Sneak preview of an exciting new course

[paul cowley]

HenryE and the esteemed Mr Richardson:

I  appreciate your interesting comments and ideas, but many of our sand problems will be going away in the future when the area of drifting sand coming our way will become fixed in place by the construction of various 4 and 5 story wind buffering structures....accompanied by horizontal surface additions that will seal and cap much of these sand areas. I also understand that some large water filled basins will be Incorporated as well!

[Greg Tallman]

Señor Cowley,

Taking another panelist out to Diamante sometime this weekend. Has everything been grassed? Anything in particular you suggest looking at closely?

Please tell Davis and Mark that they can put me on the payroll at any time and I accept pesos!

[Bill_McBride]

Paul — Looks very cool. I suggest you immediately purchase several miles of sand fence! I speak from experience. Tidal dunes are very recent — maybe only a few thousand years. Wind blows. It moves sand! 

Forrest, one thing I really liked at Las Palomas was the railroad tie bunker walls, obviously there to keep sand from blowing out as much as possible.  The one behind #4 is particularly cool.  Check it out:

[paul cowley]

I will definately check it out....almost did about two years ago.....especially as both our courses are in the same neighborhood....but just about 800 miles apart.

[Greg Tallman]

I will definately check it out....almost did about two years ago.....especially as both our courses are in the same neighborhood....but just about 800 miles apart.

Paul, please see my question above.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Paul, your wall-to-wall Paspalum comment is interesting. Sounds like the camouflage of fescue fairways, collars, and greens, where it's hard to tell where the fairway ends and the green begins.  This is a very distinctive feature of Barnbougle Dunes.

Paul and Greg, can you talk more about the playing characteristics of Paspalum being used down there?  Greg, are you using it on any of your projects?  Does it yield ball marks on greens, how do tee and approach shots react on it, that sort of thing?

Thanks!
Mark

PS Good comments on Nicklaus's designs in Cabo by George Peper in the latest Links Mag...

[Richard Boult]

added as our first Mexico Photo Tour at:

http://delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Mexico

[Greg Tallman]

BTW, got a good routing tour of the course next to Diamante this weekend.
May not be as pure of a golf experience but will have 4 or 5 of the most photographed holes built ANYWHERE in the next decade.

Paul the added grass on 17 is a huge improvement.

[Greg Tallman]

sorry GREG....I've fixed it.
It was four in the morning though.....

Fortunately for me the Cantina shuts down LOOOOONG before 4:00 or I may have responded sooner. You hearing much about the site adjacent to Diamante? Cristobal... rumor is Norman around here.

Hate to answer my own question but not Norman but under the current ownership/master plan David Kidd is slated to do the course immediately to the north of Diamante.

BTW not the same course as noted in the post immediately preceding this one. That will be a Nicklaus course under the direction of Señor Lipe. Special stuff.

[Nick Church]

Any grown in updates?  I've never been to Mexico, but this course & commentary may provide the necessary motivation to risk Montezuma's Revenge.

[cary lichtenstein]

Looks great, thanks for sharing

[paul cowley]

Nick, cary.....I wish I could give you an update, but I haven't been to the site since August....right about the time of this thread.

Lehman Bros was the lender and the plug was pulled about that same time.

I understand new funding has been arranged, and I might be getting back to finish in Feb/March.

But.....these times are strange. I'll let you know soon after my feet feel touch Mex dirt once again.

[Ian Andrew]

Paul,

I'm very bummed about the last post and I feel for you on this one.

The course looked really interesting - possibly the site of a lifetime - and I imagine you were pretty excited with it being so close to being ready for play.

I sincerly hope everything comes together real soon so you can get this one open.

Regards,

Ian

[TEPaul]

Paul:

I can't imagine how I completely missed this entire thread but I sure did (even though I did get those few photos from you some months ago). I know how much you've raved about this site and its possibilities and I can definitely see why.

This whole issue of the massive sand areas really fascinates me. It looks something like Cypress in the beginning but with far more surrounding sand area. You know what they say about not screwing around with Mother Nature----eg that site looks like that adage in spades. What an amazing look though!

Also, I've got to say, I can't imagine that any Golden Age era course ever done in an environment like that  had anything over what you guys have done there!

[Lester George]

Paul,

Great looking stuff!

Lester

[paul cowley]

Thanks guys.

When finished the course should be quite special........hell, the sites already quite special without a golf course!