Photos of Blue Ridge Golf & River Club - by Axland & Proctor (Bunker Hill Boys)

[Scott_Burroughs]

The creators of Wild Horse in Nebraska have another design that's nearing opening (as far as I can tell), Blue Ridge Golf & River Club, in
 Blue Ridge, GA, 90 miles north of Atlanta.  The delayed course's web site says the course is to open in Fall 2009, but based on the
construction progress photos below (leaves turning - so recent pics & turf not ready, no sand in bunkers), I'm guessing they haven't opened
yet (maybe in the Spring?).


http://www.brgrc.com/golf-course.htm

The photos can be seen here:

http://www.brgrc.com/gallery-of-progress.htm

And here:

[Jud_T]

Market Timing- The use of economic factors, such as strength of the economy and interest rates, as well as technical factors, such as the direction of stock prices and trading volume, in the decision making process of what and when to buy or sell 

[RJ_Daley]

Wow!  I can't believe it has been 2 full years since the D.C. at Longshadow-Athens, that I visited ramrod Paul Hermsmeyer on that site.  There was a significant amount of work done back then, but obviously a long way to go to accomplish what is seen in the photos now.  I would say that this is one project that took an inordinate amount of perserverance and grit to get this project done in this environment.  The Bunkerhill boys and Paul are just the fellows with that sort of toughness and determination.  The setting is really beautiful and I was happy to see it that fall with all the color and ruggedness of the area.  It sure wasn't my preconception of Georgia.  The styling of the course is very much that great look that Bunkerhill and that whole school of C&C lineage achieves.  I sure hope this is a success for the developers, because I suspect they really had to gut this one out in these tough times.  I thing it took a rawbone tough crew like Dave and Dan and Paul to get this done, and I wonder how it would have gone with a team that may not have the same inherent toughness.

[Jim_Kennedy]

I wonder if the standard surround-the-golf-course-with-housing model is going to keep attracting people, especially when you have to spend upwards of 250K for a building lot.

http://www.buyblueridgerealestate.com/pdf/blue-ridge-golf-master-plan.pdf

[Greg Krueger]

Wow, they sure used alot of sod!!

[RJ_Daley]

Jim, I didn't know there was that much money left in the world to fund 267 building lots (as depicted) and 49 golf casitas (as dreamt up) for that kind of dough! 

It looks to me like the land planners went a little nuts with the block drawing CAD design inserts of those casitas on the concept plan around hole 18. 

I'd have to think with the severe slopes within this property, that sod is the only way they could establish a turf sward. 

[Norbert P]

Peachy keeno !

Do I see multitudes of double greens?

  Congrats to all involved, especially in these lean times.  Looking very interesting.

[Jim_Kennedy]

It looks to me like the land planners went a little nuts with the block drawing CAD design inserts of those casitas on the concept plan around hole 18. - RJDaley

Yes, only to be rivaled by the claustrophobia inducing holes #3, 11, 12, 13, & 17.  Once again, a nice looking effort that will eventually be despoiled by housing. 

[Adam Clayman]

Clayey soil was also responsible for some of the delay in construction. But, nowhere near as much as other factors. Impressive sticktoitiveness on part of the good guys. WTG gentlemen.

[Ryan Farrow]

I wonder if the standard surround-the-golf-course-with-housing model is going to keep attracting people, especially when you have to spend upwards of 250K for a building lot.

http://www.buyblueridgerealestate.com/pdf/blue-ridge-golf-master-plan.pdf

Jim, who do you think would invest in a golf course, without a residential component? If its not a destination type piece of land, what do you actually expect to be developed? I'm not advocating single loaded, residential crammed golf courses, but you guys need to be reasonable here, the investors are trying to MAKE MONEY, without them, there would be no golf course, period!

[Jim_Kennedy]

I wonder if the standard surround-the-golf-course-with-housing model is going to keep attracting people, especially when you have to spend upwards of 250K for a building lot.

http://www.buyblueridgerealestate.com/pdf/blue-ridge-golf-master-plan.pdf

Jim, who do you think would invest in a golf course, without a residential component? If its not a destination type piece of land, what do you actually expect to be developed? I'm not advocating single loaded, residential crammed golf courses, but you guys need to be reasonable here, the investors are trying to MAKE MONEY, without them, there would be no golf course, period!

Ryan,
Read what I wrote and don't read more into it. The technique of surrounding a golf course with homesites, to the point of creating claustrophobic corridors of play, is a model that should be abandoned, IMO.

Land planning' has so effectively compromised the process that GCA takes a back seat to the pimping out of as many building lots as can be had. You might say that the investors force such an approach, but I think most projects could still achieve the same outcome for them if the planners weren't uncreative or lazy and looked at other ways to fit housing/golf together.

[Norbert P]

There's plenty of great work going on there and it should be mentioned that much of the credit should go to Jack Dredla, who's worked for Dan and Dave since the Bayside GC project.  (Also the mysterious and enigmatic hidden hidden gem Pelican Beach in the sandhills of Nebraska.) 

[Scott_Burroughs]

I have heard that the club's updated plans include opening 9 holes in May of next year and the rest of the course in the Fall.

[Jay Carstens]

Also the mysterious and enigmatic hidden hidden gem Pelican Beach in the sandhills of Nebraska. 

Mr. Bandoon,
Can you possibly tell us anything more about PB and it's design history?  I just about whiplashed myself driving by there one day.
Jay

[RJ_Daley]

Also, we shouldn't forget that much of this project was going forward during an epic drought.  Fully two years ago when I visited there, they had to abandon areas that they were trying to grow in due to lack of water.  Then, when they could get water to the clay baked soil... the ground was so impermeable that the seeds couldn't take hold and washed away.  

Norby, "Pelican Beach"?  That's a new one on me.  Do you mean that little 3 hole layout on that single lane road between Hwy 83 and 97?  I suppose you have to have a secret handshake and decoder ring to know about that one?  

[Adam Clayman]

I wonder if the standard surround-the-golf-course-with-housing model is going to keep attracting people, especially when you have to spend upwards of 250K for a building lot.

http://www.buyblueridgerealestate.com/pdf/blue-ridge-golf-master-plan.pdf

Jim, who do you think would invest in a golf course, without a residential component? If its not a destination type piece of land, what do you actually expect to be developed? I'm not advocating single loaded, residential crammed golf courses, but you guys need to be reasonable here, the investors are trying to MAKE MONEY, without them, there would be no golf course, period!

I've harped on this mindset for years.

Ryan, if the recent chain of economic events hasn't convinced anyone that the only ones who should be building golf courses are the ones wh have deep deep pockets and have a LOVE for the sport.

Those who want to make money off golf, have not bothered to learn the lessons the game teaches and rightly deserve to go belly up.

Banks loaning money to the tune of tens of millions of dollars also deserve to lose the majority of their asses too. Why? Because there are people out there who can, and do, build quality designs for fractions of the typical 25 million dollar project. 

[Norbert P]

From a website . . .

"Hyannis, Nebraska Golf Courses
Playing golf in the friendly city of Hyannis, NE can be exciting. Hyannis has 1 course to choose from. The local time zone is Mountain Time and daylight savings time is observed. The total population is 447 which means there are approximately 45 golfers. The average household income in Hyannis is $31,786 with an average of 2.50 people per household. If you want to buy a home in Hyannis expect to pay around $35,400. For a home on a golf course expect to pay around $46,020. When you play golf in Hyannis you will be teeing-off at about 3,738 feet above sea level."


      Pelican Beach info . . .
http://www.golfnow.com/course-directory/nebraska-golf-courses/hyannis-golf-courses/pelican-beach-golf-club

[Tony Ristola]

Just curious what became of this project. Checked their website and it seems to have photos from grow-in.