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D_Barton

Annapolis Roads Threatened
« on: February 17, 2005, 02:37:00 PM »
The local Annapolis paper has noted that the much loved 9-hole Annapolis Roads Golf Club is threatened by a church that wants to turn it into athletic fields.

Article:
THE ANNAPOLIS Roads community came up with a surefire way to stop development - buy the property. Now if they can only buy the golf course, too.

By pooling their money to buy 33 acres of woodland, Annapolis Roads homeowners have stopped a plan by Ribera Development to build up to 40 homes on the property.

However, the community faces an even tougher fight ahead in blocking a a deal between Ribera and St. Mary's Church to build ball fields and a gymnasium on 80 acres now used by the Annapolis Golf Club. The church has been desperate to find a site for badly needed ball fields, but Annapolis Roads residents are not sympathetic. When it comes to securing their peace, even a church doesn't have a prayer here.

You can learn about this on the Annapolis Capital's web site www.capitalonline.com


George_Bahto

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2005, 03:25:01 PM »
I have been in contact with community members for a while. They are trying to protect this unique and historically significant course from any of the threatening developers.

For the time being please do not contact anyone down there including the course admin. You will be doing more harm than good. You'll only drive the price up.

Writers, architects etc, if you are interested in helping - writing letters etc - please contact me via my at ggb313@aol.com and I will let you know when would be a "more better" (hah) time to help.

For now:  a low profile please!!

George Bahto
If a player insists on playing his maximum power on his tee-shot, it is not the architect's intention to allow him an overly wide target to hit to but rather should be allowed this privilege of maximum power except under conditions of exceptional skill.
   Wethered & Simpson

david h. carroll

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2006, 04:02:53 PM »
Sean--the community fought the church and won.  The Roads is still there and there is a movement underfoot for the County to buy it, upgrade its maintenance and operation-- probably through Denny Minami's firm Casper Golf -- and let it be primarily used by juniors.  This would be great except I can't really see it as a good facility for juniors as it's a damn tough nine holes.

Craig Disher

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2006, 04:20:24 PM »
I think it would scare off juniors from ever wanting to take up golf. Some of the greensites are incredibly extreme, and some are just superb like the Redan. Most of the bunkers are like this - sandless weed patches.



Jim Nugent

Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2006, 04:36:54 PM »

Article:
THE ANNAPOLIS Roads community came up with a surefire way to stop development - buy the property. Now if they can only buy the golf course, too.

By pooling their money to buy 33 acres of woodland, Annapolis Roads homeowners have stopped a plan by Ribera Development to build up to 40 homes on the property.


With eminent domain, how safe is their new purchase?  

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2006, 12:00:49 AM »
David and Craig,
I would have to disagree with both of you when you say that playing a course like Annapolis would discourage young golfers. Courses with extreme greens, deep bunkers and undulating terrain lend a sense of adventure to the game, something youngsters (and some oldsters, if they're not too jaded) enjoy.
We have quite a few juniors here at Hotchkiss and we also have a few extreme situations, not unlike those shown in the photo of AR. These kids learn to hit shots from any number of bad, sidehill or uphill lies. They learn to shape their aerial shots to follow the terrain, just in case they hit a grounder. They get comfortable hitting a shot from a sparsely grassed hollow to a green that looms 10' above their heads, and they learn to read the ridges, humps and swales found on them.
For all the bad raps we lay on this generation of urchins, i.e., lazy, poor work ethic, needing to be instantly gratified, it is not uncommon for me to overhear some of them telling a new kid how hard 'their' course is, and yet they come back day after day to give it a whirl. Another common phrase heard here, from young and old alike, is 'learn to play golf at Hotchkiss and you can play anywhere'.

I believe that if more kids learned to play on extreme courses that didn't bore them they'd be more likely to stay with the game. They might also gain respect for certain features that are not so readily incorporated into modern designs.
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Craig Disher

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2006, 09:55:36 AM »
Jim,
I should have used a smiley. I only meant to point out how different AR is. Kids would be fascinated by what's there. There's nothing like it in the area and it adds a different dimension to playing golf as you describe.


david h. carroll

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Annapolis Roads Threatened
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2006, 12:17:00 PM »
Jim--you should see Annapolis Roads in person.  The siza and scale are huge.  The bunkering is extremely vast and deep whereby even as a 6'3" scratch golfer hou can often see nothing but sky from them.  Not to discourage junior golf from such a site, it would be a very difficult nine holer for the junior.

The photo doesn't do that redan justice.  It is the largest I've ever seen.