Sand Creek Station GC, Newton, KS by Jeff Brauer

[Steve_ Shaffer]

This new course by our own Jeff Brauer opens this Saturday. Congratulations, Jeff!!!

Where is Newton, KS? It must be near Wichita. $49 for weekend play looks good to me!

From the website:

Sand Creek Station’s unique links-style design features plenty of mounding encompassing the bent grass fairways and undulated greens uncharacteristic of the courses in the area.  The sanctity of the railroad has been preserved surrounding the golf course to remind players of the history of the area.  Many holes are, as they say in Scotland, “hard by the cinders,” continuing a century’s old tradition of golf bordering railways. Come see what other similarities you can identify between Sand Creek Station and other famous golf courses in the birthplace of this great game, Scotland.

www.sandcreekgolfclub.com

Here's a favorable review:

Newton's Sand Creek ready to showcase its uniqueness
BY SCOTT PASKE
The Wichita Eagle

NEWTON - Any great thrill ride generates a sense of anticipation at its origin.

That should hold true for golfers as they travel under railroad tracks, down a tree-lined path and across a wooden bridge to the first tee at Sand Creek Station Golf Club. The 18-hole, daily-fee facility, located on Newton's southwest side, will host a VIP outing Friday and is open to the public on Saturday.

Jeffrey Brauer, an Arlington, Texas-based architect whose work includes Manhattan's Colbert Hills, converted the flat cropland south of U.S. 50 into a challenging, par-72 layout. Four wooded holes on the front nine run along Sand Creek, and are flanked on both sides by links-style challenges that will eventually wind through a 565-unit residential development.

"To me, the best golf courses have a little bit of everything," Brauer said. "You find the natural holes and then you go with what you've got."

At Colbert Hills, Brauer collaborated with professional golfer Jim Colbert to set many of the holes within the scenic terrain of the Flint Hills. Sand Creek Station required more sculpting.

With the aid of Wadsworth Golf, the course's builder, Brauer moved more than 440,000 cubic yards of soil to create a rolling terrain and establish drainage patterns. Man-made dunes covered in prairie grass frame several greens and fairways.

The course shows its teeth on two long par-5s that will often play into a prevailing south wind during spring and summer. Sand Creek Station's signature hole is No. 2, a tree-lined masterpiece that features an approach over the creek and measures 602 yards from the tips.

The other rugged test is No. 10, a hole appropriately named "The Beast." A long, narrow pond is stationed along the left side of the fairway to the hole's midpoint. More water awaits on the right side as golfers get closer to the green.

Brauer designed a championship tee that will make the hole play at 640 yards.

"From the back tees, it's a very demanding golf course," said Chris Tuohey, Sand Creek Station's general manager and head professional. "You can certainly host a state amateur championship or a mini-tour event there.

"For the daily player -- Jeff did a fantastic job with this -- it's a fair golf course. When you play from the (regular) tees, it looks more intimidating than it actually plays."

A set of railroad tracks borders three front-nine holes that will frequently test a golfer's ability to hit crosswind shots. Another set splits the front and back nines and serves as a backdrop on the par-5 16th, a hole that features a green patterned after the famous "Road Hole," No. 17 on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

"Growing up in Chicago, many of the courses were also along the rail line," Brauer said. "There's a long association of golf courses and railroads, so it didn't bother me to keep that relationship going."

Sand Creek Station's tees, fairways and greens are bentgrass. A mild winter provided a favorable grow-in season after a fall seeding. Also assisting was the course's irrigation source, a pipeline from a nearby wastewater-treatment facility that empties into a large holding pond.

KemperSports, a Northbrook, Ill.-based company, manages the municipal course. Tuohey came to Sand Creek after a short stint at a Kemper course in Jacksonville, Ark. Prior to that, he and his assistant, Dan Talbot, worked at Bayou Oaks in New Orleans, a 72-hole facility that was ravaged by floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina.

At Sand Creek, the goal is to offer a private-club experience with daily-fee prices ranging from a $24 weekday twilight rate for Harvey County residents to $49 for non-residents on weekends.

"We feel comfortable with our fee structure because we feel there's a major demand in this area for a facility like that," Tuohey said. "Once people come out here and play it, they'll feel like they got their money's worth."

[John_Conley]

I'm on the Brauer bandwagon.  Even if he weren't a nice guy I'd have respect for his work at the three courses I played in Dallas last year.

If I ever find myself in Newton I'll be sure to play it.

[Glenn Spencer]

Doesn't look or sound mediocre at all. I wish we had something like that near us.

[Daryn_Soldan]

Steve,

Newton is about 20 minutes north of Wichita. The course looks good from the pics on their website and I'm guessing the tee sheet will be pretty full with the Senior Open only 30 minutes away in Hutchinson next week.  I snooped around the course a bit last summer and fall during grow in and was impressed by how well the course seemed to flow even though the site doesn't appear to offer much interest once away from Sand Creek.  It appears that most of the site was an excellent, minimalist, dead flat wheat field.  On sites like this you see lots of courses with a few good holes that take advantage of interesting landform or vegetation but then fade on the "lesser" parts of the property.  From what I saw, this one does well to keep interest throughout with some thoughtful earthmoving, use of the railroad tracks, and the incorporation of Sand Creek at different points during the round.

Now I just hope it doesn't take away all our Wichita traffic that comes up to Manhattan to play Jeff's Colbert Hills.    It will be interesting to see what the impact of Sand Creek and Faldo's Cottonwood Hills in Hutchinson will be on the public golf scene here in central Kansas.  There still doesn't seem to be all that many locals excited about paying $70 at Colbert Hills on the weekend and even a $50 weekend rate will be looked at as pretty steep.  That being said, the higher end public golf options around Wichita were pretty nonexistant until recently so we shall see.

Daryn Soldan

[Gary Daughters]

I'm with Glenn Spencer.

Jeff, nice work.  Come give us something "mediocre"
in Atlanta.

[Ryan Farrow]

It seems there is a good amount of water on the front 9. Are most of these drainage basins and irrigation ponds?


Good to see yet another average course from Jeff.  

[Matt_Ward]

I plan on being in the Nebraska area this summer and may make a slight detour. The place looks grand. Congrats Jeff.

Does anyone -- Jeff included -- have specific hole-by-hole yardages? I tried to find it quickly on the site but I don't believe any such info was there.

Much obliged.

P.S. Jeff, how would you define the course versus what you did in Manhattan with Colbert Hills ? Thanks ...

[Jeff_Brauer]

Matt,

Just walked in the door from grand opening.  From the yardage books, all Par 72:

Gold -7359 76.3 136 slope
Blue - 6733 73.4 130
White - 6103 - 70.4 124
Red - 5165 -71.9 124 (women)

Actually, I had designed it for five sets of tees, so I think it could set up at 6300 something white, 5800 green, and 4900.  Doesn't really matter.

It seemed like fun was had by all. Personally, the stuff I thought would be fun, like the Sideways Biaritz green, Alps, Redan, Road Hole, Dolly Parton hole (I didn't do the names they came up with on the web site) were all fun as I imagined.

I still think it should feel like a good value.

Ryan,

Those small ponds are near many tees, and required for detention from the surrounding housing developement.  

[Jason Hines]

Hi Jeff,

The course looks great, hope to play there this fall.  I know there is a housing development, is the course very walkable?

Jason

[Jeff_Brauer]

Walking appears to be allowed only part time, but the course is nothing if not flat.  Most holes connect pretty closely.  Biggest walk is actually to cross river and railroad to get to No. 1 and back.  There are a few longer walks between holes from 3-4 and 15-16.

[Matt_Ward]

Jeff:

Thanks for the detailed yardages and CR / slope info.

Just a repeat -- how do you assess the qualities of Sand Creek versus that of Colbert Hills ?

Much obliged.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Matt,

Colbert Hills is different in several key respects - It has great land, it had Colberts design influence, meaning any quirk that some might find fun, like kick in banks, etc. is largely absent in favor of being a stern test for college players, and related to the above, it really has some of Jim's design influence.  We have designed about five courses with/for Jim, and have learned to adapt his likes into the design.

Sand Creek, as a purely JB creation has more of my own personal preferences - some quirk of the old time courses - and a few ideas that I had been thinking about for a while.  In short, it is also at a different point of my career, and I liked trying a few new things.  You know, I am working hard to get out of outright terrible to mediocre!

[Matt_Ward]

Jeff:

You are being so unfair to your overall talents. Your work at Cowboys is well done and I hope to be at Sand Creek -- possibly later this summer. The course photos look good -- one last question -- does the course play equall well when the prevailing wind comes from the other direction(s).

Congrats again ...

matt

P.S. Can you tell me how much knowledge of design Jim C has or is it mainly garden variety type input? Thanks ...

[Jeff_Brauer]

Jim is the most knowledgeable of the pros I have worked with, and able to articulate just why he thinks something is good or bad. I don't think he could route a course, but he has had a big impact on how I design for better players.

He was one of few on Tour that tried to play all the little shots that could make him more successful (as opposed to a particular shot pattern) and taught me how that level of player looks at a course.  He probably shares the Nicklaus view that the course should never hurt the player if he doesn't hurt himself.

He prefers the Augusta 13 fw design theory - creek one side, wide fw on the other - recognizing the temptation to bail out it creates.  On many greens he prefers hazard one side, chipping area - with one foot ridge paralleling the edge of the green to make it harder to get up and down than it looks.

He thinks greens should be receptive - one associate placed a hump in the middle of a green. I knew JC wouldn't like that one, and sure enough, when he saw it, he turned to the associate and said, "Well, I guess I didn't know YOU WERE THE BEST DAMN GOLFER IN THE WORLD!"

His input comes as a tour player, but also as a former "muni king" who usually understands impacts of different featues on the average guy, and speed of play.

[Matt_Ward]

Jeff:

Thanks ...

What about the wind factor I previously mentioned.

Does the course maintain its overall design integrity equally as well when it blows in a completely different direction than the existing prevailing wind ?

[ed_getka]

Jeff,
   We only had a chance to see 5 holes in May due to a flight coming in late, but I was curious about a few things at Sand Creek. What was the design intent on #10? It seemed like a really hard narrow hole, but I wasn't sure what you were trying to do there so I am curious to hear. #11 was cool with the wide fairway giving you room to manuever off the tee to be able to access pins on either side of the gull wing green. #12 I really liked the Alps style approach, but there wasn't as much of a challenge off the tee as I expected to see. My only Alps experience at this point is at NGLA, so I don't know what happens on the original. #13 par 3 looked great off the tee and was visually intimidating. The green didn't have as much going on as I expected to see for a Redanish looking hole. What was the design intent of #14? It seemed like a fairly straightaway hole, so I was wondering what you expected a golfer to try and do on that hole? #15 I only saw from the tee and halfway down the fairway, but it seemed like the most interesting hole of the lot that I was able to see.
    I am curious what the owner/developer asked you to do with the site and what type of golf course were you asked to provide? The reason I ask is because of the mounding you have running along the sides of some of the holes.
    Congratulations on the opening of your latest effort.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Matt,

Having been in play all of one day, I guess I am not sure how it plays in all Kansas winds, other than harder. In a serious vein, please tell me how you define playing well in all winds?

I have given that a lot of thought, and it seems that the most a gca can do is balance out some things - like long holes with and against the various winds, greens bending with and against the prevailing wind (favoring bending them with the Prevailing breeze, but knowing that if I did them all that way, a course could be brutal when the wind turns around) etc.

The flat land and created nature of the course allows me to create some pretty good balance like that, so I think it will do pretty well on that count.

Ed,

My instructions were to provide a high quality, upscale public course with a moderate budget. No one wantied anything really hard, but somewhere along the line, mostly to accomodate the surrounding real estate that made it possible, the course stretches out over 7300 yards.

I always felt it had to be fairly unique and interesting, but not really difficult, since its the furthest public course from the major market of Wichita.  And, Wichita is, as someone mentioned price sensitive.  Hence, some of the Scottish renditions and interesting holes over pure difficulty.  My other 2 courses in Kansas - the low budget Eagle Bend in Lawrence, designed as a $15 starter course, and the difficult Colbert Hills up in Manhattan are on the extreme ends of the spectrum for me, but SCS is fabout the right temperature of porridge, as it were, IHMO, probably 2/3 of the way to Colbert Hills at about half the price.  

There really isn't a lot of mounding, although it appears that way, because I used in on holes along the development roads to hide them and keep balls off them.  Fairways paralelling the houses didn't have any high ones, to preserve their premium views.

Hole 10 is one of those real estate compromises. We needed to get a certain amount of detention ponds in to keep from eventually flooding the houses or the rr tracks.  There was an existing drain pipe under the tracks, but it was sized for farmland, and not increased runoff from housing.  We needed a bigger pipe (or so the engineers of the building kind, not the train running kind told us) but we couldn't get permission from the BNSF to bore a new bigger one under the railway (although we did get some smaller irrigation under there) As a result, we had to upsize the lakes for more storage in a most inopportune location - a starting hole.  

(BTW, once the project got funded, the designs of all areas were going along at the same time.  We got a call one day late, late in the game, and a few days before Xmas, telling us that the ponds had to go up in size.  Nothing like coming in Xmas week for last minute fixes.......)

The Alps and Dolly holes were a result of having fills from a detention ponds nearby, and a bit of extra space from the land planner, which worked together to form those holes.  The 18th really needed even more mounding to the driving range side, but we ran out of dirt there, since the irrigation pond on 17 hit some subsurface water and couldn't be made as deep as we (or the irrigation consultant, for storage reasons) wanted.

Like you, I like the stretch from 11 to 17 the best, with the center fw bunkers and Dolly Parton cleavage guarding the 15th green some interesting man made design.  

If the Redan green is a bit flatter than a Raynor prototype, its  I made most of the greens a bit less rolling than on some recent courses.  That's not only because its a concession to a public course, its because I felt my previous efforts got to close to over the top.

The 14th is a long par 4. Usually, I like one of my long four or five long par 4's to emphasize precision approaches to a the tiniest green on the course.  I figure the average guy might be hitting wedge in, while a good player hits longer irons, perhaps equalizing the challenge a bit.  I left the front open, but bunkered all around the side and back for that.

[ed_getka]

Jeff,
   Thanks for the feedback. You can never go over the top when it comes to greenbuilding.
   I am not too good with distance/depth perception the first time around a course, but I am wondering what the play is on #10? If I am playing off tees that would total about 6800 yards, would I be thinking of carrying the first pond on the left? You built a nice little shelf into #10 green, and a right pin would certainly cause some puckering with the water hugging the right side of the green.
    On #12 I am curious why you didn't choose to challenge the golfer off the tee more? Is that due to the difficulty of the approach that most golfers won't be familiar with?
     On #15 (the Dolly hole I presume) I didn't make it up to the green, but that hole seemed to have a nice balance of testing a golfer off the tee and on the approach.
      It is amazing to me that the course opened after seeing the grass  on the greens in May. I have no clue when it comes to growing in turf, but there were still dirt patches when we were there, and now the course is open, less than two months later. Kudos to the superintendent.
      Have you seen the land out near PD where you make a left coming out of the entrance? As we headed over to take a peek at the Faldo course, there was some land on the right that looked incredible.
      What projects are you currently working on? Happy 4th of July.

[Tony_Chapman]

Ed - You nailed it about the land next to Prairie Dunes. Striking stuff about 2 miles east on the south side of the road.

Cottonwood Hills opened nine holes yesterday. My brother and I drove in there on our way to the Senior Open, and it didn't appear to be anything that special. I will preface that, however, by saying, you can't see much from the entrance road.

PD is looking spectacular. Stan George is to be commended again. The USGA basically has given him full run of the place since June 1 they liked it so well. I will probably post some pictures in the next couple of days.

My brother was up there mid-May and said they have narrowed fairways about 5-yards. We heard yesterday that fairways averaged 28 yards wide -- normally they keep them 33 yards. The rough is 1.5 on the first cut and a 4 inch cut until the guntch. The second set of rough is unbelievably thick.

I didn't mean to jack this thread. I've been on record many times praising the work of JB in Nebraska and SCS appears to be great work from the road.

[ed_getka]

Tony,
   Send some posts our way about how things go out there at PD. PD is such a great course and I eagerly anticipate my next trip there. That land would be a great spot for the Carthage Club.
   I agree re: the Faldo course, we couldn't see much from the road, but it looked pretty narrow. I'll take a closer look next time.
   

[Jeff_Brauer]

Ed,

That is the second time you have mentioned the 10th and 12th. Hey, I'm already inside your head there....

Seriously, on the 12th, I just sort of laid it out copying the NGLA pattern.  I guess I don't think it needs to be that narrow, given the only angle you can see the green is long down the right side extremely close to the bunker, going left leaves you the blind play, and  there is usually a cross wind.  At one time, the grass bunkers left of the fw were meant to be sand, but later converted at the request of the super.

The tee shot on 10 was meant to be a cape hole.  The lake extends over 300 yards from the back (on the putting green) tee. Only a few from the proper tees should carry it all the way.  However, in the 'shamble" on opening day, the tees were way up, I hit the path on the right, and bounded into the far lake.  It would be possible for some to carry left from up there.

Its one of my least favorite holes on the course, and if Ecksein is reading, its because its one of those Dick Nugent concepts - He once submitted that concept to Green Section record as a hole of the month, and did build some like it (water left first shot, water right second) rather than the concepts behind most of my current work.

[ed_getka]

Jeff,
   No worries. I am not trying to put you on the defensive. After your first explanation of all the variables you had to deal with on #10 I understand why the hole ended up the way it did. Unfortunately I only saw those 6 holes so they are the only ones I can comment on.