Stone Eagle

[John Kavanaugh]

Bill, did you read the Huckaby thread? That numbnut was adament.

[Kalen Braley]

As High Capper myself who recently played it where my game is the worst its been in years....

I found the course extremely playable.  We played the middle tees and there wasn't one instance where the shot requirement was anywhere near impossible.  Sure I lost a few balls, but it was due to a couple of topped shots and a couple of wicked slices into oblivion, the latter of which would be a lost ball on almost any course.

Yes I put up a big number, but I attribute that mostly to the green speed and the subtlety of a few putts that seemed to break uphill.  Its been a long time since I've played greens that fast and had a tough time adjusting.

That being said, I know "mountain golf" isn't for everyone, and that's fine...but once again I found the course very accommodating for my current 20+ cap...

[Peter Pallotta]

Don't want to sidetrack this or embarrass Tom, but I'm trying to think of another architect (living or dead) who has worked successfully in such a diverse range of settings, e.g. the flats, the seasides, the mountains, the lowlands, with minimalism/naturalism, with earth-movers, with long-time associates, using templates, in clay, the sandhills, the dunes, forging originals, a reversible course, as sole-architect and as a co-designer. Quite the resume and body of work! Maybe one or two more projects and someone will offer him a spot on a rating panel...

Peter

[Tom_Doak]

Peter:


There are plenty of architects who work on diverse projects, it's just that not all of them are lucky enough to get their chance by the ocean, or on other properties as beautiful and unencumbered as I have.  Maybe the other difference is that I don't like to do the same things over again [excepting work by the ocean    ], so I just say no thanks to projects which don't interest me.


FWIW, though Stone Eagle was a difficult exercise in construction, I didn't see it as requiring vastly different skills in terms of design.  There were all kinds of beautiful things to work with and use as backgrounds, and a great variety of natural hazards.  And there were no houses to spoil the scenery or force changes to the plan.  [It's one of the only courses in the desert that has no houses around it.]  It was a bit steeper than anything I've worked on, and so where we did move earth, we had to do it in much bigger swathes; but the framework of everything was already there, and it was gorgeous. 


A project like The Rawls Course was much harder for me, to be honest, because it requires creating a framework that doesn't exist on the ground.  I always finish such projects disappointed that I hadn't been more clever.  If I ever get another job like that, I'm going to try to do something that's completely off the charts.

[SteveOgulukian]

Someone I met told me his favorite courses played were 1) Stone Eagle, then 2) Cypress Point.  True story.

I think he's nuts, but then again I've played neither.  Still think he's nuts.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Someone I met told me his favorite courses played were 1) Stone Eagle, then 2) Cypress Point.  True story.

I think he's nuts, but then again I've played neither.  Still think he's nuts.

I've played both and think he's nuts too. That being said I love Stone Eagle and could play it every day and never tire of it. It has so much going on, each day would be different.

[Jim Nugent]

I love Stone Eagle and could play it every day and never tire of it. It has so much going on, each day would be different.

10 rounds, how many do you play at Stone Eagle, and how many at CPC? 

[Tom_Doak]

I love Stone Eagle and could play it every day and never tire of it. It has so much going on, each day would be different.

Actually, probably not.  The days in Palm Desert tend to be pretty similar one to the next, and there isn't much wind to make the holes play really differently.  You'll certainly get different shots around the greens, depending on where the hole is each day, but most seaside courses have more variety by virtue of the changeable weather.


Then again, there's something to be said for having nice weather any day you decide to play!

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tom, I meant that there is so much variation on the course that even with minor pin placements and different quality of tee shots that each round could be a different experience. I usually don't go on about a course but yours and the Quarry just captivated me.

[John Kavanaugh]

Plus cartball makes it so much easier to stay drunk. The staple of a Palm Springs existence.