Stillwater G&CC in St. Johns, FL ( Weed ) opens

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Bobby Weed Golf Design (BWGD) and the Northeast Florida division of Lennar Corporation announced the grand opening of Stillwater Golf and Country Club in St. Johns, Florida, the first new 18-hole layout in North Florida in 20 years.
Located between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, the course serves as the centerpiece for an active adult gated community in St. Johns County. Within Stillwater’s 18-hole routing, BWGD has creatively designed loops of three, six, nine and 12 holes that start and finish near the clubhouse.
With tees measuring from 4,760 yards to 6,745 yards, Stillwater was designed with an eye towards environmental stewardship. With only 70 acres of irrigated turf (148 total acres), the course realizes a number of environmental benefits. Up to 25 million gallons of water are to be saved annually from non-irrigated areas; Tiftuf bermudagrass fairways, tees and approaches will use 38% less water than similar varieties; an absence of traditional rough—all fairways are efficiently mowed using a single height of cut—will reduce maintenance; non-irrigated centipede grass in the native areas offer contrasting swaths of color; and 18 acres of shell screenings replace cart paths, reducing maintenance and delivering visual contrast.
With bunker maintenance becoming an intense labor and financial commitment to clubs, BWGD countered this at Stillwater by installing sod wall EcoBunkers. Unique to North Florida, layers of artificial sod are stacked at 55- to 60-degree angles to fortify the bunker edges and create the visual appeal of Scottish-style pot bunkers. These fortified bunkers yield a striking aesthetic, are environmentally sustainable and aid the club’s bottom line. Also distinct to Florida’s First Coast, elegant lay-down walls are used in lieu of traditional vertical bulkheads. Planks of treated timber are seamlessly tied together, then stylishly angled from the water to the playing surface. Stillwater’s inspiration came Pete Dye’s similarly styled walls at South Carolina’s Long Cove Club, where Weed assisted.
Stillwater’s 16-acre practice facility will be a rain-or-shine, year-round destination. The lighted driving range has covered hitting bays equipped with Toptracer Range. Players of all skill levels can receive instant feedback on their swing and distance data. The practice facility also includes three putting and chipping greens, highlighted by a 16,041-square-foot, Himalayan-style putting course. Designed with moderate slopes, swales, plateau and terraces, it’s ideal for practice or for putting contests.

“Stillwater delivers terrific shot values with ample playing areas that encourage the old-style game of low running approach shots,” Bobby Weed said. "It is incumbent upon us as architects to be good stewards of the environment, while simultaneously designing courses that create interest, flexibility and fun. We accomplished these goals at Stillwater.”

Play a Great Round of Golf at Stillwater Golf Today (stillwatergcc.com)

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Take a look at this bunker:




And this one:





Course of the Week: Stillwater opens as North Florida's first new 18-hole golf course in two decades - Golfdom : Golfdom