[james soper]

patrick. thanks for the great photos. had the opportunity to speak to dr. hurzdan when calusa was just completed. he was really excited and proud with the end result. looks like it really grew in well. knowing how flat that area is, it appears alot of dirt had to be moved to form those ridges. love the fact that they have assembled a first class caddie program. would like to get your thoughts on naples national, hideout, and old colllier. jim

[Patrick Hodgdon]

No problem Jim happy to share them.

Some of the numbers:

$1,000,000+ dollars in dynamite to make the lakes (25 ft. deep) which they then used the rock for the big fills.

2,000,000+ cubic yards of dirt/fill was moved The largest fill which is about half that comes into play on 8 holes has an elevation 59 feet just above the 12th tee box. It's the highest point in South FL supposedly. The clubhouse sits on about 500,000 of it and the rest is used all over the course with another big hill which 5 green sits on.

I just caddied for Dana Fry last week (as well as a month ago) and he is a great guy. Talked about the design and how he started in the business on a bull-dozer moving land in the '80s for Fazio. Fun to see him get beat up by his own design too. Also he talked about some of their current projects which are pretty cool and almost all international.

I have not been to Old Collier. Most people enjoy it and put it in the top 5 in Naples. However I have caddied for a number of members who were going to join there only to be told to check out Calusa first and never ended up going back.

Naples National is another Hurdzen/Fry design that is a VERY good golf course. Also a top 5 Naples track and once a top 10 in the state IIRC. I like the layout and there are some good holes but its nothing compared to Calusa. Basically its a nice upscale Florida course with H/F touches such as unique tee-boxes on top of rocks and lots of waste bunkers. Nice track but not impressive. I've heard they have a new under 50 year-old membership fee of $35,000 which is very good deal for the course/club I think.

The Hideout is another good track in Naples. I had a lot of fun last year playing it and I think I really enjoyed 14 or 15 of the holes with a few duds. They have 6 holes on the other side of the driveway (12-18) that they call "the woodshed" which were the best imo. Very golf only, no frills club (the men's locker-room is about the size of 2 of the  locker-room showers at Calusa) and it also has a younger membership in Naples. If I were a young-businessman in Naples it would be a tough choice between here and National. Larry Bird was one of the founding guys of this club.

All that being said Calusa Pines really does blow the other 3 out of the water. I caddied for Stone Phillps of Dateline fame two weeks ago (he flew in from the Michael Jordan's Celebrity Tournament in the Bahamas no less) and he absolutley loved Calusa. Said it was definitely in his top 5 right behind Shinnecock and that it was better than Seminole and was easily the best in FL. I've heard that from too many people to count. Obviously I have a bias but thats just what I hear out there.

Needless to say its a great place to work for a college student and as I like to say a lot of people like my office.   

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Couple more pics I found:

#8 Par-4. First experience of the round of the largest fill/elevation change. A short 300-yard par-4, #8 was amazingly the first hole in one at Calusa. A very risk-reward hole, the green complex makes up for the short distance


#8 Approach.

[james soper]

patrick, thanks for your thoughts. that number (35k) for naples national membership sounds a bit off. hideout starts at around 85k and i'm pretty sure naples national would be higher. could be that said membership has to be converted when the player turns 50, with a huge payout due at conversion. regardless, a very nice place to play day in and out. have you had an opportunity to play hole in the wall, a shortish dick wilson track.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Yea I was shocked too when I heard it but I think you are right that there is a conversion charge once they hit 50. Also I am pretty sure Hideout has dropped as well and is around 40k (at least for a young-business man), perhaps 80-85k is for a regular membership. I'll try and find those two out again if I get a chance. Both clubs are looking for growth and particularly younger growth though.

[Mike Sweeney]

Couple more pics I found:

#8 Par-4. First experience of the round of the largest fill/elevation change. A short 300-yard par-4, #8 was amazingly the first hole in one at Calusa. A very risk-reward hole, the green complex makes up for the short distance

Patrick,

I really like this hole, but I think it would be better if they removed that front bunker. Visually is is tough to go for it off the tee. We had one player in our group leave it on that grass tongue but it was a perfect shot. How many people go for it in a normal day?

[John Mayhugh]

The eight was Calusa's first hole in one?  Nice pics and some interesting trivia there. 

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Couple more pics I found:

#8 Par-4. First experience of the round of the largest fill/elevation change. A short 300-yard par-4, #8 was amazingly the first hole in one at Calusa. A very risk-reward hole, the green complex makes up for the short distance

Patrick,

I really like this hole, but I think it would be better if they removed that front bunker. Visually is is tough to go for it off the tee. We had one player in our group leave it on that grass tongue but it was a perfect shot. How many people go for it in a normal day?

Not exactly sure which bunker you are referring to:  the waste bunker that runs the entire left side of the hole to the front of the green or the small pot bunker in the fairway. Assuming you mean the waste bunker. Funny you should ask about going for it. In the winter months we're open (Oct-Mar) the normal wind is about 10-20 mph into your face (N>S) on #8 tee. The past 2 days for whatever reason have been down wind 10-20 which is what we get in the late Spring and which I like to call the "fun wind". Because it is usually into the wind it makes going for it moot for even the better than average driver. (However many still swing out of their shoes anyway). I would say 1 guy in every 3 foursomes has a legitimate shot (normally can carry 290+) at it and probably 1 in 4 of those make it. Most end up in the bunker you mentioned or over the green because it is so small. There are more than a few guys who love playing it from that front waste bunker though and actually try and hit it there.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

The eight was Calusa's first hole in one?  Nice pics and some interesting trivia there. 

Yea amazing. Pin was front right and he ran it up the ridge there and it rolled back down and in. I caddied for him a couple weeks after it happened and have many times in the past few years. He likes to say on the tee, "Did you hear some member had a hole-in-one here?..." Then he'll hit and say, "...Yea it was me." Pretty funny story and guy. He also asks "Odds it happens again?" I always say, "Slim to nil."

[John Kirk]

#16 Par-3 Tee. Awesome golf hole. Thats the 3rd tree they've had on the right side. The 2nd was the best and was much bigger but Hurricane Wilma had other plans. The club almost had to use a helicopter to put the new one in. (Quote was $25,000) Ultimately used a large crane.

Patrick,

Let me ask you a couple questions about this hole.  I see you like this hole a great deal.  Why do you feel that way?  It looks from the picture that it may be a short hole, perhaps 8-iron or even pitching wedge, to a very small green.  It looks like there's water everywhere except short left.  Also, the green does not appear to have much internal contour (little ripples and ridges).

I enjoy the look of the course, and I appreciate the pictures very much.

[Mike Sweeney]

John,

Here is a better look from the tee. Like many of the views at CP, it often looks tougher than it really is. Clearly this is a tough hole, but there is room. I can't really remember any greens at CP that were All World but I don't remember any that were not pretty good.



I was told yesterday by my friend that there is a Paulian maintenance meld at CP right now due to the Florida water restrictions and that the course has a touch of brown in it.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Yes you are correct Mike they are under major water restrictions. I've heard different numbers but I think they are down to using 100,000 gallons a day which is somewhere between 1/5 and 1/10 of what they usually use. The greens are still perfect and the fairways are better than I thought they would be but most of the rest is browned out. (The driving range is completely brown now).

John to answer your questions, 16 is a great golf hole but its not even my favorite at Calusa. I love the par-4 15th (Don't ask why I don't have a picture yet). In any case 16 is a great redan (I think it qualifies but I could be corrected) although you can't really see it from the picture. The green has some very big front-to-back slope on all but the very front left corner. (See the other picture I posted from the opposite side of the green) If you draw a line between where the bunker on the left comes in the farthest and the top left corner of the bunker on the right that is where the ridge is which slopes hard to the back from there. It slopes so hard that I never give more yardage than to the middle of the green because anything that hits on or over that ridge runs all the way to the back of the green often times into the fringe and rough. Also it usually plays a 150-yard shot unless the wind is really blowing into you. (Usually its quartering into you left-right). Also the green is bigger than it looks one of the biggest C.P. has.

[John Kirk]

Mike, although the lighting is not ideal, I can see it's quite handsome from the tee.

Interesting the green slopes to the back left.  Since I draw the ball generally, a gentle left to right quartering wind doesn't bother me much.  However, when the wind blows, this must be a scary shot, especially if you've got a good round going.

The older I get, the better a brown course sounds.  I'm guessing there are a lot of happy golfers walking off Calusa Pines these days, surprised by the joy that the dry playing conditions provide.  Are you getting a lot of roll out there?  Wow.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Mike, although the lighting is not ideal, I can see it's quite handsome from the tee.

Interesting the green slopes to the back left.  Since I draw the ball generally, a gentle left to right quartering wind doesn't bother me much.  However, when the wind blows, this must be a scary shot, especially if you've got a good round going.

The older I get, the better a brown course sounds.  I'm guessing there are a lot of happy golfers walking off Calusa Pines these days, surprised by the joy that the dry playing conditions provide.  Are you getting a lot of roll out there?  Wow.

Yea a lot of people are liking the dry and firm course, likening it too what it was like the first few years the course was open when it was firm and tight. Heard that they are going to take out the tif-sport fringes and replace with tif-eagle which is what the greens are. Should enhance the penal false fronts that already drive people nuts and especially more so if it stays dry in future years.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Not sure if I should start a new thread or not but we are going to have a fun charity pro-am tournament next month with Arnie. Hope I can be in the group with J.B. to see where his drives end up.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/feb/17/arnold-palmer-play-inaugural-calusa-pines-pro-am-c/

[Jim Nugent]

Patrick, I'm curious to hear if J.B. plays as slowly in the pro-am as he does in PGA events. 

[Patrick Hodgdon]

More pictures! Got to play with my dad and his two business partners and was able to snap up some more pictures. I hope to get all the ones I am missing next time I go out.

#3 - Par 3. We call this the shortest Par 5 in FL. If you miss the green it is an extremely tough chip up from either side and you often have guys chip it short then over, then over again etc. Not to mention you can't land anywhere middle right or short left on the green.



#8  - Par 4. Another good shot of a hole you've already seen. Again this is the golfer's first real view of the large hill/mountain they built up that 7 holes touch.



A good shot of #16 from the 9th tee.



#9 - Par 4. A great finishing hole for this nine. See a lot of bogeys here and very few birdies. The water  cuts across the fairway which you can't see (in between the bushes at the end of the fairway in the distance and the barely visible pine straw right above which is on the other side) in this pic about 300 off the tee so big hitters need to switch to 3-wood especially if its down wind.



#11 - Par 3. Another great Par 3 which can be diabolical. Lot of guys pull it left into the water or over compensate right into the hill. It usually rolls down toward the hole but its a nasty quick green right to left and front to back after a front/middle ridge. Very tough up and down from anywhere and easily three putted.



#12 - Par 4. Very easy to argue the hardest hole on the course even though you usually get it down wind. Members tee here is just under the highest point in South FL at 59 feet! Although the fairway is pretty large it doesn't look as such from the high tee box which can help cause an errant tee shot. Tough green complex with the front left quadrant being a false front as well as middle right.



A look down at the fairway from the highest point.



And a look back up.



#15 - Par 4. My favorite hole on the course. Just love how it is laid out. Big wide fairway with a very tough tight green sloping hard back to front in a stadium setting.





#15 - Approach



Note the oak tree at the left of the picture just left of the green (casting the shadow on the green). That was level ground when they started. This shot looks at 15, over #8 and to the highest point above where the 12th tee box is where the tallest trees are on the far right. (Tee box is on the other side.)



A couple of shots from the Adirondack chairs on the patio with a drink in your hand 20 minutes before sunset, not a bad place to be at the end of the day.



Close up of 16.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

We had our first ever charity/pro-am for cancer tournament headlined by Arnie Palmer. J.B. Holmes ended up not playing but I did get to be in Palmer's group for the last nine holes which was a treat. He's definitely the world class guy that everyone says he is and everybody had a lot of fun. Other pros who participated were Paul Azinger, Jason Gore, Anthony Kim, Frank Licklieter, Johnnie Miller, Peter Jacobsen and Rocco Mediate.

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