Buenaventura c.1924

[Forrest Richardson]

We have very few spots available for a special West Coast gathering of The Furrow Club — Ventura, CA on Saturday, August 27th. The plan is to play Buenaventura beginning at 1:00pm and have dinner afterwards.

Get in good graces with Patrick...as he will handle all the availabilities and logistics.

patrick@golfgroupltd.com

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Forrest,
My pony and I will be there.

[Forrest Richardson]

I am worried about the pony ring which will result. But, for you, Tommy...anything.

[THuckaby2]

Can't get back there in late August, but interestingly enough, my family group shall be playing there this Friday (July .  I am  really looking forward to it and oh yes, I shall report....

[Forrest Richardson]

Hope you have a fun day, Tom. Enjoy the greens!

[Forrest Richardson]

Last call this coming week for any So. Californians who would like to join us at Buenaventura. Valerie is ready to place her order for BBQ. Check in with Patrick.

[THuckaby2]

This reminds me... I have been quite remiss in failing to comment on the FANTASTIC job Forrest did at this heretofore unsung course in Ventura, CA.  I had the great pleasure of playing there with my family group a few weeks ago and all I can say is WOW!  Forrest took a course that was short, sorta fun but basically blah and made it short (nothing he could do about that), VERY FUN, with the coolest, weirdest, quirkiest, god-damndest, head-scratchingest, pure funnest greens of any - and I mean ANY - course I can think of in SoCal, or heck the whole state of that matter.  I'm not kidding - these greens have to be seen to be believed.  Rolls, knobs, tiny necks, you name it, it's there at Buenaventura.  And praise the lord and give me an amen, at least for now they seem to keep them at a sane speed so that all this interest can be shown to its fullest.  Are you listening, Pasatiempo?

You fans of options in putting and short game interest, RUN, don't walk, and play this course.  

I can't wait to see what Forrest does to Olivas Park, the other blah neighbor right up the road....

TH

[Forrest Richardson]

Tom — Thank you for your kind words. We are very proud of the greens at Buenaventura. While not as radical as those at my Grande Valley Golf Club (Arizona), they are special.

#6 is a bi-level green with a lower area to the far right; the par-4 plays into the higher portion and cascades down to the back/right.

#12 is a 160-ft. diagonal green with a saddle in the middle; the back/right is all but hidden. It is my favorite.

#17 is a 135-yard par-3 to a fall-away green. My only regret was not maintaining the "Dell" feature to the front as strong as we intended. A committee decided it was better softened. OK. It still works.

#18 is has a depressed cup in the front/center. It falls out to a pond which guards this short-ish 470-yard par-5 — yes, par-5. As Flynn said, "Accuracy, carry and then length..."

[THuckaby2]

It was my pleasure to play the course, just sincerity writing here.  Man it is fun.

And I am VERY pleased you mentioned 12, because that was my fave without a doubt.  Luckily enough we got a back right pin... and I stood out there in the fairway bamboozled... I told my Dad that pin has to be a trick... it can't be on the same green that I'm looking at... good lord is that a mind-bender!  But of course I fired at it... and when one gets up there, one sees there actually is quite a bit more room then there looks... and quite a bit more contour!  That green is world-class without a doubt... as are several others at this new gem...

18 is a great golf hole, btw.  Tight tee shot but if you can squeeze it between the trees, classic risk-reward go for it or not 2nd... and then the green that Forrest describes.  Caused a 3 stroke swing in my family match that has gone into legend.

 

[Forrest Richardson]

Who won?

[THuckaby2]

The battle was between the other three - they kinda cut me out because I'm a 3-6 hdcp and they are all around 18-20... oh we do have team matches, and we've done me against their scramble several times, but for this round the family pecking order was at stake and thus they wanted to do just stroke play against each other.  My Dad had been playing well and was staking claims to #2 slot... the others wouldn't just give that away...

After 9 holes, it was very tight.

Dad fell out with a 12 on #13 - he must have hit the trees on the left 7 times.

So it was down to brother against brother-in-law... brother (Tim) generally owns B-I-L (Lou)... Tim came into 18 with a 2 stroke lead... hit trees twice on right, finally got it through, was lying 4, 200 out, middle of fairway... Lou lying 2 over the water, not on the green, short and left.. oh what a choice for Tim... he went for it, just got over water, on green... the celebrations started, especially after Lou chunked his pitch, barelly getting it on... but Tim still had to putt.

And he got Richardsoned.

A three jack later, after a Lou tap-in it was Tim 8, Lou 5, and a one stroke victory for Lou.

That occurred July 8.  The crowing has yet to stop.

TH

ps - pin on 18 was way back, in a very cool spot.

[Forrest Richardson]

Never assume anything.

Mr. Bell laid out 9-holes in the early 1920s. The City records this as 1923-24. The course was part of a small park. The younger Bell worked on/off over the years he was active, adding 9-holes for the City. Bell. Jr's. last set of plans appears to have been remodeling to the course. He died after the bids were received and never got to see his last plans implemented.

Our assessment was that four of the west nine holes were Bell, Sr. greens. We worked to maintain grades on these greens. The only plan we have of old is a Parks Dept. survey from the 1930s. It is not detailed. Bell, Jr. left some plans, but they show only his improvements. We did have some aerials, but they were of poor quality.

This was part restoration, part remodeling and part new. At every turn we tried to balance interest with preservation and a classic style. Bell, Sr. created a neat routing through some grand trees (at least they are grand now.)

You asked how we work with old green contours. It is a matter of probing and uncovering layers. With all the change that Bell, Jr. made at Buenaventura there was not much left of some greens from before his time.