My Latest Creation

[Matt_Cohn]

I should start by telling a few people here that, yes, I am pursuing gainful employment - it's going quite well actually - and no, I haven't been spending all of my time drawing golf courses!

I drew this one, though. Here's the skinny:

Sorry, it's in Palm Springs again. I know, I know. It's just a lot easier to turn a blank piece of paper into Palm Springs than it is to turn it into Mullen or Holyoke.

The course has extra-wide fairways and no rough. (The tan areas are left as dormant bermuda in the winter.) As always, the greens will be rolling and complicated. Most of them will be slightly raised with lots of shoulders and contours around the greens.

There's no water so the bunkers should be intimidating. Landscaping will include low mounds and occasional desert-y trees out of play (mesquite, etc.).

Finally, about the length of 7,740 from the tips. The course is not meant to be played as far back as possible on every hole (which would actually approach 8,000 yards). Instead the huge tees should be used for variety. Every hole is designed to play well from at least 50 or 100 yards shorter.

Between that, the huge fairways, lots of risk/reward holes, and interesting greens, it should be a fun course even after many rounds.

BTW, most of the bunkers are deep, but the really deep ones are left of 3; short of 6; short of 12; and between 15 & 16.

Without further delay, here it is, first blank and then with yardages.

[George Pazin]

Another one to like.

I especially like the way features are used on multiple holes - for instance, the greenside bunker on #4 would be a fairway bunker on #6.

I'm guessing everyone else will tell you this is impractical. I call it original.

 

[Jeff_Brauer]

Actually one of the more interesting amateur architect plans I have seen.  Not to be a party pooper, but a few comments:

Driving range faces west, into the sun

Does the first hole really need a angled carry bunker on the slice side to slow play?

Do double fw on nearly every hole make sense in a desert climate that probably has some turf restricitions to about 90 acres?  For that matter, would that many double fw's get as repetitive as, say, RTJ pinch bunkers at doglegs?  

A few areas are too tight, and I am not a huge fan of those forced carry bunkers on 16.  

[Mike Nuzzo]

Is your pursuit of employment to be with Pete Dye?
It sure looks that way.  

link

[George Pazin]

...I am not a huge fan of those forced carry bunkers on 16.  

What don't you like about them? They look to be around 200 out, and that's the tips, presumably. There's even fairway short of them, in case I top my drive!

I love the double wide fairways, of course, but you're probably right about restrictions.

[Chris_Clouser]

Mike,

You and I were thinking along the same lines.  This looks a lot like a routing of any Dye/Liddy course.  Not that it is a bad thing, but a real similarity between Matt's layout and those of these two designers.  

Matt,

It looks interesting.  And ignore Brauer's comments.   What does he know anyway?  

[Garland Bayley]

Another one to like.

I especially like the way features are used on multiple holes - for instance, the greenside bunker on #4 would be a fairway bunker on #6.

I'm guessing everyone else will tell you this is impractical. I call it original.

 

Another greenside bunker is fairway bunker on #15 and #16.

I don't call it impractical, I call it dangerous.

I can imagine sweating over puts on #16. Given where the LZ on #15 is, a slice on #15 would land on #16 green.

[George Pazin]

I think Matt tends to view his courses as interesting exercises, and if they were in fact built, they'd be private courses where the shared fairways/shared bunkers/etc, wouldn't be much of an issue.

I like his designs a lot, and I'm happy to see someone posting some food for thought.

Garland, you'd be sweating if you ever played any course, knowing that I'm out there also, lurking, hitting, lurking, hitting (cue Jaws soundtrack).

[David_Elvins]

Nice one Matt, easily a Doak 6.

What program are you using?

[Garland Bayley]

George,

The only reason people don't sweat excessively when I am playing the course is that I am very adept at belting out a loud, carrying FORE early and often.

[RJ_Daley]

Interesting routing.  While you explain some of the concepts of contouring and mounding in vague principles, I think you ought to show them with some contour lines in the drawing design.  The devil is certainly in the details of such projected placement of slopes, mounds, and seperation features.  

I'd like to see some yardages from tees for anyone playing it who isn't named Bubba, Tiger, JB, etc.  Show some ideas as to the width yardages in LZs and such.  Do you have an idea of how to get irrigation to that wide of a field?  

If you like doing these conceptual things, I highly suggest you get topo maps from the various sources they are available, for real land.  Places like state highway departments, local county land planning offices, and various other entities have some topos of select areas as detailed as 2' elevtions.  When you have real land with real contouring, these conceptual exercises have 100 fold more value.  And, as a bonus, if you can find such topos of land you can visit frequently and get out and route a conceptual course by walking the land and seeing the land features in person is all that much more fun.  I've done this a number of times, and it will increase your hobby enjoyment exponentially.  

[Matt_Cohn]

Jeff,

I enjoy the constructive comments.

George is right that I do tend to view these more as intellectual exercises, and to some extent the routing is just a means to find 18 places to draw golf holes, given that I start with featureless land.

You'll notice that if you twist your head around to the left, the driving range now faces north. (If you have a laptop, turn it clockwise 90 degrees and you'll create the same effect.)  

Your thoughts on the repetitiveness of huge fairways are interesting. Also a good point about #1. In reality a mirror-image of the hole might work better, and I might make #9 a mirror image too to keep the draw/fade balance.

Which spots seem too narrow?

Regarding the danger factor, I suppose #15/16 could be that way. Actually, the real death trap on the course is #6 teebox. I'll admit that even on a very private course, those two spots would absolutely need to be changed.

Those bunkers on #16 are no more than 200 yards to clear from the tips and less than 150 for most players. There's no water...surely I'm allowed one forced carry!  

David,

If I used anything more than a pencil, a scanner, and Appleworks, this would have taken a lot less time!

RJ,

You're right about the details. I always wish I could at least add green contours. After the time I spent on my Lido Contest entry, it's hard to imagine doing that for every hole I draw, yet I know that a hole is nothing without a well-designed green.

Irrigation. Umm.... I don't know. That's another detail I've failed to pursue. But I enjoy thinking about the guys mowing it. The mower stripes would be crazy.

[Jim Thompson]

Matt,

Good instincts...

I'm trying to think of the best way to share my thoughts as well as get my brain around them.  I'll either post or send an IM in the nexr few days.

Cheers!

JT