What are your picks?I nominate the new practice area at Isleworth in Florida:
From golfcoursenews.com:
Isleworth building a practice area
7/28/2006
With his second consecutive, and third overall, British Open championship under his belt, Tiger Woods may not need an improved, state-of-the-art teaching and learning center as much as the dozen other PGA Tour players who live at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla.
Nevertheless, the private community has already begun construction on a comprehensive practice facility with greens grassed with different types of turf and bunkers sporting a range of sands in order to simulate play at other venues; and a short-game area boasting a number of fairway and greenside bunkers of varying depths. A second phase of the project, awaiting Orange County approval, will extend the driving range another 50 yards to 380 yards.
“We are constantly re-evaluating our amenities,” says Isleworth general manager Kurt Kuebler. “In doing so, we’ve known our weakest amenity was our practice facility. Our goal is to improve it and make it more valuable for all our members as well as our Tour players.”
Kuebler says Woods, Mark O'Meara, Darren Clarke, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Charles Howell III, Lee Janzen and other Tour players who live at Isleworth normally spend more time at the range than on the golf course. So, the new practice area, being designed by Steve Smyers who recently completely redesigned the Isleworth golf course, will replicate the conditions and shot values, found on the course.
“At Florida Tour events, golfers are playing mostly on Tifeagle Bermudagrass," Kuebler says. "But if you’re practicing for play elsewhere, you may want to practice on those other turfgrasses to see how the ball is going to react. So, Steve is hoping to implement other grasses into the design.”
From his nearby offices in Lakeland, Smyers says, “We are building one large putting green and two pitching greens, with shots up to 130 yards. And, in the second stage next summer, we will produce target greens — some multi-tiered, one with a false front, and others possessing other looks — that will make it appear that you’re on the golf course.”
Isleworth proved its commitment to the project when it removed two multimillion-dollar lots from the market and annexed them into the new practice area.
Kuebler says Tiger, O’Meara, Appleby and other members are providing input on Smyers’ design.
Members, as well as those Tour players, will appreciate that the end result will produce yardage markers that are far more visible and precise than at traditional ranges, Kuebler says.
“We’re furiously moving earth right now,” Kuebler adds. “We want to sod it so it will be open by late September.