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Pete Lavallee

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Who designed Desert Hills Golf Course in ...
« on: April 04, 2008, 01:02:48 PM »
Yuma, Az. My buddy and I had the pleasure of playing it in a 3 day Tournament last weekend and we both really enjoyed this muni layout. Built by the City of Yuma they charged us a mere $46 for the practice round, cart included (sorry Melvin). In fact one can walk the course for $13 in the summer months. It received the 1994 Award from GD for best Muni. I asked everyone in sight who was responsible for the design and the most common reply was that the City Engineers did it. This was a fun course but did have some unique attributes; could this possibly have stemmed from no preconcieved notions from a non GCA?

The pleasant surprises were that the course actually did have some signnificant hills; most unusual for dead flat Yuma, Az. On many holes the best or only angle of attack came from the extreme edge of the fairway or actually in the rough. The holes were varied; the par 5's had one that virtually no one could reach to a downhiller that was really a 4.5. The par fours ranged from a tough uphiller to a driveable downhiller with a blind approach over the crest of a hill. Good variety on the par 3's as well ranging from one that required a driver into the wind for me to the mandatory carry over the irrigation pond.

The most interesting aspect of the design was the greens. All the greens were at ground level at the front; completely different from the standard pushup greens common to the area. Towards the back however there would be large humps which could range from 4-6 feet above the surroundin terrain. This ceratainly allows the "snow birds" to run one on, but keeps the better player honest with some good "Sunday pin placements".

Internet searchs revealed nothing. Any information would be welcome as I would certainly be interested in playing a similar design.   
« Last Edit: April 04, 2008, 02:20:38 PM by Pete Lavallee »
"...one inoculated with the virus must swing a golf-club or perish."  Robert Hunter

David Stamm

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Re: Who designed Dessert Hills Golf Club in ...
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2008, 01:13:46 PM »
C&W say it's David Bennett, 1978.
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Pete Lavallee

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Club in ...
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2008, 01:18:18 PM »
David,

I almost made that mistake; but I think you are referring to Desert Hills CC in Green Valley, Az. which is north of Yuma by 100 miles.
"...one inoculated with the virus must swing a golf-club or perish."  Robert Hunter

David Stamm

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Club in ...
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2008, 01:27:13 PM »
You are right. Sorry. :-[
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Kalen Braley

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Club in ...
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2008, 01:31:31 PM »
I took a quick look...could only find the year it opened in 1973.

Tom Yost

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Club in ...
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2008, 01:54:05 PM »
Acknowledging my geeky hobby of maintaining a database of Arizona golf courses,  this is a track I have been unable to uncover any architectural attribution for.

Tom

Pete Lavallee

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Course in ...
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2008, 09:33:29 AM »
Well Tom, maybe the folks in the Po Shop were right, it was designed and built by the City Engineers. I wonder if any of them played golf?
"...one inoculated with the virus must swing a golf-club or perish."  Robert Hunter

Forrest Richardson

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Re: Who designed Desert Hills Golf Course in ...
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2008, 07:26:33 AM »
We re-designed the practice green and the No. 9 green in the 1980s or early 1990s. My recollection is that the original course was laid out by the City Engineer and that Dick Slavinski, a golf consultant (and former City of Phoenix Golf Director) was somehow involved. Dick is now retired.
— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
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