Houses

[Dave McCollum]

The houses lining the "retro" publics in the Palm Springs area which I can afford don't have to be pricey Mid-Century Modern to convey the sense of place, add to the experience.

Go play Indian Palms CC in Indio.  It is as you describe, not McMansions.  I don't know but it may be the first course(s) designed by women in the USA.  However, when housing was added, usually on both sides of every fairway, it strangled the playing corridors.  I stay with a friend there nearly every winter and find it very useful in knocking off the rust on my game.  It forces you to hit it straight before you go some place more interesting. 

[Kalen Braley]

I'd put Pasatiempo on this list as well.

Other than the 6th hole they really aren't in play, even for a High Capper like myself.

P.S.  Perhaps housing can be forgiven on a course with lots of interesting/great holes like the aforementioned.  But it seems most of these courses are crap and the encroaching housing just adds insult to injury...

[Mike Bodo]

I don't have a problem with golf courses that have a homes from the neighborhood it was built in surrounding the perimeter of the property - especially when it is separated by both a fence and a road. This way you don't feel as though you're being encroached on and visa versa. The courses I no longer enjoy playing are those where the backyards of homes butt up against the holes and often line both sides. There's one public course near me where a portion of the cart path borders several backyards. In the case of one home in particular, the edge of the residents patio cannot be more than five yards from the cart path and the slab comprising it wasn't even that big. That's a little too close for comfort, in my opinion. I felt as if I was illegally trespassing when my wife and I drove by. I can only imagine what the homeowner must feel seeing and hearing a cavalcade of golf and maintenance carts go by each day during the season.

[Sean_A]

I think we all can agree that in most cases houses/buildings overlooking golf courses isn't ideal.  The issue becomes one of does the housing subtantially detract from the course design or aesthetics.  In the case of Hope Valley the land plan is very good...same for St Georges Hill, Little Aston and Yeamans Hall...though YH was not fully built out.  In my experience its very rare that a high a quality course has been significantly hindered by housing.  Praia del Rey may be the only one I can think of.

Its pretty simple, if ya don't like to see building when playing golf don't play courses with buidling in sight.  I like the connection to town found at many places in the UK so I am less bothered by it all.

Ciao

St. George’s Hill is such a wonderful course that I do not remember even noticing the houses when we played last year. Hope Valley is not at the same level of quality, but as A.G. noted, Ross was involved from the beginning before the plan was developed. The comments several have made about golf taking priority when doing the planning resonates with me. Good land helps too of course.

Ira

Some of the mcmansions are stupidly large and thus unsightly given the plot sizes.  As can be the case with carts, it often isn't carts which are the problem, its the paths which really much with things.  The same is often true with golf courses.  At St Georges Hill the situation isn't too bad given the size of the estate, but there are a few roads running through the course which aren't ideal and can be dangerous if one isn't paying attention.  Hope Valley has the same issue (11?) with a road very much in play.  All in all, its not a big deal in either case given the quality of the courses.

Ciao

[Greg Hohman]

I hear you, Dave, but the houses at Indian Springs, Cathedral City, Tahquitz Creek, et al. don't bother me. I credit the heat, and the atmosphere of time standing still. The houses are unpretentious. The pools are usually still. Nobody is hollering indoors at figures on a large-screen tv. Silence reigns, or I hear West Coast jazz, which, whether it's in my head or is coming from a nearby house, sounds as fresh as ever and in harmony with Palm Springs.

[John Kavanaugh]

No houses, no course, no golf.