Hawk Pointe: KBM's first design (a photo exploration; all holes now up)

[Joe Bausch]

If you do a search for "Hawk Pointe" on this site, a good number of hits comes up.  But how I was so unaware of this course says something about my ability to pay attention I guess.  

Last Sunday I made the drive up to Washington, NJ to play Hawk Pointe around noon.  The fall colors are pretty decent, and I was fortunate to have some good lighting at times.  I arrive to find two fellows around my age walking and carrying on a windy day that walking was wise as a cart ride would have been chilly.

From the very beginning I was impressed with this easily walkable course with lots of strategy and some simply awesome greens.  I'll present the first six holes today, the 6th being a nice stopping point as this green is really something quite fun.

Here's the hole-sequencing:



The scorecard:



The course is wide.  I like it.  :-)  I'm not sure even IBF could hit a ball OB on the opening par 5.

#1.  Dogleg right par 5.



Tee view (all photos are clickable to a much larger size):



From 150 yards out:



Elevated view from right of the green:



Elevated view from behind the green where you get a sense of the 'bigness' of the course:



#2.  Dogleg left par 4 with an alternate fairway left.



Tee view where the large tree is at the right edge of the alternate left fairway:



The route to the right is very wide but longer:



This view from over the green nicely shows the two fairways:



#3.  Dogleg right par 4.



Tee view where you bite off as much of the bend as you like:



From 100 yards out:



From just left of the green:



#4.  Par 3.



I really like the simplicity of this par 3; bail out is left, with the green quite small and pitched heavy from left to right:



From just right of the green:



#5.  A wide, dogleg left par 4.



Bigger hitters will probably straighten out this hole and take a drive right over the bunker:



Two view from near the green:





I was thoroughly enjoying the day and even more so after getting near the green on this next hole.

#6. Relatively short par 4.



Tee view where the flag is barely visible over the more right of the two fw bunkers:



Approach view to this "gull wing" green:



View back down the hole from just over the green:



Wider view from right of the green:



More of this beauty tomorrow.  

[Richard Hetzel]

It looks kike a really nice course. I will have to check it out the next time I am passing through NJ, which is pretty darn often. Not all that far from Oradell anyway.....Great pics BTW.

[Mark McKeever]

Joe, it's been nearly ten years since I played HP in a junior tournament.   I remember most of the course and am looking forward to your tour!!

Mark

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks Joe - didn't know about HP at all. It reminds me of photos I've seen of the early work by another of our resident architects; in both cases, I'm impressed that young up and comers could show such restraint/simplicity.

Peter

[astavrides]

.

[Bruce Katona]

I love the place...lots of fun to play.

[Joe Bausch]

Six more before heading out for the afternoon.

#7. Par 5.



Tee view where bombers will just fly those bunkers, pea-shooters will have to carefully navigate them and another group further:



Second shot view where the green is really about on the line of the telephone pole in the distance:



From just short of another really neat green; this view you can't quite tell how there is another part of the green to the back, over a large hump:



From left of the green you can see what I mean and how a back pin must be interesting to approach:



A view from well behind the green with lots of short grass area:



#8. Par 4.



Tee view:



Was heading right into the sun, so here is a view back down the fw from the green; vary interesting wavy fairway the last 100 yards or so:



From just right of the green:



#9. Uphill par 3.



Tee view (sorry, poor lighting):



But nice lighting in these two views from behind the green, one of which shows the practice areas, range, and clubhouse (and note all the solar panels too; more on that later):





#10. Par 5.



Tee view:



Second shot view:



As the hole diagram holes, the fw stops and begins again near the green:



From just short of the green:



And a view looking back down the hole:



#11. Par 4.



Tee view:



View from where my drive ended up:



Looking back down the hole from the back of the green:




#12. Par 4.



Tee view:



Approach view, a nice view this time of year indeed:



Looking back from the back edge of this small, propped up green:



Last six this weekend.  :-)

[Jim Sherma]

What year was HP built? Washington NJ was on the fringes of my old stomping grounds back in the day and I never heard of it before this tour.  In that same area I have played High Bridge Hills by Clinton, NJ a couple of times and thought there was some decent stuff on the ground. I believe it is associated with Billy Casper golf, not sure who the architect was.

[Chris Wegner]

I want to take a moment and introduce myself and Thank Joe for this great photo tour.  I am a PGA member and the Business Development Manager at Hawk Pointe and have had the privilege to host Joe before at some courses where I was the Head Professional.  (Architects, Suneagles, LuLu)

Hawk Pointe is thriving in a tough market but I can thank a great golf course and a real good golf vibe for our success.  We encourage walking, have an active tournament program for men and ladies and offer all this without assessments and food and beverage minimums.

The owners and Kelly Blake Moran did a wonderful job incorporating a residential aspect (100 Single family homes and 25 Townhomes) that truly do not impact the play at all and a commercial aspect (still in development) that adds value to what we do here at the club.

Hawk Pointe opened Memorial Day 2000.  We are about 6.5 miles North of High Bridge on Rte. 31.  We sit in the southern part of Warren County but less than a mile from Hunterdon County and just over 5 miles from Morris County.  High Bridge is still run by Billy Casper and was designed by Mark Mungeam, also I believe opening in 2000.

I will do my best to weigh in on this thread and answer any questions, and hopefully Kelly Blake Moran will chime in when needed also.  I will touch on the solar panels in a later post, the environmental aspect of this entire project is a template for future golf development.  Enjoy the Tour!

[RJ_Daley]

Looking at the aerial compared to the ground level views appears that KBM did a very nice job of working economically and cleverly with the pre-existing fields separated by scrub and tree rows to blend a course into the property that looks more random walk through a parkland at eye level than the rows appear straight from aerial.  Add to that an apparently designed-in effort to keep the green pads low profile without a lot of green surround gimmickry, yet internal contours and well fashioned bunkering.  It looks like a very good effort.  From the aerial, there appear to be some tee ball slice conflicts with adjacent holes, yet the eyelevel photos show just the right amount of separation and grading to minimize oncoming traffic conflicts from neighboring holes.  Nice setting with a routing that takes all the compass directions along the way.  

[Joe Bausch]

#13. Really neat par 3.



Just enjoy the views!









Gosh that hole was good!

#14.  Par 4 (heading to the west again!).



Tee view:



From 150 yards out:



Looking back down the hole from over the green:



#15.  Dogleg left par 5.

Note:  the alternate fairway to the right is no longer being maintained as I understand it the members rarely used it although it could give a better angle to the green.



Tee view:



Second shot look:



From the left rough short of the green:



From this view long and left of the green you can see the alternate fairway:



#16. Par 3.



Tee view:



Another view of an excellent green [and I like the club's logo and branding too; and they weren't kidding about hawks as I saw a bunch of them]:



#17.  Par 4.



Tee view:



Approach view:



Looking back from just over the green (13th green to the right):



#18.  Long closing par 4.



Tee view:



You must negotiate this tree on your second:





From long and left of the green:



That's all folks.

I hope some more discussion ensues as surely there is some tasty stuff here for the treehouse.

[Joe Bausch]

They also have this beautiful "1776 Guest House" near the 5th tee:



Quite reasonable stay and play packages too:

http://www.hawkpointegolf.com/hawk_pointe_golf_accomodations.htm#stay

[Peter Pallotta]

Chris - welcome aboard, and congratulations. I'm glad to hear the Hawk Pointe is doing so well; it seems to be a lovely example of how owner and architect can work together to create something that serves the people it is intended to serve (which to me is the main goal/point of just about everything we do).

I'm an average fellow and an average golfer, and so I think I'm someone who looks for what a lot of golfers do, i.e. a place that provides good architecture and good golf in a good setting, that encourage walking, has an tournament program, and doesn't have assessments and f&b minimums -- and so I'm not surprised HP is successful!

Hope you jump in and post your thoughts here and on many threads besides.

Peter

[Sean_A]

Joe

Thanks for another fine tour.  I have only seen one KBM course, but it made a big impression on me.  The tours you have done for his other courses reveals designs which I very much admire.  KBM seems to roll along nicely while dropping several little wow bombs along the way.  The courses seem to push the envelope in just the right spots and the right amount without threatening (too much) to alienate the public fee golfer.  I would love to see what KBM would produce if he went upscale with a decent maintenace budget.  I am dying to see short grass much better utilized on his courses.  

Ciao  

[Peter Pallotta]

I knew you'd like this course, Sean (and you explain why very nicely. It's the same reason I like it -- topography aside, it seems to have much in common with the lesser known inland courses you profile.

Peter

[Chris Wegner]

I wanted to take a moment and speak to the solar panels Joe mentioned.  The panels provide electricity to power the entire golf operation.  The maintenance facility has panels that power that operation.  We generate more than we use and that is only 1 part of the environmental aspect of this development.  We have our own wastewater treatment facility and everything that gets flushed or collected via runoff at the club, housing development, and commercial properties (includes a very busy Shop Rite) gets treated and reused for irrigating the course and the housing.  We heat the pool via solar and we hope to in the future expand the solar to help power all parts of the development.  The owners have big plans to continue this self sustainable environmental model.  

The original plan for this land prior to be acquired called for an 1,100 home development using city water and sewer.  This development would have been a significant burden on the community.  The 325 acres is now 80% open space with the golf course taking up just over 250 acres.

I wish I could speak to the environmental benefits of the development better than I do, but I am just a PGA professional much better at adding 4's and 5's and folding shirts.  

[Joe Bausch]

I wanted to take a moment and speak to the solar panels Joe mentioned.  The panels provide electricity to power the entire golf operation.  The maintenance facility has panels that power that operation.  We generate more than we use and that is only 1 part of the environmental aspect of this development.  We have our own wastewater treatment facility and everything that gets flushed or collected via runoff at the club, housing development, and commercial properties (includes a very busy Shop Rite) gets treated and reused for irrigating the course and the housing.  We heat the pool via solar and we hope to in the future expand the solar to help power all parts of the development.  The owners have big plans to continue this self sustainable environmental model.  

The original plan for this land prior to be acquired called for an 1,100 home development using city water and sewer.  This development would have been a significant burden on the community.  The 325 acres is now 80% open space with the golf course taking up just over 250 acres.

I wish I could speak to the environmental benefits of the development better than I do, but I am just a PGA professional much better at adding 4's and 5's and folding shirts.  

I'm really impressed with this Chris.  And would like to learn more.  In particular how it was/is financed.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Great looking greens, some wonderful looking undulations and pin placements.

[Chris Wegner]

Joe,

The owners of Hawk Pointe covered the expense of the Solar field as part of the overall Master Plan of the property.  The self sustaining aspect of the development is very important.  Lowering operating costs at the club allow more flexibility to continue and improve the facility.  The focus here is to add value and the savings are reinvested in items like course improvements and the acquisition and refurbishment of the 1776 Guest house.  

This house has a great history that involves the Bowlby family and was a meeting place during the revolutionary war.  It comes in very handy for the membership and has been utilized by members to house in-laws, visiting kids, college buddies and even a quick 2 night stay for a member family during a septic pipe break.  To the non-member it is available on a limited basis for stay and play packages.

I appreciate the feedback on the course many of you have given.  Thanks

[Peter Pallotta]

Chris - thanks for your contributions/posts. The course and club gets more appealing to me by the minute -- you should be (and I assume are) very proud of what you folks are doing there. Hawk Pointe seems a place than any community would be very lucky to have.

Peter

[Dan Byrnes]

Its a real nice place.  Play there quite often with my BIL who is a member.  Fun challenging course that is always in nice shape.  Always found the staff and the membership to be nice and friendly.  Highly recommend playing the course if you find yourself in the area.

Dan

[Chris Wegner]

I have never posted pics before so here's my first effort.  I wanted to share some pics of the guest house.

This is a real neat aspect to the membership here at Hawk Pointe, it is also available on a limited basis for Stay & Play golf packages.

View From Springtown Road


View From Golf Course - Adjacent to 5th Hole


Family Room - Former Summer Kitchen



Sun Room - 55" TV Not pictured



The House has 4 Bedrooms each equipped with a Queen size bed. (2 Examples)



Shared Bathroom - 2.5 Total Baths in House


Kitchen The Original Stove and later Stovetop or nonoperational.  The Club provides a comprehensive To-Go Menu Option


Dining Room


Living Room


The success of the 1776 Guest House has opened the club to golfers from different markets.  It gets great utilization from golfers to members to local business (A Local Bank is renting next week for Employee Reviews.  They believe the relaxed atmosphere takes some pressure off the staff while being critiqued)  The House has been the #1 driving factor in the sale of a Town & Country Membership that serves the needs of members residing outside of 40 miles from the club.

I have always been interested in Lodging at many of the top clubs in the country.  I think our version takes a unique approach to the lodging aspect of the private club.  We even hosted a Revolutionary War re-enactment on the property last year.  I encourage all clubs to look to this option for additional value to the membership and additional revenue in this difficult economy.  Just hopefully not any of my competitiors  

[Thomas Dai]

Another very nice and detailed photo tour. Well done Joe and thanks for sharing. A shame that the tall silo's near the 15th and 16th holes stand out in bold white rather than be in some kinda modest blended camouflage.
 
I see from the scorecard that there are tees for Green, Gold, Blue, RESERVE and white. The Reserve tees are stated as 5,973 yds, 123 slope, 68.9 rating. 'Reserve' in terms of tee blocks is a new expression to me. What's the idea? Is it used elsewhere? Can someone please enlighten me?

All the best.

[Joe Bausch]

Thomas, I think the 'reserve' tees are a hybrid of the blue and white tees.  Sometimes you are playing a blue tee, sometimes a white.

[Chris Wegner]

Thomas,

The Reserve is our preferred tee for the seniors at Hawk Pointe.  The 55+ Community adjacent to the property from which 40 members come from is called The Reserve at Hawk Pointe.  It is a non-original tee and is a mix of blue and white tees.  I am told as it was before my time that the addition of this tee was and is very well received by the senior members.

In regards to the silos, they are remnants of the original Dairy Farm as is the maintenance building.  To camouflage them would be to downplay the significance of the history of the property.  They are part of our branding and something people recognize and even aim at while playing the 15th hole.  The blind nature of the green on 15 makes the silos very helpful in playing the hole.  It most likely would have been less expensive to tear them down than to paint and maintain.

I am biased to the silos as my grandfather and great grandfather had a dairy farm in central NJ.  Warren County is farm country and one of the owners is a fourth generation Warren County farmer, still farming hundreds of acres to this day.

Thanks