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Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Porcupine Creek Aerials
« on: January 03, 2009, 07:01:03 PM »
While I was doing some hiking behind Stone Eagle the other day I decided to take some pictures of Porcupine Creek.  This is a privately owned golf course by Edra Blixseth, formerly used to be Tim Blixseths own golf course whenever he was in the desert, but a divorce happened and now it is Edras course.  I know many people out in the desert and it is almost impossible to get on this course.  You must know the Blixseths personally, or play in one of their rare outings.  I do know a couple caddies to have worked over there, but never have played.  I have heard that it is always in pristine shape, which is expected out here in the desert, but was wondering how it plays.  I will post some of the aerials I took of the golf course.  If anyone has played here please chime in, I would love to hear some opinions.

Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2009, 07:04:25 PM »
Here are some more


Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2009, 07:10:25 PM »
=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/3164959282_8cd5e0d514.jpg?v=0
=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3164959268_b3a1af95eb.jpg?v=0


Sorry if this is not working I am having trouble posting these pictures

Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2009, 07:18:20 PM »
=img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3164959268_b3a1af95eb.jpg?v=0]
=img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/3164959282_8cd5e0d514.jpg?v=0]


If this does not work I'm giving up for now and I will try later

John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2009, 07:47:04 PM »




Sorry if this is not working I am having trouble posting these pictures

Let's see if this works.

Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2009, 07:55:59 PM »
John if you don't mind me asking, how did you do that?

John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2009, 09:37:17 PM »
Check your instant messages.  I sent you an answer offline.

JK

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2009, 09:54:24 PM »
What's up with that donut bunker?

Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2009, 02:41:45 PM »
=[img]http://s485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/pferlicca/?action=tageditmany[img]

Bill that is a bunker on the driving range.  When I look down at the course I try to figure out the bunker placement on the holes and they look as if he just put then wherever.  Tim Blixseth designed the course, and I'm pretty sure it is the only one he has done.  It is supposed to have 3 different set of golf holes, 6 tropical, 6 forest, and 6 desert, something like that I'm not sure.  By the amount of responses though I'm guessing no one has played it.

Matt_Ward

Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2009, 02:43:11 PM »
The best part about Porcupine Creek is knowing where the club entrance is.

Mark Bourgeois

Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2009, 02:52:46 PM »
The best part about Porcupine Creek is knowing where the club entrance is.

The place goes downhill from there, does it?

Bill, so much for thinking it was homage to the bunker on 10 at Turnberry Ailsa.

Mark

Matt_Ward

Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #12 on: January 05, 2009, 12:07:44 PM »
Mark B:

My comment was not about the course's quality -- but just the physical logistics in finding the club's entrance. Very tough to find unless you really know the area.

David Botimer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #13 on: January 05, 2009, 02:38:09 PM »
Porcupine Creek is the polar opposite of Stone Eagle - Stone Eagle being a minimalist course in a sea of excess.  Porcupine Creek is NOTHING BUT excess.  The story told me was Blixseth purchased, or had access to 3 nurseries and emptied their inventory on this land.  Their is rarely a moment on the course when you see other holes, the holes being separated by an absolute jungle of trees.  Estimates I've heard on cost of construction ranged from $50M-$110M.

The course does have quite a bit of character with some memorable holes (the downhill - as in 100-plus foot drop - par 3 on the back nine being one), but does not play like a championship course as it is VERY short, it's only defense being small greens protected by sand, water, etc.  This seemed appropriate given the majority of play on it is charitable outings filled with non-golfers and high-handicappers.

The course is in remarkable condition, exactly what you'd expect from one with annual rounds numbered in the hundreds.

I received an interesting observation from Mike Keiser when asking him if he'd played it.  He had, and remarked, "I don't like playing a course where I can get hurt", referring to the 5th hole, a short (130ish yards) downhill par 3 with bunkers all around, and the front bunker including a rock wall.   Huh?  A green-side sand shot straight at a rock wall?  It's true.  And that leads to another story about it's building.  Legend has it that when Blixseth was still married to Edra, he'd make note of spots on the course Edra regularly played to, and then place a bunker in that spot.  Might explain the end of their marriage  :-\.  Needless to say, there is a fair amount of sand, in addition to the jungle of trees.

Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Porcupine Creek Aerials
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2009, 03:33:54 PM »
David
That is funny you say that about him putting bunkers in spots Edra would hit it, because when I look down at the course it looks like the bunkers are in really weird positions that really doesn't play into strategy of the hole. 

Peter F