With all the babbling about the course earlier in this thread you would have thought it had all been covered. But, I went back and visited the course a couple of times earlier this year. There was more to see. I ended up pulling it together in a 42 page pamphlet:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKWKGL8Y?ref_=ast_author_dp [None of the profits go to me.]There's a bit about the history and mystique. But it’s mainly about the ingenious nature of the course. The piece is essentially based on the sketches that Ross personally executed.
At first glance, most would kind of breeze through the sketches. But this is one of those cases when a closer really does reveal something truly remarkable. They tell quite a tale. Specificity, flamboyance, genuine wizardry.
Consider what’s happening on the 11th hole.
The pamphlet is hugely aided by the outstanding work of Peter Flory and Josh Nezat:
Let’s hope they never stop working on these fabulous renderings.
Some of the things I noticed on the recent walk through:
Mainly what stood out is the flamboyance of the course. Fifty yard long mounds that are six feet in height! Massively wide fairways next to massive bunkers –
all measured to the inch. The course is like an exaggerated version of his evolving style. Why was it so exaggerated?
Again, the commission called for “a course with no superior”. He was being asked to top the work he’d already performed. Part of the reason for the rowdy nature of the routing and hazards is simple. Grass greens were basically not viable in the South at this time. The drama would have to come from the rest of the course.
There’s more – far more.
…
Currently, the good folks at Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg) are in the midst of long-range planning. Some of the very serious people overseeing the project are fascinated with the place…
…
Overhills is only a few hundred acres in the corner of a military complex that (including nearby Camp Mackall) is about 1/5 the size of Rhode Island.
The pamphlet concludes with the fact that the estate is a cultural point of unusually high caliber. Properly handled, it would be of enormous benefit to many that are in need of the unique experience it offers.
This is the base of Special Forces. They do an amazing job of training them to handle the most extreme of situations. Reintegrating them back into the community? Let’s just say there is room for improvement. It’s not an easy thing to do. It requires a measure of magic.