Hot Washigton Property - Chambers Creek

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Previous threads have discussed this project in Pierce County Washington (Tacoma).  

R.T. Jones II was selected as the architect for the project.  Other finalists were local favorite, John Harbottle, Hurdzan-Frye, Robert Cupp, and Phil Mickelsons design group.  

Waterfront site is an old gravel quarry.  Property is something like 900 acres and also encompasses a sewage treatment facility.  The effluent from that treatment plant will be used to irrigate the 27 hole course.  Also inthe plan are walking paths, a possible arboreteum and playgrounds.

Would you have chosen Jones or one of the other finalists?  The council spoke often of the Jones firm "getting the special requirements" of the project.  Do you think he can build a "links style" golf course on the shores of Puget Sound?

[Craig Van Egmond]

Cos,

   Thanks for the update. I am quite surprised by the RTJ Jr. pick, I thought it would be Harbottle or Cupp.

   I've seen probably 10 of his courses and he seems to be hit and miss, so we will just have to wait and see.

[Joel_Stewart]

Jones must be a hell of a talker as well as businessman?   He has the experience which probably put him over the top.

To answer your question, I would have choosen Phil Mickelson among those listed with Jones II last.  I am anxious to see Mickelsons next project after Whisper Rock in Arizona which was a big hit.  

I'm surprised Fred Couples didn't make a serious bid?

[W.H. Cosgrove]

With the Effluent component, Hurdzan-Frye would have seemd an excellent choice as well.  

[Tom_Doak]

Cos:

Just curious, why would your choice of a designer have anything to do with the use of effluent water?

I know that Mike Hurdzan is well known for his knowledge of environmental issues, and rightly so, but the use of effluent is not exactly highly specialized.  And that environmental demostration course that Hurdzan designed, Widow's Walk, isn't packing in the golfers, as far as I've heard.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Here's the property again - that peninsula at the bottom and
the rest of the non-residential area going up the shore,
framed by the straight lines:

[Norbert P]

 That commision should make homeboy John Strawn happy.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Tom,  The selection of Hurdzen-Frye as architects would have made some sense as they have the environmental component that seems so important to the Pierce County waste management people who manage the property.  

They contend that this project is going to be a "World Class" golf course.  And that it is an economic development project revolving around increasing capacity at the neighboring wastewater (sewage) treatment plant.  The use of effluent will expand their capacity at the treatment plant and therefore increase the counties ability to expand industry and development throughout the county.  

 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Here's the Master Plan for this site (the golf course is not
going to be on the tip or encompass all of this site as we - or
maybe just I -  may have assumed - it is 900 acres after all):

[Jeff_Brauer]

It may be as simple as Jones highlighting Spanish Bay as another seaside links course built on an old sand and gravel pit.  Add in his work on various environmental committees in California, and he really did have the right ingredients for the Project.

Public selections usually involve point systems, etc. and it is easy for me to see the selection of Jones based on those specific factors, plus total numbers of courses, etc. over a firm like Phil Mickelsons, who may have been there only because the head guy is a Phil fan and wanted to meet him.  For that matter, if this guy, who travels a lot to play golf happended to like Spanish Bay, or other Jones courses, the points could have gone out the window, or be made to fit the desired selection.  That is what usually happens.

[Bill_McBride]

Congratulations to John Strawn and RTJ II for winning this competition.  However, I have to report that John has to lose some "tradition" points.  At Cypress Point last March in a match vs McBride and Bernhardt, John and his young colleague, an RTJ II designer, both had their ball caps on backwards!  They claimed it was because of the strong zephyrs, but hmmmmmm......