[Matt_Cohn]

I first drew this one up two or three years ago with the idea of creating a huge open expanse of short grass with few defined lines of play and multiple routes on every hole.

Now, this isn't a practical golf course, I don't think. It would be incredibly unsafe for heavy play as two or three holes can share the same landing area. It's a "concept course".

It would be constructed as truly links-style as possible. The ground would be undulating. There would be no rough within 15 yards of any green. The bunkers would be deep and they'd matter. There are so many options that the course works well in any wind direction.

I pasted two versions below. The first one is how it might look from the air. The second has hole numbers, routes, and yardages to guide you around. White areas are fairway. The darkest green areas are bad news - "native" grass, occasional bushes, and mounds that produce a semi-blind shot on some holes. The medium green areas are normal rough and in fact could all just as easily be fairway.

Enjoy...





1. Hug the fence to reach it in two, or bail right and face a tough approach.
2. The right side is wide open but leaves the hardest approach shot on the course.
3. At least four different landing areas here.
4. Run-ups work on either side.
5. Tee shot down right side helps avoid pot bunker short of the green.
6. Challenge the left side for a short approach; a short-right tee shot leaves a semi-blind second shot.
7. Plenty of room for a run-up.
8. Play right as a two-shotter, or left as a three-shot hole.
9. Risky driver close to the right bunker leaves the best angle.

10. Narrow right side leaves an open approach.
11. Center leaves a semi-blind shot. Left or right sides, closer to bunkers, leave a clear view.
12. Redan-ish.
13. For a clear shot at the green, flirt with the bunkers. Left and right there's room but it leaves an awkward approach.
14. Best angle to lay up is from the left. Best angle to play at the green is from the right.
15. Hugging the left rough shortens the hole.
16. Lots of room around the green.
17. Best to approach from whichever side the pin is on.
18. Hell bunker and others protect the direct line, but there's acres of room left.

[Eric_Terhorst]

Matt,

Looks like fun, but don't invite any lawyers into the design process  

#1, 2, 3 remind me of Talking Stick North, #2, 3, 4.  17 and 18 look like good match play finishers!

[George Pazin]

Looks like fun, hope you build it close to the Burgh.

 

Your ideas mesh well with a lot of mine. I always thought the lesson of TOC was to just mow a big field and pepper it with pot bunkers and undulating open greens.

[George Pazin]

Thought this deserved more attention.

It's always frustrating to me that people who take the time to put ideas on paper are summarily ignored by many or most posters on this site, even the ones who claim to only be here for the architecture.

Don't make me bump this again tomorrow.

[JNC Lyon]

That course looks like a ton of fun.  Let me know when it gets built, and I will be the first to join. I agree with George that this things should not be ignored.  3 looks to be a fantastic short four.

[Bill_McBride]

Depending on the green contours, #3 could be #12 TOC.  I was tickled last round there when my great caddy, Bruce Sorley, suggested I hit my driver way right in order to avoid all the bunkers in the fairway and have a good line down the length of the green.

Looks like Matt's hole would be played the same way.

[Brendan Dolan]

Very cool stuff!  Love all the options on the par 5s.

Brendan

[Garland Bayley]

Love all the center hazards and obstacles forcing lines of charm instead of lines of instinct.

[tlavin]

Other than the amount of land that might be required, I don't know that it's all that impractical of a design, to my neophyte eye.  I really appreciate that you're willing to share this kind of material.  It is quite instructive for us non-architects...

[Garland Bayley]

Matt,

I am curious to know whether you were aware of the hole at Talking Stick North when you drew #1.

[Ken Moum]

Depending on the green contours, #3 could be #12 TOC.  I was tickled last round there when my great caddy, Bruce Sorley, suggested I hit my driver way right in order to avoid all the bunkers in the fairway and have a good line down the length of the green.

Looks like Matt's hole would be played the same way.

I thought the same thing---it's #12 at TOC.

The first time I played it, I was with the Head Greenkeeper, and he said, "Anywhere but the middle."

The next day--playing it with my wife and another couple--my buddy's caddy is giving him the line you mention, when mine leans over and says, "I prefer going left here, with the hole where it is."

The two aim points were about 80 yards apart, and equally effective.

So who is going to step up and built Matt's lovely golf course?

Ken

[Garland Bayley]

Another question. Any idea what kind of acreage the course would require?

[Matt_Cohn]

Garland,

Yes, Talking Stick was very much on my mind. I enjoyed that course a lot.

If I had the routing to do over again I might make the OB was on the right for one of the holes instead of on the left for all 4. But I tried to make those 4 teeshots at least a bit distinctive from each other.

As a rectangular parcel it would be 140 acres, but remember that it goes right up to the fences. A 50-yard buffer on three sides would add 30 acres.

Mowing the place would be interesting, wouldn't it?

I've doctored up #3 to be my Lido Contest entry...

[Garland Bayley]

...
I've doctored up #3 to be my Lido Contest entry...

Not having played TOC, that was my thought when I saw #3, you should use is as a base for the Lido contest.

[Garland Bayley]

Further note,

140 acres tells me you have significant width out there to be sharing landing areas as you do. You might want to make the center hazards a little wider so that they aren't ignored.

As a lefty, I demand that OB be equally shared between left and right!
 

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