Take a bite out of Rustic Canyon.

[Tony Ristola]

Look forward to the next visit.  

It seems fine as is, but doesn't look too environmentally sensitive.
Clean out the debris and leave the core to regenerate, formally maintaining 10 to 30 feet from the fairway...into the wash.  Perhaps in broken sections, similar to the way it was.

Is it possible to seed the core of the wash with fescue?

[DMoriarty]

dave the closest I have been to the green on 11 was about 75 yards at an agreesive line. from the old back tee. I am guessing from the new back tee it will be very tough although posiable to get it to it if it starts about 125 yards from the green. I am playing sunday so I will see how hard I have to hit it to get it to if possiable.

Seventy-five yards out is a big drive.  I was talking to another bigger hitter about this hole and he was saying that the ball does not bounce or run as far on this fairway as it did when the course first opened.  Do you find the same?   My drives certainly don't go as far, but I just attributed that to my body declining along with my mind.  

We'll be out there tomorrow as well, probably a few hours in front of you.  Maybe we will see you, unless you see us first . . .

Tony,  

We look forward to you next visit as well.  I think the plan from the beginning was to plant along the edges of the wash (native and fescues, I think) to help hold the soil and create a transition, but I don't think the course ever allocated the money to do it.   Hopefully this will be taken care of this go around.  

[RJ_Daley]

DAvid and other RC users from that area:

It is my understanding that much of the valley just north and up-canyon from the golf course are public lands.  Is that correct?

Has there been any study of taking the chance of mitigating the torrent of water run-down onto the property by strategic planting schemes of more trees and brush with shallow and creeping rooting structure, or vast grassland meadows with absorbant roots.  I know that the trade off is fire hazard.  But, has anyone looked into relatively moderate costs of structural engineered solutions, or planting solutions to stem the flash flood nature of these run-offs into the golf course and homesite areas as the water runs southward?

[DMoriarty]

Dick


Rustic is on County land, and the land above is designated a County park.  This greatly limits what can and cannot be done with the land.  In fact, if Rustic had been an invasive, heavy earth moving project as some suggest it should have, it never would have been built.  

You are 100 % correct that trees brush and various plants above and through the wash would mitigate the flash flood danger, and you are also correct about the increased fire hazard.  

Take a look at Ran's photos above (the top two posted by Brian), especially the first.  The entire wash and most of the 12-15 mile watershed above used to be full of fully mature plantlife, including trees and chaparral which had been there for at least 20 years and maybe much longer.    Probably 90+ percent of it burned, leaving virtually nothing to stop the water.

This is why I keep emphasizing the connections between the fires 16 months ago and these problems.    This stuff takes many years to reestablish itself in this environment, so it will be a while before things will be back to normal.  But it will be back normal eventually.  

No chance one could go in and plant a bunch of non-natives.  They probably wouldnt last anyway, since there is very little water in this valley.  

[rjsimper]

Upon further review, I say leave 11 as it is - its a brute of a hole (today, Brian hit Driver Driver to the "green", but it was also blowing about 4 clubs when we played the hole...)

Its a beast of a hole, but it certainly makes you think about that second shot a bit more...bailing out a bit to the right -

Is it a better hole the way it was? Yeah, probably...but I dont think it is significantly worse of a hole now, and certainly not enough to go through with plans to fix a spot on the course that falls far behind 4, 5, 6,  and 7 in terms of priority to work on.
\

[DMoriarty]

After having seen the hole again yesterday, I too hope they just make the area a bunker/waste area, and otherwise leave it alone.  

The thing I like is that it gives shorter hitters something to think about, especially into the wind.  They either have to lay back, try to go over, or try to thread it through the neck on the right (a substantial neck of over 20 yards.)  While it makes it more difficult for this group, the hole is no longer a brainless 'hit it hard twice then chip it on' hole.  

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Most, including David Moriarty, look at this from an architectural standpoint.  I look at it from an operational standpoint, maintenance, speed of play, playable for all, etc.
I think as it is, will slow play and be more difficult for the weaker player.  I like it as it is if...the area on the left, the new waste area, can be easily accessed, with a recovery shot hit easily and quickly.  The fairway should be mowed wider on the right as well.

[Joe Perches]

I look at it from an operational standpoint, maintenance, speed of play, playable for all, etc.

What do you think these impacts were on #10 when the HHA bunkers were added post 2004 flood damage?  Good or bad?  Were the architectural vs operational tradeoffs acceptable?