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Scott_Burroughs

Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« on: July 25, 2006, 09:16:32 AM »
Now that I finally have a slight breather at work, I can work on the backlog of pictures from 39 courses I've yet to show.

A little late for any interest in King's Putter V in the Coachella Valley, here are the pics I took of Schmidt/Curley's Plantation GC.

Opening tee shot, a short 4:


The approach to a tight back left pin.  Everyone in our group who wasn't the GM of the club went long (firm greens, too).


#2, par 4:


#3, long 4:


Approach:


#4, par 5:


Approach to #4:


Par 3 5th:


Short par 4 6th:


Approach:


#7, long 4 into the wind:


Par 3, #8:


#9, a short 5:


from far right of green:


#10, par 5:


#11, par 4, main fairway at right, with shorter alternate fairway at left over bunkers:


#12, par 4:


#13, par 3:


#14, par 4, where you want to draw around tree line:


cross bunkers on approach:


#15, good driveable par 4:


Sticky, bunkerless approach. Tough to get close, as green runs away where pin is and left side of green has big false front:


#16, par 5:


From left side of fairway:


#18, par 4:
« Last Edit: July 26, 2006, 08:44:12 AM by Scott_Burroughs »

John Kavanaugh

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2006, 09:23:52 AM »
Does anyone have the ability to photoshop in some elms and oaks in place of those plants so I can get a feel for the place..

PThomas

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2006, 09:27:09 AM »
thanks Scott

2 questions for those who were there:  it seems like there might be too much green turf for a desert course, and I wish some of those trees were planted in such straight lines
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Scott_Burroughs

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2006, 09:33:17 AM »
Paul,

It's a golf course in a desert climate, but it's not a desert
course.  Arizona has turf limitation laws, but it seems as CA
does not.  Wall-to-wall Bermuda grass on a former date palm
tree plantation (hence the rows).

PThomas

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2006, 09:34:31 AM »
thanks Scott

that explains the trees, but I wish they wouldn't worry so much about all the grass being so green
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Brent Hutto

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2006, 09:37:39 AM »
Is it just the way that photographs flatten perspective or do all those palms behind the greens of #1, #5, #6, #8, #9, et. al. make for a cluttered and confusing backdrop? Maybe it's the straight rows that Paul T mentions but it looks hard to focus on the green and the flagstick.

Eric Franzen

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2006, 09:48:31 AM »
Brent: I don't remember anything about the palm trees behind the green interfering with the perspective of the green during play, so it is probably just the camera playing tricks.

Scott: thanks for posting these which refreshes my memory about this course. I will never forget how Sailer made me work on the 17th to half the hole.

Brent Hutto

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2006, 09:53:47 AM »
Eric,

Thanks, that's what I figured.

Lovely flowing contours of the fairways, greens and bunker surrounds. I particularly like how the bunkers appear to be very accepting of shots trickling into them. During the KP-V outing did the bunkers seem to act as ball-collectors?

Adam Clayman

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2006, 09:54:45 AM »
PaulT-You do realize it was`110 degress? And at that temperature it's likely NO ONE walks. Do you know what the turf would look like, with all that cart traffic, if the course was brought anywhere near the point of being stressed?

Otherwise wish away.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

JWL

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2006, 10:00:24 AM »
It appears they have a minor fortune in palms that they could transplant/sell to the rest of the valley courses.   They could lose half of them and never know it.
Obviously the course was constructed in the middle of a palm nursery with such straight planting lines....but then again, maybe not.

PThomas

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2006, 10:02:10 AM »
I do Adam...I guess I wish some of those turf areas were instead nonmaintained areas
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Mike Nuzzo

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2006, 10:15:05 AM »


How big is the crew to maintain the palms?
Thinking of Bob, Rihc, Bill, George, Neil, Dr. Childs, & Tiger.

Bob_Huntley

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2006, 11:06:53 AM »


How big is the crew to maintain the palms?


MIke,

I heard that an outside firm has the job of trimming the palms in exchange for harvesting the dates.

Bob

Scott_Burroughs

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2006, 11:29:03 AM »
The day before, at The Palms, a crew was pruning the date
palms, in the extreme heat, all day.  For the thousands of
trees that are at both courses, it seemed almost like a continuous job.

Chris_Clouser

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2006, 12:50:00 PM »
So what was the general consensus on the course?

I'll be honest, never played it or walked it, but the photos almost make it look like several courses that often get panned on here.

Mike Benham

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #15 on: July 25, 2006, 02:20:16 PM »
I wish they wouldn't worry so much about all the grass being so green

The fairways rolled just fine and the bunkers, with short grass around all bunkers, did collect the stray rolling ball.

It was a very playable course ... I particularily liked #3 and #4

"... and I liked the guy ..."

Mike Benham

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #16 on: July 25, 2006, 02:21:52 PM »
Anyone catch the similarities to #12 at ANGC (without the palms and grapefruit trees) ...

"... and I liked the guy ..."

Greg Tallman

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #17 on: July 25, 2006, 02:38:10 PM »
"Anyone catch the similarities to #12 at ANGC (without the palms and grapefruit trees)"

The palms are so intrusive on the visual experience I fear this and many other design qulaities are lost. Really need to get rid of some trees.

Green complexes and bunkering appear well done and challenging but... the trees.  

Jfaspen

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #18 on: July 25, 2006, 04:25:49 PM »
enjoyable round..

I agree with Mr. Benham re:the similarities to Augusta's 12th.

I enjoyed this course more than the Palm although that might change if we played each course again.

I liked that I was playing a desert course that didn't look like one.

jf

Evan Fleisher

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #19 on: July 25, 2006, 04:50:56 PM »
PaulT-You do realize it was`110 degress? And at that temperature it's likely NO ONE walks. Do you know what the turf would look like, with all that cart traffic, if the course was brought anywhere near the point of being stressed?

Otherwise wish away.

...Except of course for ME Adam!!!  Actually, I walked 18 the day before at The Plams Golf Club which was equally stupid, and I was of course the only idiot doing it...but I made it without death.

Paul T...I think it was you who asked about the rows of palm trees?  On both the Palms and Plantation they had this feature which I greatly disliked.  It was bad enough playing golf in a desert, but that made it look more contrived than it already was.  Just my $.02
Born Rochester, MN. Grew up Miami, FL. Live Cleveland, OH. Handicap 13.2. Have 26 & 23 year old girls and wife of 29 years. I'm a Senior Supply Chain Business Analyst for Vitamix. Diehard walker, but tolerate cart riders! Love to travel, always have my sticks with me. Mollydooker for life!

Tom Huckaby

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #20 on: July 25, 2006, 05:06:51 PM »
Evan - but neither you nor Scott Burroughs dared walk Stone Eagle - I was proud of you guys.

 ;D ;D ;D

Re the rows of trees, come on man, remember what was there before!  It was a date palm farm, all in rows.  The course was carved out of it.

I kinda liked the look - seemed old-fashioned in a weird way.

I liked Palms more than Plantation as a golf course, Plantation more than Palms as a golf club.  I'd happily retire and play either.

TH

Tommy_Naccarato

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2006, 05:26:58 PM »
I couldn't agree more Tom.

I think both places have their qualities. I feel that the Plantation as a club should be a model for other clubs which to go by. Not an ounce of pretention anywhere, yet exclusive that it makes you feel great to be there. The golf isn't to shabby either. Nothing like a lot of the other trash that is in the Palm Desert area. I'll pit it against any of the Palmer courses out there anyday. The clubs too.

Chris Clouser,
Your not going to find an ounce of Perry Maxwell out in the desert, and that's unfortunate. You call it not the type of course we would normally hilight here on GCA. Well, I think that statement speaks for itself.

As bad as some of the golf is out in Palm Desert, and as hot as it gets out there, frankly I have to ask if you have ever been there? I like the Coachella Valley a lot. It's a great place to get away if you want to drive less then an hour and a half away from home, and if the beach is just too damn crowded.

The golf was over-built for years, not a lot of interesting courses for the type of land that was afforded. Certainly it's one of the GREAT missed-opportunities, given the wonderful dune land that once existed out there. But I have to tell you I have had a blast out there many times on the worst of courses. I can assure you that if you classify The Plantation and The Palms as two of those, well, I think you are totally wrong. The golf on them is pretty cool and for all of the obvious gimmicky names, Palms...Plantation, as well as the date palms lining the fairways, well that's your mistake and a huge one at that to stereotype it as such. Especially from a photograph.
 

Tom Huckaby

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2006, 05:29:05 PM »
I feel that the Plantation as a club should be a model for other clubs which to go by. Not an ounce of pretention anywhere, yet exclusive that it makes you feel great to be there. The golf isn't to shabby either.

Absolutely right on, brother!

God they made us feel at home... while all the while you knew it was a very special place and we were damn lucky to be there.

Thanks again, my friend!

TH

rjsimper

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2006, 05:32:58 PM »
Anybody get a taste of the chili or the chicken soup at the turn? The member we played with pointed us in the right direction, that's for sure, and that might be the first time I ever grabbed a cup of chili to cool off :)

Tom Huckaby

Re:Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2006, 05:35:18 PM »
Anybody get a taste of the chili or the chicken soup at the turn? The member we played with pointed us in the right direction, that's for sure, and that might be the first time I ever grabbed a cup of chili to cool off :)

Dammit!  Missed that.  I live for that stuff, also. Damn near every round in the UK I'd start talking about post-round soup on about the 4th hole.   ;)

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