New trend in practice areas, TPC San Francisco

[Joel_Stewart]

The new TPC San Francisco Bay has a great range which has huge practice greens 30 yards from the tee.  As a result you can warm up hitting little chips to a variety of pin spots.

David Kidd designed the practice area.  Please correct me if I am wrong but didn't he also do the practice area at Bandon???  If so, the guy might build the best practice areas in the world?

Is this a new trend?



Sorry for the poor photo.

[Tom Huckaby]

Joel - this is Stonebrae, correct?

I thought the TOURNAMENT was going to be called TPC San Francisco Bay, but that the club/course was still Stonebrae - no?

The whole thing is making my head hurt.

In any case when I was there last fall, this was all still dirt.  Sounds pretty darn cool.

TH

[Joel_Stewart]

I think the correct name is TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrea.  TPC has taken over the management and it now part of the TPC collection of courses.

[Tom Huckaby]

Gotcha - thanks.

So is it still private?

TH

[John Moore II]

That may be the new thing in practice areas, I know the PGA Learning Center has something of this nature, though not on the range itself. There the Chipping/pitching area is off to the back side of the main area.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Joel's right, from the club's web site:

"Part of the PGA TOUR’s TPC Network of premier clubs, TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae’s David McLay Kidd-designed championship golf course serves...."

and later:

"Beginning in 2009, TPC San Francisco Bay will serve as host site of the Stonebrae Classic, a Nationwide Tour event."



As for the green on the range, talk about a fun time repairing all those ballmarks!  I do recall once seeing special "don't have to bend over" device that repairs ball marks quickly.

[Joel_Stewart]

So is it still private?

No its public and the green fees are $10.

Of course its private and I am told that the demand has taken them by surprise.  I asked the pro who is joining and he talked about the enthusiasts who love classic courses who are members.  Appears there is demand for this type of golf everywhere.  Many are lurkers on GCA.

[Tom Huckaby]

Joel - hey, lots of these TPC places are public - it was a fair question!

It will take a certain type to shell out big bucks to join there, in any case... a purist who likes quirk, and classic courses, but doesn't mind riding carts. 

 

[Tim Gerrish]

It looks like a 50 yard target green that plays short from the front of the practice tee.