Olivas Links Finally Opens

[Forrest Richardson]

Hard to believe that we began the work in Ventura, California back in late 2000. (Some posters here on GCA were in their eraly teens at that time   )

I have it on good authority that Olivas will open on May 1st to a quiet audience. Still no clubhouse, but the grow-in has gone very well and greens have been described as ideal following a month+ of reasonable temperatures.

If some of you Californians would like to play, let me know and I will do my best to pass your name onto the management.

[ed_getka]

Forrest,
   Thanks for letting us know. I'll plan to take a look this summer when we get down that way.

[Tom Huckaby]

Very cool!  I've been waiting a long time for this one... annual camping trip is right near there.

I'll be there two different weekends in July and August - will definitely check it out then.  The plans looked pretty darn cool to me.

TH

[peter_p]

I'll make this an add-on if I make it down to the King's Putter.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Thanks for the heads up, Forrest.

Upon a little search, this course is on the site of the former Olivas Park GC.

http://www.olivaslinks.com

Although I won't be attending, perhaps this could be a late addition to the King's Putter VI rota?

[Tim Leahy]

I used to play the old Olivas Park all the time to beat the LA Valley heat and am looking forward to the new links. Hopefully someone can post some pictures or a sattelite photo.l

[Jeff Doerr]

The course opened on May 1st.

My buddy Scott played there on opening day and will get me some pictures to post soon. He had some nice things to say about it.

[Jeff Doerr]

Report from Scott Weersing - Opening Day.

Olivas Links has a unique look with high grasses
between the holes along with selected pine trees and
eucalyptus trees. Many green complexes have no bunkers
and none of greens have rough. Except for a few thin
fairways that are growing in and are heavily watered,
the rest of the course is fast and firm.

The pictures begin with the 3rd hole. The first two
holes are along a road and are hard to photograph
because of palm trees and telephone poles in the
backgrounds.

Third Hole, par 4, 333 yards-white, 357  yards –blue.
The fairway bunkers are 80 yards from the green making
it hard to drive the green.


Fourth hole, par 5, 470 yards-white, 510 yards –blue,
The tree on the right will come in play on your third
shot. It plays downwind and has no bunkers around the
green. In the second picture you can see how this
green is raised and slopes from front to back.




The fifth hole is not visually interesting as a 167
yard –blue tees, par 3 but its green is raised in the
front and then slopes to the back.


Seventh hole, par 4, 382 yards-white, 395, blue. This
view is from the right rough but shows how the green
slopes from front to back. This hole will also play
downwind bringing the tree into play.


The ninth and 18 green are connected. This photo shows
the 18 green on the left with the ninth fairway behind
it.


The green on the tenth hole looking back to the
fairway.


The 13th hole is 171 yards from the blue tees. This
second view is from behind the green looking back to
the tee.




The 15th hole is 357 yards from the blue tees but
there is no view of the green from the tee box as the
green sits behind some small trees. So you have to hit
over the fence and bushes on your second shot. Notice
the ridge which bisects the green.


The 16 th hole is one of the best, 455 yards, par 4
that bends to the right. The hole plays downwind with
a lake on the left, about 270 yards from the tee. The
bunkers are not in play but add to the look of the
hole.




The 17th hole has the only elevated tee and plays 149
yards from the blue tees. While the green looks
narrow, it is in fact 35 yards deep.


The 18th hole is 490 yards from the blue tees and the
green is bordered by the ninth green.

[Jeff Doerr]

Forrest had posted these two previously:

[Jeff Doerr]

Forrest,

Can you share with us what features you are really pleased with? I've driven by it in process and look forward to playing when I get back to Ventura/Oxnard.

Cheers, Jeff

[Forrest Richardson]

Jeff — Our goal was to create a fun golf experience and come in under budget in the process. I believe the green fee is $35, which is more than  fair for Southern California.

My favorite part at Olivas are the greens: 3, 6, 9/18, 10, 14, 16, and 17 have always stood out. They are not as bold a Buenaventura, but they have some teeth.

It was a balancing act to leave bunkers that the City could take care of — but would also fit the windswept site.There are not many bunkers, but those present play havoc in the wind. Width was also important. The more you play the course I think the more you will find ways to attack the targets.

Thanks for the photos!

[Jeff Doerr]

Scott also sent over a scorecard image. They have adirondack chairs as "benches" around the course and as a theme in the logo.

Scott mentioned that the green complexes were really a strength and they had them rolling pretty fast already.

[Bill_McBride]

Forrest, those greens do look very cool so close to the ground.

There is a certain "Las Palomas" look to the double green at 9 and 18!  

[Jeff Doerr]

Another report from newest member Scott Weersing!

Here are some hi res photos from Thursday, May 10 at
Olivas Links.

The course is better in the wind as you have to think
about where you want the ball to land. You also get to
play the contours around the green. Several of them
have backboards where you can hit a ball low in front
of the green, it  rolls up the back and then back down
to the green. Fortunately, there are not very many
sand traps so you don't have to fly the ball to the
green. 7 of the greens do not have any sand traps
around the green. One difficulty is that there are
only yellow flags so you have to guess where the hole
is on the green. One par 3, no 5, 167 yards,  has a
green that is 48 yards deep.

The photo, near13green.jpg, shows where my dad sliced
his hybrid into the wind. It missed the lake, blew
further left, and ended up in the high grasses. He had
a 75 yard shot over the lake and into the wind. He hit
it to 8 feet.

No 11 Green


No 15


No 17


Left on 13


Cheers, Jeff

[Forrest Richardson]

Jeff — You dad must have really lost that tee shot left? No. 13 was a true find when we went to route the course using all of the old topo and many of the ponds — there were 14 separate ponds when we set foot on the old Olivas! Now there are just the five with the northern areas all connected.

No. 13 used an original pond that we reshaped and landscaped so it would appear more natural, as if it might be part of the nearby Santa Clara River wilds.

Your point about the bunkering is worth noting. As many here know, we are not bunker happy designers. I cannot recall the exact number of bunkers at Olivas, but I suspect it is about 35-40. With significant ground contouring, even though it is low and subtle, we felt the wind and greens were enough without over-bunkering.

Also, the occasionaly tall grass areas serve as broken ground — although not "bunkering", they often have a similar effect when they cascade into the line of play for a particular player.

We made very few changes to the original routing plan, which I note is posted above on this same page of the thread.

[Scott Weersing]

It looks like Forrest has designed a great and yet challenging course at Olivas Links.

Here are the course ratings, which are not on the scorecard:

White tees,
6,097 yards, rating of 70.2, slope of 123

Blue tees,
6,530 yards, rating of 72.4, slope of 132

Black tees,
6,818 yards, rating of 73.7, slope of 135

This is a city owned course, a mile from the ocean. Why the high rating? I think it is because of the three foot high grasses between the holes that can gobble up golf balls and the great green complexes, many of which are crowned or divided by a ridge.

The course is moderately priced too, maybe priced too low. I paid $20 to play on Monday evening, but it is normally $35 weekdays and $41 on weekends. Of course it is walkable, it is at sea level. The only thing that might keep people away is losing golf balls in the high grasses.

[Forrest Richardson]

Scott — Many of those grass areas are high because they are allowing the grasses to go to seed in order to establish and stabilize the soil. It is my understanding that the areas will be cut down significantly as the seed establishes.

Originally, many of the areas were to be cockle shell dunes with minimal plants. But...we became concerned about the wind a losing the crushed cockle shells!

P.S.  Our guesstimate in the design stage was a SLOPE of 125+ from the next-to-the-back tees. You are likely correct in that the native areas has escalated this a bit.

[Scott Weersing]

I love the look of the high grasses as I look across the course to the other fairways. I guess it looks like Prairie Dunes, even though I have never seen the Kansas classic by Maxwell.

It is interesting how the design of the course and the actual grow in of course often differ. I think it would have been great with sandy waste areas but I like it with the high grasses.

[David Stamm]

 .

[John Mayhugh]

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Opting for minimalist commentary?   

[Bill_McBride]

I didn't have a chance to see Olivas Links, maybe a future KIngs Putter.  I'm wondering if the two years since opening day have found those long grasses stabilized and now cut down to a height where the balls can be found and played.  

I have the same question about Peacock Gap, where the long native grasses were a P-I-A when anyone knocked a tee ball 20 yards off line.  Have those been stabilized and now cut lower?

[Tom Yost]

Some of the guys played Olivas for the Friday KP warmup round.

[Scott Henderson]

Evan Fleisher, Kyle and I played Olivas links on Friday and loved it.  Anyone who has an opportunity to play there should take it.  I believe that Evan had a career first nine - 8 pars and a bogey.   

[Evan Fleisher]

Evan Fleisher, Kyle and I played Olivas links on Friday and loved it.  Anyone who has an opportunity to play there should take it.  I believe that Evan had a career first nine - 8 pars and a bogey.   

Yep!  Thought I'd hit that magical 9-par run, but it was to no avail.  At least the bogey came on #8, and I finished the nie strong with yet another par.  I made every putt I looked at on the front nine...probably had a total of 9 putts if I had to guess.

[Patrick Kiser]

I didn't have a chance to see Olivas Links, maybe a future KIngs Putter.  I'm wondering if the two years since opening day have found those long grasses stabilized and now cut down to a height where the balls can be found and played.  

I have the same question about Peacock Gap, where the long native grasses were a P-I-A when anyone knocked a tee ball 20 yards off line.  Have those been stabilized and now cut lower?

And the answer is ... a resounding NO!!!

Still a P-I-A.  And the ball basically had to exit the short rough and it was bye bye...

I joked Peacock was cost cutting the gas expense, but I seriously doubt that.

Anyway, the following quote seemed a propos at the time:

Narrow fairways bordered by long grass make bad golfers. They do so by destroying the harmony and continuity of the game and in causing a stilted and a cramped style, destroying all freedom of play.
ALISTER MACKENZIE

Granted, the fairways at Peacock are anything but narrow ... but it still made for a frustrating round and a long day to boot.