Dream Course

[T_MacWood]

You are Bill Gates ,Jr. and your father has told you to go out and build your dream course anywhere in the world. Money or protected areas are no object. Where would you build it? Inland or seaside? US, UK or elsewhere?Three places that come to mind: The dunes below Provencetown on Cape Cod, the dunes north of Corola on the Outer Banks of N.Carolina and Cumberland Is.,Ga. which has some of the highest dunes on eastern seaboard as well as beautiful wetlands and  live oak forest.

[John Morrissett]

Tom--I haven't seen any of those sites, but count me in!  I think the dream course must be on links land.  Aside from the aesthetics of the water, it is so key to have sandy soil and the wind.One of the better undeveloped pieces I have seen is the land just north of Machrihanish.

[b.williams]

i would just buy fishers island club - i challenge everyone to come up with more ideal land. i hope that answer is not cheating. if it is, i would buy 400 acres on nantucket of pure sand dunes.

[Ran Morrissett]

It has to be on the water - otherwise I would say near Sand Hills or further down Banff Springs valley. Maybe that piece of property at the tip of Bermuda - talk about stunning and it has everything (the ocean, sandy soil, an interior lake, nice movement, etc.)

[Tom_Egan]

b.williams --     Boy, do I sure agree with your Nantucket comment.  Sankaty Head is great!  Don't know yet about Nantucket GC.  Almost any property on the island would be great for a golf course -- especially around Siasconsett or Madeket.

[JohnV]

The area pictured in the URL below is just south of Pacific City about 70 miles west of Portland (just south west of Tillamook if you're looking on a map.)My dream courseClick on the picture to get more detail.  Unfortunately this area is a state park and will never be a golf course.  Not even Mr. Gates could get the state to turn it into a golf course.  Well, maybe if he offered to move all of Microsoft from Seattle to Portland.

[Turk Loree]

I would build a 8,000 yard course in the valley of Zermatt, Switzerland. There are no cars allowed in the village and the atmosphere is invigorating beyond compare.

[Gib_Papazian]

There is a fabulous spit of land we came across in Western Ireland called the Inch Peninsula. It is just off the Dingle Peninsula. Fabulous jagged sand dunes with little hill climbing. There is certainly enough room to build 54 holes. it might be the best site I have ever seen.

[Yancey_Beamer]

I agree with Tom regarding the Outer Banks of North Carolina north of Corola. The only other place I know with such dramatic dunes is Cruden Bay.I grew up in N.C.

[Mike_Cirba]

On the drive out to Montauk on LI, there are a number of stretches on both sides of the highway with just towering hills, natural wind-scaped bunkers, and native grasses blowing in the breeze.  One in tune with golf can't possibly make this drive without envisioning hundreds of dramatic, natural holes just there for the taking.  Unfortunately, I'm sure that it's either protected coastland, or otherwise either environmentally or financially prohibitive.

[peter_p]

They've already built on my dream spot.Stopped at a layabout in 1980.  The course is Loch Lomond. Pumpkin Ridge got dropped on another of my locations.I'd opt for something on the Great Ocean Road SW of Melbourne, or in New Zealand.Tom Doak. Have you got your pencil out writing all this down?

[dick_cesana]

ON YOUR WAY TO NEWPORT CC CHECK OUT JAMESTOWN R.I. LINKS LAND ON OCEAN 100 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL LONG AGO THERE WAS A 9 HOLE LAYOUT

[Clarence Duffy]

Tom:Great topic! It would have to be a links course. In my opinion they have the most character, and are the greatest challenge to shot-making abilities, let alone your concentration in the wind. How about you and I go to the dunes, north of Corolla (Outer Banks) and disign our own masterpiece!

[Ran Morrissett]

Patagonia National Park deserves a first rate golf course - unfortunately, they may disagree. Talk about an inspiring walk through nature!!

[Tom_Doak]

All of these sites sound great, but are any of them really doable?  I ask because recently I have met a couple of people with the desire and the resources to build anywhere, if they could have a top-10 course.Contact me by e-mail or post here.I just returned from Bandon, Oregon, yesterday, and the site for the second course there is as good as I've seen.  Five holes right along the cliff, and "blowout" sand dunes the size of the best links in a couple of spots inland.  We'll start building the first few holes in January or February.I'd still like to work in all different types of terrains, but the one which interests me the most is real heathland -- because no one has built one for a long time, and it's such a great setting.

[T_MacWood]

ClancyI'm with you friend, you bank-roll the project and I'll do my best George Crump imitation. Build be a comfortable shack on site with a modem to comunicate with the minds at this forum and I'll convince my wife of the advantages of home schooling. Hopefully I won't kick the bucket before passing the torch to Doak and/or Coore&Crenshaw to complete the project. I can then assume the role of the next Arthur Brown/beachcomer.T.DoakThis is a big planet. Your project in Oregon proves that even in this country it can be done. How about Vancouver Is., New Zealand or the Marquesas islands, if you need someone to help you evaluate the proper site, I'll be glad to give my 2 cents worth.The courses built by S.Thompson in the National Parks of Canada have always surprised and encouraged me. There example proves that if the political climate is right, no place is off limits.  Do you think the photos of Easthampton have a heathland look? Whatever it is, I like the looks of it.

[TEPaul]

Tom Doak:What is the exact definition, or your definiton of "heathland" and what are some courses in this country that are considered real heathland or areas that are raw heathland?

[H. S. Colt]

Heathland is simply open sandy ground covered by heather -- a woody shrub which spreads like ground cover.  There are loads of places in Britain which have it -- Sunningdale, Woodhall Spa, even parts of Golspie -- as well as at Morfontaine north of Paris.  But I've never seen a real patch of heather in the U.S.

[John Sessions]

Mr Paul,I agree with Mr. Colt; of course who wouldn't? The definition of a heath is an open plain with heath. While Garden City is a plain, it has no heath on it. In fact, there is no heath in the US; that kind of course is unique to the UK and parts of Europe.

[JeffMingay]

Tom Doak's comments are interesting. Whereas the obvious "ideal" site choice would be seaside links, the heathlands is about as close to equal as anything. The north shore of Prince Edward Island, Canada has potential: large seaside dunes that progress inland in gently rolling contours. All the essentials are there: interesting ground, and plenty of wind! But, from what I know, the environmental restrictions basically prevent anything really good from being built.

[T_MacWood]

Although I agree there are no heaths in the U.S., heather has been naturalized in Northeastern North America.So hypethetically you could create a heathland course here, if you had the right climate and soil(sandy, moist, perfectly draining)with limited wind.

[Ran Morrissett]

to Tom Doak:Shame on you for turning your back on your Aussie mates down here - without doubt, the best place for building courses is along Australia's coastline of which there is more than 20,000 miles. And you already know this.to John Sessions:Actually, there is heath in Australia too.