New course in NoCal-Trinitas Golf Club

[Tim Leahy]

I had the opportunity to play a new course that is not scheduled to open until the fall last week, Trinitas Golf Club. It is located east of Stockton, just southeast of Sacramento, here is a link for course tour and history.

http://trinitasgolf.com/

The owner/designer's story is one most of us dream of, he bought some land, layed out a golf course and then built it pretty much by himself with tips from friends in the golf business. Here are another couple of links to stories on the course.

http://www.golftodaymagazine.com/0705/trinitas.htm

http://www.ncga.org/magazine/07spring/trinitas.php

I found the course very playable with some memorable holes and some classic design elements, a true Redan green, an area behind a green for chipping on a potentially driveable par four, several holes similar to classics like the par 3 third at Olympic. About five fairways still need grow in time to be playable, but all 18 greens were ready to go and were very smooth with interesting breaks and held the ball very well.
The front side tops out at 3000 yards but is not a push over and the back side 3750 is as tough as any in NoCal. I can't wait to get back and play it when the fairways have all grown in. I would rate it a 7 on the Doak scale.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's been mentioned here before:

www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=29564

[David_Tepper]

Tim -

I am glad to read a report from someone who has played the course. It sounds promising.

Do you think the course will attract enough business to be profitable? How far a drive is it from Sacramento or Stockton?

DT

[Tim Leahy]

Tim -
I am glad to read a report from someone who has played the course. It sounds promising.
Do you think the course will attract enough business to be profitable? How far a drive is it from Sacramento or Stockton?DT

David, from my house in South Sacto it took about 45 minutes to get there. They have an extensive marketing campaign planned and I think the course is good enough to get word of mouth going once it opens.

[Mike Benham]

Trinitas about to be NLE ...

"Golfers who have played Trinitas won't forget it.

Golfers who haven't have two weeks to create a memory.

The breathtaking course, forged out of a Calaveras County olive orchard and shrouded in mystique and controversy since its completion in 2007, is closing May 31."



http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/16/4492773/making-the-rounds-trinitas-nears.html

http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_9cbe7f2c-9b89-11e1-9b90-0019bb2963f4.html

[Tim Leahy]

I tried to get out there this weekend and they were booked solid thru closing date. I still hope they find some way to save it. The course is literally in the middle of nowhere and I don't see how it could harm the environment. That county is almost bankrupt and you would think they could use the tax revenue from the course to help themselves out. The Institute did the same thing and it is still around, but I am guessing that Fry has more money to keeep it open than the owner of Trinitas.

[Mike Nuzzo]

The Institute didn't exactly do the same thing, they used an architect.

The golf course looks like a 4 from the pictures.
I know of several architects who have never built a 4.

[Kyle Henderson]

Sir Nuzzo,

It's a lovely property but (as one might expect) there are MANY quirks in the design. For instance, there is a downhill par 3 on the back nine (I believe #14) that shares a tee box with the next hole (a downhill par 4).

Flaws aside, it is sad to see another course shutting down. It's a good thing fewer Americans are playing golf, as otherwise the tee sheets would be getting very full at the tracks left standing.

[Joel_Stewart]

The Institute didn't exactly do the same thing, they used an architect.

The golf course looks like a 4 from the pictures.
I know of several architects who have never built a 4.

Yes and no.  As Kyle said, the course has a lot of quirk which an architect would never take a chance to build.  It's something lacking in todays world of architecture.

The guy was a successful businessman in the carpet cleaning business with a nice wife and kids and lived on the course.  There was no clubhouse, you basically used his house as the clubhouse.  To lose it all is a shame, especially given the economics of that county.  

Mike:  I know several architects that have built golf courses that are a 4?

[Mike Nuzzo]

Sharing tees isn't quirky, its cool

Joel
I'm not talking about the average architect, I'm talking about the architects we highlight in the treehouse.

My first point was that if he had hired a professional, (i.e. Neal Meagher) they would have provided guidance that likely would have saved him.
My second point was that if he hired someone with talent it would have turned out a whole lot better.

[Kyle Henderson]

That's the point I was trying to make. Reread my last post. Adjoining tees are not fun when they are used for consecutive holes. At Trinitas, you play a par 3 down a hill and then back track all the way up the hill for the entire length of that hole to reach the next tee.

Sharing tees isn't quirky, its cool

Joel
I'm not talking about the average architect, I'm talking about the architects we highlight in the treehouse.

My first point was that if he had hired a professional, (i.e. Neal Meagher) they would have provided guidance that likely would have saved him.
My second point was that if he hired someone with talent it would have turned out a whole lot better.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Thanks Kyle
Sharing tees on consecutive holes is nuts... even if it weren't up and down a hill.

[Joel_Stewart]

My first point was that if he had hired a professional, (i.e. Neal Meagher) they would have provided guidance that likely would have saved him.
My second point was that if he hired someone with talent it would have turned out a whole lot better.

I didn't ask him but it's possible that he didn't hire an architect because no architect was willing to work without the proper permits?

Are architects involved in the permit process?

[Tim Leahy]

The owner also owned a construction equipment company. He bought a book about golf course construction and architecture and had access to the equipment needed to build a course so he went out and did it on his own land. I think there are many on this site that dream about doing that. I don't think he had anything against golf course architects, Mike.

[Bill_McBride]

That's the point I was trying to make. Reread my last post. Adjoining tees are not fun when they are used for consecutive holes. At Trinitas, you play a par 3 down a hill and then back track all the way up the hill for the entire length of that hole to reach the next tee.

Sharing tees isn't quirky, its cool

Joel
I'm not talking about the average architect, I'm talking about the architects we highlight in the treehouse.

My first point was that if he had hired a professional, (i.e. Neal Meagher) they would have provided guidance that likely would have saved him.
My second point was that if he hired someone with talent it would have turned out a whole lot better.

Pensacola's municipal course, Osceola Golf Club (Wild Bill Melhorne, 1925) was recently remodeled.  The purpose was to enlarge the driving range.  A new 5th hole was added, a neat 120 yard par 3.   When you stand on the tee and look at the green, turn and look over your shoulder.  There's the 6th tee for the next hole!    A routing fiasco.   

[Mike Nuzzo]

The owner also owned a construction equipment company. He bought a book about golf course construction and architecture and had access to the equipment needed to build a course so he went out and did it on his own land. I think there are many on this site that dream about doing that. I don't think he had anything against golf course architects, Mike.

Tim
I don't think he had anything against architects, I think he had something against common sense.

Joel
It doesn't make his situation any better if the architects he consulted advised against building before permits.


Maybe he could start a new company, convert the olive farm into a cannabis farm to sell pot for medicinal needs.
Would he need a permit for that?

[Garland Bayley]

Sharing tees isn't quirky, its cool

...

I disagree! Sharing tees in this case isn't quirky, it's stupid. The description implied you play a par 3 downhill, then walk back up to the same tee watching out for incoming little round missiles, and play the next hole from the same tee.

Of course when you live in the land of the golf cart, you are allowed to be stupid when laying out a routing.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Sharing tees isn't quirky, its cool

...

I disagree! Sharing tees in this case isn't quirky, it's stupid. The description implied you play a par 3 downhill, then walk back up to the same tee watching out for incoming little round missiles, and play the next hole from the same tee.

Of course when you live in the land of the golf cart, you are allowed to be stupid when laying out a routing.

Garland I misread Kyle's post the first time...

Thanks Kyle
Sharing tees on consecutive holes is nuts... even if it weren't up and down a hill.