[Kalen Braley]

 My buddy forwarded me this link today for those familiar with Indian Canyon in Spokane, WA

https://my.spokanecity.org/golf/facility-improvements/

At first it looked positive....adding some fairway bunkers, removing a bunch of trees and bushes near the playing corridors, and widening some fairways.

But then I saw they're going to spay and nueter all the best greens, which are some of the most unique I've seen.  #5, 8, 13, 17, etc. will all be "softened" in the name of additional pins, and a few other blown up and rebuilt 30-40 yards further back to add distance. A pity...

P.S.  They're also going to remove the right hand option on 7, the split fairway hole. 

[Kalen Braley]

Hmmm,


No comments yet.  It mentions the work is to be managed by the RTJ II firm.  Anyone have any experience with them?

[Tom_Doak]

Hi Kalen:


I'm sorry to hear they are going to neuter Indian Canyon, if that's what the work entails.  It wasn't quite the hidden gem I was hoping for when I stopped in years ago, but it's a cool old place.


No point in commenting once someone has been hired for the work, but they've not done anything yet.


I'm curious, though:  did the city put out bids for a designer?  We don't pursue those kinds of things, because it's usually a lot of work for only a chance of being hired, and usually you figure someone else has been working the politics pretty hard.  But it's odd you didn't see anything about it until after the designer was on board.

[Brad Tufts]

Hmm, now I only played Indian Canyon one time about 5-6 years ago, but the plan doesn't look too bad.


I remember the place being certainly over-treed (many of them beautiful though), and having a few green slopes that were borderline for even good-muni green speeds.


I can't say I remember the split fairway on 7 too well, but that seems like a change to the worse.  There are other things I do like however, like removing trees to expose the rock outcroppings.  Moving greens doesn't seem to be a great idea, but they do look like mere proposals.  I like the change to #3.


RTJ II has done a handful of very good courses, including Chambers Bay.  Not sure of his renovation portfolio.

[Kalen Braley]

Tom,


I have no history on the RFP or otherwise for the work, just got a heads up from a buddy who still lives there via the link he sent me.  I do know modernizing the irrigation was one of the initial big objectives, and not just for IC, but also the other 3 city courses.


Brad,


I've played the course 20-25 times and the greens are absolutely the best thing about the course, in addition to the swales (which they also want to level) and other quirky features.  I too like the tree and bush removal, addiing a few fairway bunkers, and putting in kids/old person tees...but then when I saw "soften green" marked on all the best greens, that's when my heart sank. Other new greens you mentioned like #2 are only proposed and hopefully they leave that alone too!


Its a short track and will remain so, but greens like 5, 8, 13, 14, 17 offer at least some defense to offset this and they're all set to go under the knife..

[Daryl David]

The most surprising part of this is that the city is investing this much money. Not just Indian Canyon, but Downriver, Esmeralda and the Creek at Qualchan are getting work done. Most cities are trying to figure out how to close courses, rather than pump money in.

[Kalen Braley]

DD,


Indian Canyon, Esmeralda, and Downriver are certainly older...50+ years for all of them, so I suspect this is something they put off far too long and now more or less are forced into addressing it (Qualchan is much newer ~25 years).


I'm wondering if it started off as "we need to upgrade our irrigation" and was countered with "since you're digging up a bunch of stuff anyways, why not improve this..."

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