[JSPayne]

I've actually written quite a bit about my visit and opnions on this course throughout several other thread already, so we'll try this a bit differently. Forgive this pictures taken on the fly....the didn't turn out as great as they should have given how perfect weather we had that day, but this is all I'll submit for now. A photo tour of the course, mostly from the tees (I didn't want to annoy my playing partners or slow up play). I'm sure I'll post more later, as discussion ensues....but right now I don't have time and I'm interested to hear what might pop up just from a visual inspection.

Enjoy!


#1




#2


#3


#4


#5


#6


#7 (this is actually my second shot, from the "alternate" fairway)


#8




#9




#10


#11


#12


#13


#14


#15


#16


#18


And to top it all off......you've gotta love the marketing. 

[Mike Benham]

Is the 16th the highest spot on the golf course?   


Flat as flat can be for miles and miles and miles ...

[Norbert P]

Please forgive a rube, but why is the fairway brown (in February) and the rough green? Does it have bent fairways and rye rough? Bluegrass?

 I like the minimalist look but the concrete cartpaths sort of ruin that effect for me.  Is it a walkable course?

The bunkering on 13 looks odd. Maybe in real life they're more challenging to the shot and not just wayward grabbers. I'd like to see them staggered more and more into the fairway.

Thanks for the picts and hope I'm not too rough in my critique. I'd love to play it.

(BTW... how much does a typical concrete cart path cost, anyway?)

[JSPayne]

Mike,

I'm not sure if #16 tee is the highest, but it's more like the back corner, and the only water feature on the course, in assumably the lowest spot on the property, so that may account for while you feel like it's the highest point. Beautiful par 3.....don't be right or long.

Slag,

The fairways are actually bermudagrass.....great grass for hot NorCal summers. They're just dormant right now but PURE.....very tight and firm and fast....great to play off of. The super made a great choice in not trying to overseed. The rough is bluegrass/ryegrass blend I do believe. While I do like the contrast and different look of the grasses at this time of the year, sometimes it can be on the verge of distracting when trying to pick out course features (can you find the green in the second picture of #8?). If you want to see what the course will look like come summer, check out the cover of the Winter? issue of NCGA magazine if you can find it. Still a very cool contrasting look.

The bunkers on 13 could probably be a bit closer to the fairway but they serve to catch balls from running off into the super thick stuff left and a big dropoff right.

I'm sure the cost of concrete cart paths vary widely, but all I can speak to is that a higher end private course I worked for previously in the Bay Area redid all of theirs for right around $2 million. But those were NICE.....with curbing, drainage and plenty of width.

[Joe Bentham]

Is it walkable??

[JSPayne]

Sorry Joe....forgot that question.

Unfortunately, I would have to say no. We didn't try, but I do recall at least a couple lengthy paths from green to tee.

[John Moore II]

I quite like the idea of not overseeding the fairway but overseeding the rough, if that is indeed what happened. It makes for great contrast. That is quite striking to see such contrast in colors on the course.

[Joe Bentham]

The paths look way out of place which is why I was curious about the walk.

[Norbert P]

From the website . . ." It is the only course on the West Coast endorsed by two-time major championship winner John Daly, one of the biggest names in golf. Daly lent more than his name to the course. His input towards the design and development of Sevillano Links ensures a golfing experience unparalleled anywhere."              www.sevillanolinks.com

 Now I HAVE to play it.

Has anybody played it as all par 5's ?   

[Joe Bentham]

Didn't know this was THE par 5 course.  Of course it isn't walkable.  What a bad idea, kinda like all of JD's weddings!

[Rich Goodale]

This place has King's Putter written all over it.  Earth to Getka and Huckaby--start planning for next year!

[BCrosby]

I must have missed the memo. Who designed the course, where is it, how long has it been open for play? Is it worth a trip?

Bob

[Neal_Meagher]

The golf course was designed and built in the field by Mike Stark of Eugene, Oregon.  John Daly set foot on the property TWICE.  Once upon completion of all shaping while the course was growing in and once at the grand opening.  So, I would say endorse may be the operative word.

But, to say that he had any input to the design and development as the web site gushes, would be inaccurate.  Maybe we should have a Barry Bonds rule in golf design, whereby there are asterisks on the scorecards that denote who really did what in the design of a course vs. those who merely "endorsed".

Grip it and rip it..............

[Kyle Henderson]

Has anybody played it as all par 5's ?   

The NCGA is hosting an all par 5 tourney there in September... 

[Norbert P]

A Par 90 course.  Eureka! Perhaps if I play really well on the standard format I can tell the world that I shot par on a course once.   

Of course there's the old adage about the guy who never shot higher than par . . . but always walked in after 12 or so holes. 

[Scott Weersing]

I guess there is place for a par 90 course. But where do you aim? Who does this course cater to?

There are no features. I would almost wish there were some electrical towers or cell phone towers to aim at.

Are the greens interesting?

If not, I would rather play Doak's Riverfront course because the greens are interesting.

[Matt_Cohn]

Anybody think some of the pictures look like Muirfield?

[JSPayne]

To answer a few questions and comments.....

Slag,

The par 5 course is not yet completed. If you look carefully while there (not in my pictures....it was sometimes hard to tell where I should take a picture from for those holes) you can see where they have staked out some of the areas for the tees. Also, some of the "landing zone" fairway sections have been partially established on the par 3s. I may have to seriously check into the NCGA event for the sheer novelty, but I can tell you right now.....the par 5 course will KICK YOUR BUTT. Serious target golf, and guaranteed to be a long day of golf....but that's to be expected right?

Scott,

You're absolutely right....there's not much to aim at. That's one BIG aspect of the design I noticed is the absolute loss of sense of scale. Some of the distances were very hard to determine (I'm glad I bought the yardage book....even though I typically don't like to use them much). However, for the return player, I can see this aspect, while frusterating the first time you play, a rather fun aspect. I would guess that the more you play the course, the more familiar you become with the naunces and distances....an philosophy that I believe many excellent courses have in common....you get a different experience every time you play.

Also....the greens are indeed interesting. Alot of movement, firm, fast....but perhaps the best part is the surrounds are fantastic. There's ALOT of short grass, yeilding a wide variety of short game options. You really have to think. Heck, on one hole I putted to within 3 feet from 15 yards short of the green. I like it when I can opt for the putter instead of the chipper from off the green.

And to everyone who checks out this post, I encourage you to look beyond the novelty of the par 5 course. It is indeed what first attracted my attention, but I think that if you visit the course, you will find that it stands out just fine on its own merit as a "regular" par 72 course. Just please....I'll repeat it again.....play the RIGHT TEES if you really want to enjoy yourself. Too much machismo trying to play the John Daly tees will just lead to a very frusterating round....unless you're a scratch golfer.

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