Scary News-Maybe not so bad

[John_Cullum]

Indian Hills in Fort Pierce FL is one of my favorite places to play. A 1938 Herbert Strong design that I doubt has been altered. Some really neat holes, never in great condition, but it has an aura, sort of quirky. I had the same feeling when I played Royal Worlington and Newmarket. Now I read this:

Fort Pierce commission drives for golf course upgrade
By Tyler Treadway staff writer
March 23, 2004

FORT PIERCE — The Fort Pierce City Commission has teed it up for Indian Hills Golf and Country Club.

In a special meeting Monday afternoon, the commission approved a $2 million bid from Malphrus Golf of Hilton Head, S.C., to overhaul the 66-year-old course with a new irrigation system, storm drainage and hole layout.  

 
With other costs — including architect fees, tree planting, gopher tortoise removal and signage — the project will total about $2.8 million.

The commission also authorized the city Finance Department to begin putting together a bond package to pay for the improvements. City Manager Dennis Beach said the bond issue might have to be for $3 million to $3.2 million to cover costs of the work and maintenance of the course until it is self-sufficient and able to pay off the debt service — about $250,000 a year — which city staffers predict will be about three years after reopening.

Construction is supposed to begin May 3, with reopening in November or December.

Mayor Bob Benton said opening in time for the heavy winter season is essential; and he questioned whether Malphrus, which submitted a bid about $400,000 less than its competitors and the architect's estimate, can meet its deadline.

"Believe me, I won't let them get behind on it," said Ward W. Northrup, the Ocean Ridge architect who designed the new course.

To be sure, Benton suggested stiffening the penalty that Malphrus will pay if construction runs late. Beach said staffers will try to raise the penalty to $1,000 a day if the project is more than 30 days late.

The three commissioners at the meeting — Benton, Butch Alexander and Christine Coke — voted for both measures.

After thanking the commissioners for their support, Mary Beth Birsky, the golf course director, said they may also want to consider changing the course's name.

"Indian Hills Country Club denotes a private enterprise," Birsky said. "This is a public course, not a private country club."


Scripps owns the Tribune, The Stuart News, the Port St. Lucie News and the Press-Journal in Vero Beach.

- tyler.treadway@scripps.com

Is anyone familiar with Ward Northrup or the Malphrus group?

[paul cowley]

yo sarge ....i'm familiar with malphrus.

[John_Cullum]

It looks like it might be worse than I initially thought.

TCPalm
 

Golf course may change name
Work will begin May 9 to build a totally new, redesigned course at Indian Hills Country Club, which should be ready for full play in December.

By Tyler Treadway staff writer
March 24, 2004

FORT PIERCE — By the end of the year, Fort Pierce should have a completely new golf course where Indian Hills Country Club now sits.

And it might have a new name.

 
 
A $2.8 million plan approved Monday by the Fort Pierce City Commission will "completely renovate, completely redesign" the 66-year-old course, said Mary Beth Birsky, Indian Hills manager.

Work is to begin May 3, with the first nine holes scheduled to be ready for play in November and the second nine playable in early December.

According to Birsky, golfers who have played Indian Hills will find that the new course:

•Is longer, increasing from about 6,000 yards to about 6,500. (Par will remain at 72, though.)

•Flows more smoothly from hole to hole.

•Is more north-south oriented and less east-west oriented, meaning less looking into the sun.

•Is safer, meaning errant shots are less likely to fly into adjacent fairways.

•Has larger greens with Tif-Eagle grass, which is "all the rage in the golf business," Birsky said. "It's the quality of grass you'd expect to see on private club courses, not public courses."

Not so obvious will be the installation of a new irrigation system that will allow the capping of a groundwater well, much to the delight of officials with the South Florida Water Management District, and a new energy-efficient pump station.

The overall improvements are so dramatic, that staffers are suggesting the new course get a new name as well, Birsky said. They've suggested Sunrise City Golf Course.

"It's very important that when the city spends all this money to produce a quality product that the city's ownership be part of the course's identity," she said.

The "country club" in Indian Hills Country Club connotes a private, exclusive course, which makes the course more difficult to market, Birsky said.

"We need everyone to understand that this is a public course with good quality and good rates," she said.

During season, 150 to 200 rounds are played on the course each day; that drops to 80 to 125 rounds in the summer. Staffers expect the new course to draw 200 to 250 rounds a day during season and, with increased league play, 100 to 150 rounds in the summer.

The in-season cost of a round of golf at Indian Hills is $40 before noon and $33 after noon. That includes greens fees, a cart and taxes.

Birsky said prices for the new course have not been set, but the priciest rounds will remain "in the 40s."

"The biggest fear that I hear talked about is that we'll spend all this money on renovations and then jack up the prices," she said. "That's simply not the case. ... We'll stay competitive with our prices. We want to be city resident-friendly. We want people of all shapes, sizes, races and ages to come here and feel comfortable and welcome."

- tyler.treadway@scripps.com

This is the first time I have ever seen the "rerouting to keep the sun out of the eyes concept." Although I never noticed that problem at IH.

While Indian Hills is no Lido, it is still a shame that a bunch of clowns elected to a town council are going to undo one of the first post-depression courses built in Florida. I wish I knew more about Strong's work so I could get some coherent rebuttal to the guy writing these articles. Can Tom MacWood be found? I understand he may be the treehouse's leading authority on Strong.

[T_MacWood]

Sarge
I frankly don't know that much about Indian Hill. A golf course designed and built in 1938 is a real rairity. It is also one of the reasons their is little historical info (that I've run into), most of the famous golf magazines were history by 1938.

From I've seen the course shares some similarites with one Strong's best designs Ponte Vedra (the site for the 1939 Ryder Cup) up the coast. Very close to the coast, but not on the coast. Lagoons brought into play a number of holes. Very interesting ground movement. I don't know if they looked back at what the course was like in 1938, but if it was like Strong's other courses it would've been boldly bunkered. Undulating greens was another trademark.

From what I understand Strong was living in Fort Pierce when he died in 1944. That says something I believe. And this most likely it was his last design. With all due respect to the chap redesigning this course...I'd be looking at the possibilty of restoring a rare Strong, than looking to build a hastily constructed Northrup.  

[Willie_Dow]

Sarge

Went down to Indian Hills Country Club after some oysters in Fort Pierce and met Mary Beth Birsky, a very attractive and pleasant golf course director.  When I asked about Ward W. Northrup she said "ask him, he's right out there with the Green Superintendent, Barry Lezark.

We had a very brief but very encouraging discussion about his plan.  It was obvious as we looked across the rather flat terrain that by raising greens and tee boxes the overall look of the course will be greatly improved.  Play was very light for a beautiful but windy early afternoon.  My immediate reaction was that in order to compete with Jimmy Fazio's Fairways, and Ron Garl's Sandridge's two courses which I have recently played several times, this is a good move for the City.

Ward Northrup is an extremely up front individual.  He worked with Joe Lee and Dick Wilson in the Bahamas.  Biderman in Delaware, and Bedensbrook in Princeton.

Discussion of the raised greens with better run-off seemed to be a great idea.  We didn't get into the routing, but there was discussion of how holes were added over time, and how much of the original course was Herbert Strong seemed questionable.

An invitation by Barry Lezark to come back for a tour will be more informative.

Willie

[John_Cullum]

Well that sounds encouraging Willie. I just don't know know about this rerouting to keep the sun out of the yes. I dont know if you got back aound 4,5, and 6. They are pretty neat holes. 10 has a great false front.

Tom MacWood's history of Strong living in Ft Pierce at the time of his death certainly gives one pause to think of the possibilities of what might have once been. Certainly the course would like have been constructed under Strong's close supervision. I will get over to IH over this weekend and try to meet with Lezark or Northrup.

[Willie_Dow]

Sarge

I left Vero before Indian Hills reopened.  Looking over the new eighteen, with sand dune like mounding, the new layout looked interesting.  Have you been down there ?

If you do play IH, and want a comparable course try The Links at Pointe West out on Rt 60.  It is a good design by John Sanford.

By the way, when you consider what Ft Pierce went through with hurricanes Frances and Jeanne it is quite amazing that they were able to bring back the golf as soon as they did.

Willie

[Adam_Messix]

Willie--

I dropped by Indian Hills during my brief time in Florida this year.  The course was supposedly six weeks away from opening but didn't appear to be that close.  Not sure about what the condition is going to be like, but the course opened 18 holes two weeks ago.  Looked interesting.  I was given a copy of the Northrup routing plan when I stopped by and I must admit that it looked interesting. Willie, I will bring it to New Jersey with me if I can find it.  I was surpised about the quality of property they had to work with there.  Looks like it's either on the East Florida sand ridge or is on a dune of some sort.  I don't want to comment any further, because it was pretty barren when I saw it.  

[John_Cullum]

It is an excellent piece of property. I have not yet seen the new Northup course, except in development.

I find it difficult to even go by there.

[RJ_Daley]

This is obviously a good study in not getting all hysterical just because an anouncement is made to upgrade a course.  They can't all be untouchable "classics".  I didn't find any of the 2004 posts speak to the actual merits of the proposed re-routing/design  other than new orientation to avoid sun morn and eve.  

The earlier "scary" posts shouldn't have condemned the archie out of hand, without having done some real research into the intent and merits of the plan.  News releases don't usually say much in terms of the real details of a design.  New irrigation, new grass, blah blah.  

We need to give these archies a little bit more benefit of the doubt, so to speak.  Nothing was originally stated about Mr Northrup's previous work in remodelling nor new course construction in the press release nor early posts.  If you have doubts or questions, why not start with a few phone calls to the archie himself, the super, or research the archie's track record?

[Willie_Dow]

RJ

My post #4 did that !  I agree with your comments, however.

What I like is the cost factor involved, and how the city found the Council members in favor of saving the land for the game of golf.

I got interested in finding the old thread from my read of Golf Digest, May 2005 - and the numbers posted for new construction.

[John_Cullum]

I have since played Indian Hills. There is absolutely nothing left of the Strong design. So that chapter is unfortunately closed.

That said, I find the new course to be very enjoyable. Northup's bunker work is pretty interesting, with aggressive shaping, and relatively small compared to most of what we see in Florida. I think some of the terrain features could have been better employed, as the course now seems flatter.
Only a couple of the greens have any memorable contouring features.

The course condition is very good, especially given they only opened a couple of months ago. The Tifeagle greens appear very mature, and are cut relatively close for a Florida muny. They are not very grainy at all, and the ball rolled well.

I paid $18.00 at 2:10 on Tuesday afternoon and played 18 in 2 hours, 35 min.

I still miss the old course, but I will play Indian Hills again.