the area surrounding the 'patriot' g. c. is one rich in history ,both revolutionary and civil war. like atlanta ,it was at the juncture of important commerce trails.
the ideas behind the development of the portion of the course that includes the 'fort' were many ;
....providing safe spatial relationships on a rather compact site...
the area around the fort includes the practice range ,the putting green ,the 1st and 10th tees and the 18th green complex. raised earthen barriers could provide the separation needed but how do you provide interest beyond building a 20 'elevated tee with grass sides?....as golf design is essentially earth sculpting ,why not provide a design solution that's interesting from a historical perspective , that makes a very strong design statement ,that allows for some very exciting play features and just might be fun !.
after wandering around many continents as a student of history ,i've always noticed the similarities between the design elements of earthworks and fortifications and design features found in golf........this has been the topic of past threads on this site... especially the more geometric elements employed by raynor et al.
our group visited ft. mc allister ,an earthen civil war fortification outside of savannah ,and found the similarities very interesting.
....creating believable land forms in golf.
if lido and shadow creek are apt comparisons ,i.e. building a land form on which one can then cloak with golf holes ,then this is nothing new....hard edged or natural ,if it makes for good golf ,can this be bad?
#1 plays from an elevated tee off the southern rampart down to a punchbowl green nestled in the remnants of a spur battery...great view of lake greenwood from the tee,and a fun downhill start of ones round.
#10 tee is also elevated and plays off the east rampart.
..the putting green is perched on the west rampart with a great [and safe]view of all that is occuring around it.
...the practice range is close by out side the fort walls ,but accessed thru a vauted tunnel from the forts interior.
...#18 green is located in the center of the fort ,amoungst the ruins of the barracks.the elevated 2nd and 3rd shot requirement for this finishing hole make for a exciting and memorable conclusion.
... one must cross the old moat and pass thru another tunnel to gain access to all described above.
...as for believability, the complex has done well.
some months back,a group of building architects and planners ,after wandering the site for sometime ,commended the owners for thier vision in preserving the site and incorporating it as part of their development .they said the people and the state of s.c. should thank them for their efforts in protecting this historic site.
the local nat. parks service is also pleased and some re enactment events are already being planned for the future.
.....incorporating hardscape elements in golf design .
we enjoy on occasion designing these features as part of the mix....n. berwick ,the road hole, dunbar ,almost any course with rr ties or walls, provide if done well another element of interest in the round [quirk too].
the 7th hole shown in turboes photos is a short par three where the green abuts a brick wall ....loosely related strategically to the road hole green ,it will play a little dicey as the wall runs on a slight diagonal and OB is only 6ft from the green edge.
......i could go on and on but work becons....but come play when it opens ,the course is more ross in nature with a few fun 'quirks' thrown in .......and you can decide if the course equals our expectations.
and oh,the ariel photo posted by RCS was taken before the outside of the fort was grassed ,and then computer enhanced....the blues ,greens were added,bunkers too.
so far no aliens have answered our call..........