Prairie Club...before/after image

[Josh Smith]

With permission, this is the 6th hole on the Lehman 18.  A shortish mid length par three if memory serves.  I took the before coming out of last winter, and was included in an email last weekend from the guys showing the pre grassing version.

The before image shows a hole that looked liked it existed in days of yore and was grown over.  I remember talking to Tom and he was mentioning the trick here will be not to just make every pit a wall to wall sand bunker, and leaving the surrounds and native grasses as natural as possible while building the hole.

From all accounts reporting on how the course personality is taking shape, HUGE greens is usually one of the first things mentioned, the routing seems really good and covers a lot of ground.  Tom altered the routing many times as he spent more and more time walking the course.  30 odd visits to Valentine prior to finalizing the routing.  The final version makes the shape of a Heart.

 (A nice change for Kyle Franz (Alister MacFrancis) after leaving from finishing the California Golf Club SMALL greens.)
 

[Joel_Stewart]

Josh:

I'm not sure I follow the comment about Kyle Franz at Cal Club.   I thought Kyle Phillips employed his own shapers?

[RJ_Daley]

Well that was fun... I was in that bowl myself a couple of years ago.

Thanks for posting the glimpse of the design ideas for utilizing such an incredible natural site and showing the general direction it will shape up to be after finish work-grassing.  Also, it gives us a good idea of the result or potential concept of "huge greens" or smallish greens in the same natural green site.  To my eye, I see the choice of what Tom and Chris seem to have apparently taken as a sort of RTJsr approach to a large multi tiered or greens within a green approach.  It isn't a stretch to see an alternative idea of a smallish (almost postage stamp) version dominated by the five enormous natural pits as well, with interesting pre-green and surrounds contours.

[Ron Farris]

I have mixed feelings about seeing before, during, and after pictures this early in the process.
You see very few BEFORE pictures of the Sand Hills GC. 
I feel that keeps a bit of the mystery of the design in tact.
It is also very interesting to see the old black & white photos of old classic clubs.
Almost everyone on this site is a critic of some degree and I think it opens the door for over analysis.

[Josh Smith]

Joel,

      Not sure about what Kyle P. does regularly, not sure I really care either.  I think many shapers have their own business and are independent.  I do know Alister MacFrancis shaped the majority of Cal Club.

[Jimmy Muratt]

Josh,

Thanks for posting those before/after pics of the 6th hole.  There are obviously a lot of great natural features on that piece of land.  Each of those bunkers shown in the after pic is clearly visible in the before pic, they were just uncovered with a little scraping. 

It shows how little has to be done there to create some really interesting golf holes, yet it's the restraint to let the land dictate the best sequence that I assume may be the most difficult...

The before/after reminds me of a few of the early pictures a couple of years ago from Ballyneal. 

[George Pazin]

I have mixed feelings about seeing before, during, and after pictures this early in the process.
You see very few BEFORE pictures of the Sand Hills GC. 
I feel that keeps a bit of the mystery of the design in tact.
It is also very interesting to see the old black & white photos of old classic clubs.
Almost everyone on this site is a critic of some degree and I think it opens the door for over analysis.

Ron, if it helps you at all, I personally am in awe of damn near every golf course architect when I see before and after photos. In a way, it reminds me of my college bio course; after dissecting a shark, I have an even greater appreciation for every doctor out there. Maybe if we saw more before and after photos, there would be more appreciation and less sniping.

Thanks for sharing the photos, Josh, hope we see some paintings, too, someday.

[RJ_Daley]

Yeah Ron, I also can't agree that seeing before and after pics promotes criticism so much as understanding of the process, and imagination if one studies what is going on as pertains to that process.  Mystique is always part of the legend and lore of the Sand Hills.  Folks always seem to gravitate to the 'constelation map' at SHGC to marvel at the possibilities.  Yet, seeing this land in the raw and during and after the GC construction seems prerequisite to me if one is really going to have a take on the process and reasonable understanding of what was done, and if it was artistic or ham handed.   I don't think the average guys on GCA.com would understand stuff like 'melting down' some of the sand dunes or blending the FWs into the rough without seeing the before and after and during.  I think that those like yourself that get to see that process and understand what a green pad and surrounds like the current photo on this thread depicts will actually look like grassed and presented obviously have a leg up on understanding issues. 

Ironically, I'm carrying out an IM series with a guy inquiring about the defunct Prairie Sands site in Sutherland.  That also would be a real case study to many folks about understanding the natural erosion process that happens out there when the land priaire cover is opened.  There were some before pics of DR that showed what some thought was more "opened" cover land than may have been necessary.  To see that area after is illuminating, I think.

[Josh Smith]

RJ, George, Jimmy


           I agree with you.  I think before and after shows an awesome look into the design and process.  And it works best on a very exciting, "golf interesting" natural piece of ground.  As an artist, and if I was an architect, I would cherish a comparison of both and be quite proud assuming the holes turn out great.  I even think before and after oil paintings would be a great display to have around a club.  With a site like this gem and few others it could really work well.

           I took many before images of Toms holes, but it was pretty lucky that the first finished hole I've been given a photo of matched up so well.

           

[RJ_Daley]

Josh, I've been searching frantically for my pics that I took while tramping around out there.  I put them on a CD rather than my hard drive as I usually do.  But, as you say, it is lucky your photo matched up so well from that same POV of that particular hole.  I'm pretty sure my photo of that natural green site bowl with the obvious natural depressions for bunkers was from several yards right of the photos, but also shows the pre-green contouring and the surrounding depressions.  But, the site was such an obvious one that a green 'had' to go within the structure there. 

As an artist, I imagine you could do some real impression of the subtle change of seasons texture of the ground.  In the pic of Tom walking there, one notices the frost lying integrated in the sand which I also find is a unique texture.  I think for a sportsman, walking the land when it is frozen or frosty like that is a real treat.  Imagine a late season fall morning after the course is open and there is frost on the greens and FWs.  The anticipation of the sun will soon be warming the turf and one getting out there to roam the mysterious undulations in pursuit of the game is also one of those special feelings that one can get on many northern climate courses, but a unique special feeling in prairie golf.

[Josh Smith]

RJ,

          The white color you see on the ground is actually some type of plant or grass, likely dead or dormant.  That evening was a very pleasant temperature.  Notice Tom's left hand, that is not a range finder.

In the pic of Tom walking there, one notices the frost lying integrated in the sand which I also find is a unique texture.  I think for a sportsman, walking the land when it is frozen or frosty like that is a real treat. 

[Josh Smith]

  Tom altered the routing many times as he spent more and more time walking the course.  30 odd visits to Valentine prior to finalizing the routing.  The final version makes the shape of a Heart.

  

 Where is the love for this "The final version makes the shape of a Heart" humor.  I thought at least Grandpa Joe would have something for me on this one.  Valentine, GET IT?