through forest, in open rolling spaces, along the river, paralleling the rail line, holes with wetlands, with ravines, along ledges, in an abandoned quarry, and through river dunes.

You tell me... anything but Links... please.

Is she modern?
Is she classic?
It will be interesting to hear the opinions.

The following format is from another course I had designed and was written about in 2000, it has been adapted for Sand Valley because it fits here too:

Links Golf? Scottish Golf?

This course is not meant to be a Links-type course. To call it one would be a severe misrepresentation of fact, as most courses marketed as Links-type are.

This course is designed in the spirit of those timeless inland designs from the Golden Age commonly found in America, Canada, England and Australia. Like the Golden Age designs and architects, elements and ideas were adapted from Links Golf; the heart and soul, but not the cosmetics. Modern construction equipment has allowed us to take some liberties in land alteration at Sand Valley that wasn't so easily executed 70-years ago, but the ideas we stole from Links golf are:

1. Wide Fairways. This allows all classes of golfers to enjoy the game, and if the course is hard, fast and windy, the most interesting conditions to play golf, there is room to play. It allows for a whole spectrum of strategies, and as the hole location changes, firmness of ground changes, wind changes direction... often the case at Sand Valley, as there is no prevailing wind, the line of attack changes too. This keeps the game interesting... ideally mystical for years to come.

2. Random, natural bunkering. Placing bunkers for "better players" looks artificial, is a modern occurence and sucks the fun and interest out of the game for many. Ours eat into the fairways, and as some fairways are huge, double most modern courses, bunkers are placed towards the middle.

3. Interesting greens and surrounds. The short game is over 65% of golf. A short accurate hitter with an excellent short game can beat a long hitter with a poor short game on this golf course... guaranteed.

4. Hard and fast conditions are the hallmark of Links golf. By good fortune the native soils are suited for these conditions. It truly is a gift of nature. Some courses have paid millions and do not have the optimal conditions we enjoy... naturally.

5. Greensites which allow bounced in approaches. Our firm fairways permit this, and this allows the weaker players to attack the holes using the ground. Most golfers simply don't hit the ball high enough, or spin it enough to play loft-and-drop golf.

The better players at times will have to choose between bouncing their approaches in, or trusting an aerial attack. It is something sure to cause indecision for them, which is great... anytime you can get between the ears of the expert and cause indecision, you've accomplished something.

6. Affordable maintenance practices. True Links are cost effective to maintain (something faux Links usually aren't), and so is Sand Valley. Do not expect Japanese Garden conditioning, this would defeat the design-intent. Expect the golf course turf to be managed for playing conditions... not color... just as they do on the Links.

This doesn't make Sand Valley a Links Course, anymore than piling up dirt alongside the fairways and building grass-faced or sod walled bunkers qualifies a course as "links-type"... but it does mean Sand Valley has some of the best qualities of the Links, minus the most visual aspect... the sand dunes.

If you would like to read the full length version of the document used as the template for this post, click here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5039150/Understanding-Der-Golf-Club

Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
agolfarchitect@yahoo.com
+1 (909) 581 0080
574

Nr. 7 Again Before and after Looking Down the Fairway

Fairways 6 and 7 were capped with sand... about 1.2 meters worth, and then shaped. What was filled was a triangular area about 300 meters at its base and 150-meters at its sides. The bank to the right of the fairway reveals the amount filled.

No plans were used to create one of these contours, they simply evolved while sitting on the bulldozer. Every roll and hollow, hump and bump is man made.

Originally the area was to be capped with clay, and if you look close you can see a pile of two the previous company delivered. After my arrival we switched to capping the area with sand. It saved installing kilometers of drainage, and all the problems that result from using this inferior material.

We trucked out almost all the clay material brought in, except for a pile that was near the turning point on the 6th. That served as the spark for the ledged/split fairway concept on 6... the high point of the two fairways.

Had we used clay, we still might be trying to finish this hole! In the summer of 2007 we had constant rain, the longest dry stretch being 10 days, and the clay... even if properly sealed would have been an ordeal to shape, drain, install irrigation, cap with topsoil and seed. I say "properly sealed" because not one delivery of material to a greensite, fairway or tee was properly sealed... in the end it didn't matter because all the work the previous company had done delivering material was trucked away.

Hole Nr. 2 Before and After

Before my arrival, the previous builder spent 10-months making construction error after construction error unhindered. Here they stripped the greensite of organic material and pushed it to the tees as fill for the third hole... a construction "NO-NO". It was one of many that filled 11-pages after my 4.5 day walk through of the property before taking the project... and I still didn't catch them all! All this will be documented in the upcoming book Sand Valley, It's Design, Construction & Future.

This greensite fortunately wasn't mismanaged, but proved to be an interesting adventure, it was a product of evolution, seizing on unforeseen opportunities. Had it been a project that followed plans, the opportunities would have been missed, and the greensite less beautiful because of it.

















Before.















After. This greensite took the longest to shape, for a whole host of reasons.

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

The Bunker Brothers

These are the two best workers Sand Valley has seen... Period.
They have also been doing one of the toughest jobs... day-in and day-out.















The Bunker Brothers, Maciej (L) and Marcin Jaskot with our Mascot Sonya.

• They don't take extended breaks.
• They don't sit around picking their noses when finished their work... they find more!
• They don't waste time in the thousands of possible ways.
• They never complain.
• They don't sit around talking like old ladies.
• They arrive early for work and are ready to go when it's time to go to work.
  
• They ignore bad influences... guys not doing their jobs.
• Because they work hard and do a good job they don't require baby sitting.
• They take instruction well.
• They are in good spirits.
• They elevate standards, because they make the efforts of most others look meager.

You could never have too many like them.

If someone is ever looking to hire these guys... don't hesitate.
They have my 100% recommendation.
My bet is if they don't have the skills needed, they will learn them.
Their computers seem to be wired that way. To perform.

Thanks guys, for giving me one less thing to worry about.

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

Sand Ahoy!

Today 6 bunkers were filled with sand. Two bunkers by green 2, and four fairway bunkers on the 4th. It would have been more, but the Bunker Brothers, Maciej and Marcin Jaskot were busy this morning cleaning out a bunker before installing sand. Sounds easy... it wasn't.















Sand installed. No sand pro to be used in these bunkers. It is actually much faster to rake them out by hand. In a previous thread I called these "The Three Bears", but they're really part of "The Bomb Garden".

Bomb Garden references in this blog:
Piecing Together Nr. 4
Design on Land, Not on Paper
4 Bunkers on 4

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

7th Greensite Development Progression in Photos

The bunker fronting the 7th green has taken the longest time to bring to completion. I began this work on July 5th, and have worked on it on and off. That's the value of having time to reflect.
July 5 Blog entry: Sunday Spent Edging

Though I liked the general idea, was never happy with the state if things, so... today was another attack.

The Bunker Brothers were doing the hard work of cutting and hauling in the sod slabs, and I spent the day placing them.

Finally I'm satisfied.
















This is what the 7th greensite looked like upon my arrival at the end of April 2007.

















The greensite has been shaped, the bunkers and hillocks.
That's Chechek Chechek in the bunker, showing its depth.















Edging lines have been loosely marked, and the first bit of edging work underway.















This, and the remainder of the photos were taken today.












































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

Cleaning 11

The Bunker Brothers went in and cleaned up the bunkers on 11. Then they joined me in the bunkers on 7.

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

Finally

April 27, 2007 was my first day on-site, and the first entry in this blog.
First Blog entry: Electric Line Discussions

The blog was about the meeting for putting the electrical lines underground.

The investors were given some poor advice, there were mixups with the authorities, but finally the lines are ready to go subterranean.





























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

The Beast

Would you believe this Beast started out as one medium sized bunker?
True... true.
Reference Blog Entry: Bunker on 8 Evolution

I was egged on to make the bunker bigger, and in the end it was extended and connected to the bunker by the former Monument to Stupidity (the product of the previous builder... long before my arrival to the project). I diplomatically called it The Monument before, but now its full name can surface as the builder is out of business... it truly was The Monument to Stupidity.
Reference Blog Entry: Knocking Down the Monument

We hydroseeded the banks of this bunker but parts of it didn't take, so it was sodded some weeks ago. Most of the bunker had been edged... we have only been waiting for this section to take hold.

Now we've gone in and edged the sodded banks, and other areas in the near vicinity.














After Hydroseeding the banks of the bunker.















Today.















The banks in the foreground have been edged, those in the distance are awaiting edging.















More of the same.















Before. During construction last year.















After: With edging and sand flashed up the faces, this massive bunker come to life.
















Before. During construction last year.















After.

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

Grinding Away

The Milati team came by to sharpen the reels and bedknives of the mowers.

It's amazing what dull equipment does. It rips the grass instead of cutting it, and you get brown tips of grass as a result.

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

Edging 11

Today the greenside bunkers on 11 were being edged, and then the rain... beautiful rain started falling... for 7-hours. We needed it.

Irrigation was on (see lower photo) just in case we had another false alarm with rain. We have a micro climate here that breaks up incoming fronts, they go around the golf course, raining in the neighboring towns, leaving us dry. Of course there was the wet summer of 2007, but that hit all of Central Europe... even our little bit of California in Poland.





























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

Edging the remainder

Today it was off to the bunker at the start of the 4th fairway, then to 12, and then the Monster cut into the bank on 18.
















The lonely bunker at the start of the 4th fairway.
Before and after edging.















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

Pekka Guenther: 748 and Counting

Pekka Guenther, the Grand Man from Kymen Golf, Kotka, Finland dropped by today with friends to play the course. It's his 748th course, and after visiting us he will be on his way up the Baltic coast towards Estonia, bringing his total well over 750, playing 36-holes a day... walking.. in the heat of summer. Pretty impressive, as Pekka is 74 or 75 years young. You can only do these sorts of feats if you love the game, as Pekka obviously does.

Golf is fortunate to have such first-class ambassadors.

Thank you for the enthusiastic comments about the course.

INSERT PHOTO

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

Open For Business

Today was the Grand Opening, garden party and tournament. The weather couldn't have been better.

It was a fun day, playing with Timo Hulkkonen (Owner), Marek Majewski (Pension Megi) and Vojciech Szpila (Club Captain). We managed to scrable to a 69, finished fourth, and a few drinks.

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

Run and Gun

I've got three crews of three working in various waste bunkers, getting them neat and tidy (for the first time) before the tournament tomorrow.

It's been a longer week than most, and the guys have done a lot of good work in pretty hot weather.

Thanks Guys.

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

Hell

It's been hot, the guys have been in the sun fine tuning the waste bunkers, both sweating and drinking gallons.

One of the workers described the work as "Hell". I can't say I disagree, can only thank them for toughing it out.















Cleaning the edges, bringing sand up to them, and raking out the bunkers by hand.















I wasn't sure about these guys (Speedy & Co) when they started, but they became professional bunker finishers, and really caught the team spirit. Hoooooowaaaaaaaaah!















Coming in for another load of spoils.

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

The Pulpit or Volcano Hole

The 3rd is a 135 meter par-3, originally planned to be some 50-meters longer, a whole rash of changes took place when designing this hole.

The green is a little like those built by Seth Raynor some 80-years ago.

There are bunkers to the left of the green, buffering the wetland. This bunker, to the front right was edged yesterday evening.















Mr. Peanut attacked this bunker before my arrival, so this is the "before" photo, and what follows are yesterday evening's work. If you want to see more work by the lovable Mr. Peanut that had to be undone, click here:http://sandvalleygolf.blogspot.com/2009/06/attack-of-mr-peanut.html




















































The following photos's are courtesy of golfclubatlas.com and are from Yeaman's Hall's, also the third hole, and also 130-meters; a product of pure coincidence. It is a Seth Raynor design in South Carolina, built in 1925. I visited and photographed this course about 14-years ago.

The course has several memorable holes, this being one of them. I loved the concept for its simplicity, the daring element of the shot for such a short hole on a flat stretch of ground.

This hole did come to mind when looking at solutions for our 3rd hole, but I didn't reference anything other than my memory bank; wanting our hole to be wholly individual.

The only similarity between our 3rd and Yeaman Hall's is the elevated nature of the greensite, and the length.















































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