Interview on the Internet with Gil HanseGCA Attendees: What was the mandate from the County and manager Highlands Golf? A longer, more challenging course, etc.?
Gil Hanse:The mandate was to upgrade the facility to make it more attractive to regional golfers. It had always been popular with local golfers and the County wanted to expand its base and bring in golfers from around Southern California. I think they viewed the success we had at Rustic and hoped to duplicate it on a slightly lower level. Although I must say that first and foremost the impetus for the project came from the flood damage. They knew that they needed to shut down to repair the damage and we were able to convince them that we could upgrade the facility at the same time.
Trees.
GCA Attendees:How many did you take out? Did you remove more than you wanted or would you like to take out more?
Gil Hanse:I think we took out around 250 trees, and yes we would have liked to take out some more of the non-native species.
The bunkers are edged with Kikuyu sod.
GCA Attendees:Are the bunkers built to resemble any other architect’s work? Did Jim Wagner build all? If not, who built the others and which ones?
Gil Hanse:We had hoped to do a bunker that would be a cross between George Thomas, and some of the “collapsed” bunker edges that we like to build. With Kikuyu being the predominant grass in the surrounds we thought it would help blend in better. The bunker construction was a process where I would start the shaping with the dozer, Jim would take it to the next level with the excavator and Jim led the crew to finish the handwork.
GCA Attendees:So Jim is primarily responsible for the bunker work. Who designed and built each green?
Gil Hanse:This process varied depending on how much earth needed to be moved. We had a shaper who would “bulk” out the big earth movement, and then I would shape the green with input from Jim. The crew put the green back together and then Jim, Matt Staffieri (our project manager) or I would float out the final contours.
GCA Attendees:The thinking about the change in the routing from the original design, were you restricted in keeping the existing fairways for any reasons other than economics?
Gil Hanse:The main change in the routing was our desire to get the finish away from the road. We thought that this area was the least desirable on the property both from an aesthetic and a topographical standpoint, so we wanted to get it out of the way with the two starting holes in this area. Once we were able to change the start and finish of the course with other holes just fell into place. The economics of the project did play a role in the scale of the changes we were able to make on the fairways, but we also believe that there were some good holes on the course that we wanted to keep in the routing.
GCA Attendees:Did you ever consider a change in the make-up of the current 17th and 18th holes so that the 18th would not end on a lay-up par 4 with a reverse cambered fairway?
Gil Hanse:No, we felt like the least desirable piece of the property was the original 17th and 18th (today’s 1 and 2) and we wanted to get away from the road at the finish. As a result it made sense to finish on the old 9th hole, which is admittedly not the strongest hole on the course, but we feel that it completes a better finishing sequence to the course. As a side note, in looking at a lot of the older courses in the Northeast it is amazing to me how many reverse cambered fairways there are especially on Ross courses. I am not a big fan of them but they do not seem to be taboo on these older courses.
GCA Attendees:Some bunkers have been filled in on 4, 6 (pot), 9 and 10. Was this a Hanse Design decision? Were you consulted?
Gil Hanse:No it was not our decision, nor were we consulted.
GCA Attendees:What kind of bent grass was used for the greens?
Gil Hanse:Several varieties, similar in nature to what we used at Rustic. I think it was L-93, SR-1020 and 1021 (dominant blend), and maybe some Crenshaw.
GCA Attendees:Any changes you saw and desired to make but were unable to due to budget or other restrictions?
Gil Hanse:Not really any that I can think of, we may have been more aggressive with the fairway bunkering, just so that more of them could be removed!
GCA Attendees:Finally, can you convey what some of the costs were involved in the process?
Gil Hanse:A. Irrigation $1.25 million
B. Bridge work $500,000
C. Course renovation $1.1 million
Thanks Gil, Jim & Matt. We had a great time! (Questions submitted by Lynn Shackelford)