Tiger completes three holes in Dubai

[igrowgrass]

This article is on the Golf Channel website.  A few interesting quotes about the course and what it will be like considering they only have three holes done.  
Where will this rank on the Doak Scale?

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15100&select=24296&tid=6C601CDF-8BE4-49AD-9796-4E6BDFCAA275

[Tim Gavrich]

"Some of the homes will be over 100,000 square feet, and the cost will range from $12 million to $23 million. Construction has already started, and it's expected to completed in 2009."

Good to know El Tigre is parlaying his already-incredible wealth into growing the game for those who don't already take full, obscene advantage of the decadence that causes many people to look down on golf...  

[NOTE: Yes, I know how generous the Tiger Woods Foundation is, but this still reeks of incredible elitism.]

[Dan_Callahan]

Anyone read the book The Not So Big House? It was a pretty good read. I guess it wasn't translated into Arabic.

[Doug Ralston]

Tim;

Dubai is Eden. It is the new paradise of the Rich and Powerful. Everything is set up for luxury there. Is it at least a little eye-opening that Halliburton moved their Hindquarters there? That Tricky Dick II [Chaney] has his retirement scheduled there. That Oil Tycoons from Saudi, Iraq, Iran, Venezuala etc are buying $100,000,000 properties there. That Tiger Woods is a part of the 'Glory' of the place.

The place is going to be the Center of those in PNCC [Project for a New Corporate Century].

I can appreciate it, and still consider the implications.

But 'El Tigre' will fit in.

Are there pix of the three holes yet?

Doug

[cary lichtenstein]

Anyonecareto guess how much on site time Tiger has spent on those 3 holes?

[Kyle Henderson]

"Woods' three completed holes feature lush greenery, including grass and shrubs, and greens well protected by bunkers or water. It's the first glimpse of his course style since he created Tiger Woods Design last year."

I'm glad that Tiger('s design team) is employing hazards commonly found in the jungles of Dubai.
 
I'm also curious to see what happens when population growth leads to contentious struggles for water rights in that neck of the world.

[Adam Clayman]

"The complexity in those three holes ... has set a different benchmark in the golfing industry," said Abdulla Al Gurg, the project director for The Tiger Woods Dubai.
 
No. 12 is a par 3 at 181 yards, featuring a couple of different elevations and bunkers on the left and right of the front of the green. The next designed hole is No. 17, a drivable par 4 of 341 yards with three bunkers in the front and one in the back.
 
Woods also has completed the plans for the finishing hole, a difficult par 4 playing at 507 yards. A stream will run in front of the tee and water lines the right side of the hole.
 
"Overall, I think if you walk off 18 with a par, you will feel like you made some smart decisions and executed properly," Woods said in a promotional brochure for the development.

Complexity as a marketing hook. Very interesting...but...

[Jed Peters]

Hey, if I had a kazillion dollars I'd be a member there.

[Brad Klein]

There's no evidence indicated that these holes are actually built. Nobody designs/builds and completes three holes ahead of any other work; that's never how the sequence of construction proceeds. You build in layers across the site, not hole by hole. Something is wrong here. The representation is deliberately misleading.

[Bob Jenkins]

This is not the real world of golf course architecture. With enough money, equipment and willpower, any of us could shape whatever hole we wanted out of the desert.

I suggest we stick to the basics.

[S. Huffstutler]

There's a stream running in front of the tee? In Dubai?
Hahahahahaha
Donald Trump has finally met his match.

steve

[paul cowley]

There's no evidence indicated that these holes are actually built. Nobody designs/builds and completes three holes ahead of any other work; that's never how the sequence of construction proceeds. You build in layers across the site, not hole by hole. Something is wrong here. The representation is deliberately misleading.

Brad, I have no idea if the holes mentioned have been built, and I agree that the construction sequence for most typical courses spreads out from a beginning point...but the money they can throw at this course makes it far from typical.

They could use 18 seperate full crews on the course and have it sodded in two months if they chose to....and have it opened in 4.5 months.....and it would only cost 3 or 4 times what it would otherwise [if they were planning to spend only about 30M, they could have it done on a expedited schedule for maybe only 90M].

When an entity has the ability to spend money with little limitations, really marvelous feats can occur.....it then comes down to mobilization and construction oversite.

Equipment order...yea sure, let me see...I need 18 D7's, 18 D5's, 18 D4's, 20 excavators, 15 pans, 54 off road Volvos...we will have to dig the lakes and rough shape in two weeks....and we want all new equipment....

 

[Brad Klein]

Paul,

good point. Silly me, I forgot the rules and norms don't apply here.

[Doug Sobieski]

Nobody designs/builds and completes three holes ahead of any other work; that's never how the sequence of construction proceeds. You build in layers across the site, not hole by hole.

Brad:

I was part of a project where the owner wanted the three holes that were visible from the entry drive completed first for marketing purposes. He wanted something he could show to potential residents and members. Eventually we even had a three-hole tournament months before any of the rest of the golf course was ready for play (and actually 10 months before the last 6 holes were ready). The holes weren't completed before the other 15 holes were begun, but they were certainly built on their own timetable.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if they've done something similar in order to sell to some of those 100,000 square foot homebuyers.

All the best,

Sobe

[Adam Clayman]

Let's not forget one of the few Tiger quotes about this escapade. It was in relation to the learning curve they were going through, building in this specific region. Sand moving and wind blowing. It sounded remarkably similar to the realities faced while building structures at the newer course near Mullen.

How does the call to prayer effect the GCA?

[Jeremy_Glenn.]

Read between the lines, gentlemen...

Tiger Woods has completed the designs for three holes on his first golf course in Dubai" ... "Woods also has completed the plans for the finishing hole, a difficult par 4 playing at 507 yards. A stream will run in front of the tee and water lines the right side of the hole.

From that persepective, I "completed" three holes before my morning coffee break on Friday!  

[Brad Klein]

Like I said, it's a p.r. ploy about a plan.

[JSlonis]

A report on The Golf Channel also said Tiger will have a home on the course...a "smallish" 50,000 square foot home.

Regardless of the amount of money someone has, what the heck does anyone need 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of space for?  It's just silly.

[jeffwarne]

Did anyone read the article.

I don't begrudge anyone making a buck, and I'm a huge fan of Tiger the player, but.....
that article is nauseating.

I would have no problem with a professional architect (who presumably needs the money to enhance/further his career and cover overhead) taking such a job.

But Tiger is in a position of absolutely not needing the money or recognition to start/enhance his own design career.
....references to his 50,000 square foot home, Vegas meets Allah,etc....I guess i had higher hopes for a "minimalist"

As a first choice for his first project, the symbolism is a bit alarming. I'm not sure Earl would approve.

[Jim Nugent]

Regardless of the amount of money someone has, what the heck does anyone need 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of space for?  

Indoor basketball court/gymnasium

Indoor garage/museum for 20 cars

Movie theater

Bowling alley

Disco

Indoor swimming pools (including grottos)

Maids/workers/bodyguards/drivers/cooks quarters

Waterfalls/indoor gardens

Self-contained power plants

Tennis courts (indoor to protect from the sun)

10 or more lavish bedroom suites

Commercial kitchen

Private offices

Huge wine cellar

Indoor shooting range

State of the art security center

Mens and womens steam rooms

Great room with space to entertain hundreds

Hell, 50,000 square feet is cramped!

[Buck Wolter]

I posted this one the other night -- link to a GD article.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=31880

[Jim Nugent]

The article states in several places that Tiger has finished the design for these holes.  Doesn't sound like they built the holes yet.

Is this going to be another Shadow Creek type production, where they greatly terraform the land?  

I have zero problem with Tiger getting involved with this project.  I wonder how many people on this board would turn down the same opportunity?  How about you guys who are putting him down for it?  

[Jim Nugent]

The Bloomberg article says Tiger is building a 16,500 square foot home, not a 50,000 square foot one.  

[Mark_F]

Tennis courts (indoor to protect from the sun)

I hope Woods has figured it out by now that golf is played outdoors...

[igrowgrass]

Is this going to be another Shadow Creek type production, where they greatly terraform the land?  

 

Have you ever looked at Dubai on a Topo map?