[Gary_K]

Hello Charlie,

Just wanted to say thanks again for taking the time to put this contest together.  It was a real challenge and a treat to participate.

I tried to post my individual entry for people to 'Grip It or Rip It' but was unable to reduce the size of the PDF to the point where I could post the image.  Oh well.

Thanks again.

Gary

[Matthew Essig]

This summer, I told Garland that I was an aspiring golf course architect. So, he challenges me to make a golf course just like this contest and put my design on the thread. So, here you go. Let the critiquing begin.



Hole   1   2   3   4   5   6   7*   8   9   Out   
Par   5   4   3   3   4   4   4   4   4   35   
Back   575   425   240   160   470   400   475   450   500   3705   
Middle   500   380   190   140   380   360   420   360   430   3160   
Front   440   310   140   115   270   300   400   290   340   2650   

Hole   10   11   12*   13   14   15   16   17   18   In   Total
Par   5   3   4   4   3   5   4   3   4   35   70
Back   670   220   510   440   170   625   470   180   470   3755   7460
Middle   580   160   440   340   125   525   380   150   410   3110   6270
Front   450   115   400   260   95   430   270   105   360   2485   5090

*Optional par 5's for women

Hole by hole walkthrough/descriptions to come.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 1 - par 5
Back - 575
Middle - 500
Front - 440

On this reachable par 5, tee shots will roll to the right causing players to aim near the intimidating bunker. Approach shots will have to land short of the green due to the green running towards the back-right corner; however, they cannot be too short as bunkers will gobble up your ball. As there is no room for bailout and the green is fairly small, laying up is not a bad choice.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 2 - par 4
Back - 435
Middle - 380
Front - 440

A very straight-forward par 4. A fairway bunker on the right makes players layup short with a 3 wood or challenge it as there is plenty of room left of it. The green is protected by bunkers front left and front right. Balls hit onto the "wings" of the green will try to funnel down towards the bunkers. The front portion slopes right-to-left, away from the front right bunker.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 3 - par 3
Back - 240
Middle - 190
Front - 140

This hole uses qualities of a biarritz. It is heavily guarded on both sides. There is a deep swale in the middle of the green. The general tilt of the green is from left to right.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 4 - par 3
Back - 160
Middle - 140
Front - 115

From the back tee, the left portion of the green is not visible. The error is short as a false-front will funnel the ball about 40 yards away. The green is split down the middle, with the left side, lower, and the right side, higher.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 5 - par 4
Back - 470
Middle - 380
Front - 270

The fairway slopes hard to the left on the right side, making drawers/hookers have to find the middle of the fairway to avoid the bunker. The green slopes from back left to front right, with the front left being a shelf, pushing balls back, right, and forward off the green.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 6 - par 4
Back - 400
Middle - 360
Front - 290



The tee shot is a simple layup over a bunker and at the base of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult. It is a skyline green so you cannot see anything up on top of the hill. The green sits 25+ yards from the front edge of the hill, so only poorly hit approaches will come back down the hill. The green is protected back left by a bunker. A ridge down the middle of the green causes balls on the left-half to slope left, and on the right-half to slope right.

[Garland Bayley]

Matthew has had some time to read this thread after completing his design. I only let him know about it after he finished. From that, I suspect he has noticed that I preferred the designs that used the most interesting land.

For example:



and



In my opinion the best land is near the creek in the top half of the property, the land adjoining that further to the right in the top half of the property, and the land across the depression in the somewhat top left part of the property.

Matthew uses some of this land, but not as extensively as I think he should have like Daryn and Alex did.

[Garland Bayley]

Also, as most of you know, I hate artificial ponds on golf courses. I can't hit a recovery shot while submerged. The PGA was enlightened enough at one time to employ Tilly to remove penal bunkers from courses. I keep wishing for an new age of enlightenment where they employ a quality architect to remove penal ponds from courses.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 1 - par 5
Back - 575
Middle - 500
Front - 440

On this reachable par 5, tee shots will roll to the right causing players to aim near the intimidating bunker. Approach shots will have to land short of the green due to the green running towards the back-right corner; however, they cannot be too short as bunkers will gobble up your ball. As there is no room for bailout and the green is fairly small, laying up is not a bad choice.

Why not widen the fairway to the right and let the two right side fairway bunkers be centerline bunkers? Your narrowing makes me think you are dictating my shots.

[Matthew Essig]

Well, as you know, Garland, my original layout was 36 holes, so I used 1-14, and 18 of my original west course and tried to use some land that was the east course for 15-17. In my new 18 hole routing, I was planning on having a 9 hole par 3 course on the land between 15-17 and the south end to use some more of that land.

And I understand your hatred of penal ponds, but tell that to the judges who gave the blue ribbon to a course with penal ponds.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 1 - par 5
Back - 575
Middle - 500
Front - 440

On this reachable par 5, tee shots will roll to the right causing players to aim near the intimidating bunker. Approach shots will have to land short of the green due to the green running towards the back-right corner; however, they cannot be too short as bunkers will gobble up your ball. As there is no room for bailout and the green is fairly small, laying up is not a bad choice.

Why not widen the fairway to the right and let the two right side fairway bunkers be centerline bunkers? Your narrowing makes me think you are dictating my shots.

How tight is tight? The fairway is almost 30 yards wide between the first bunker and the giant one. To reach the second bunker takes a Bubba rip, or playing from the front tees. Also, it is a par 5. You don't have to attack the bunkers to make a birdie. 

[Garland Bayley]

...

And I understand your hatred of penal ponds, but tell that to the judges who gave the blue ribbon to a course with penal ponds.

If you were to hire an architect to build a course on a property would you hire those guys, or would you hire Tom Doak who has stated an aversion to artificial ponds here? I know who I would hire. Just gotta figure out how I could afford him.

[Matthew Essig]

...

And I understand your hatred of penal ponds, but tell that to the judges who gave the blue ribbon to a course with penal ponds.

If you were to hire an architect to build a course on a property would you hire those guys, or would you hire Tom Doak who has stated an aversion to artificial ponds here? I know who I would hire. Just gotta figure out how I could afford him.

Good point.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 1 - par 5
Back - 575
Middle - 500
Front - 440

On this reachable par 5, tee shots will roll to the right causing players to aim near the intimidating bunker. Approach shots will have to land short of the green due to the green running towards the back-right corner; however, they cannot be too short as bunkers will gobble up your ball. As there is no room for bailout and the green is fairly small, laying up is not a bad choice.

Why not widen the fairway to the right and let the two right side fairway bunkers be centerline bunkers? Your narrowing makes me think you are dictating my shots.

How tight is tight? The fairway is almost 30 yards wide between the first bunker and the giant one. To reach the second bunker takes a Bubba rip, or playing from the front tees. Also, it is a par 5. You don't have to attack the bunkers to make a birdie. 

Are you designing for the 0.001% (Bubba) or for the average golfer? You stated it was reachable in two. From the middle of the front tee, I suspect that you are asking the average golfer to lay up. Why not give him the option off hitting across/beyond what would become centerline bunkers in a 60 yard wide fairway. It's a huge property. There is no reason have narrow fairways unless you can't afford the maintenance, but when such a large property is offered, I suspect the budget is there for wide fairways.

[Peter Pallotta]

Matthew - congratulations, well done. I'm not great at reading topos or imagining golf courses, but one thing I really like is the 3 sets of tees with very bold (and I think perfect) yardages, i.e. the back tees at almost 7400 yards, to scare off all but the most idiot pretenders; the middle tees of about 6200, from where just about everyone I have ever played golf with can enjoy himself (and, to varying degrees, score what he expects to); and forward tees of under 5000 yards.

Peter

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 1 - par 5
Back - 575
Middle - 500
Front - 440

On this reachable par 5, tee shots will roll to the right causing players to aim near the intimidating bunker. Approach shots will have to land short of the green due to the green running towards the back-right corner; however, they cannot be too short as bunkers will gobble up your ball. As there is no room for bailout and the green is fairly small, laying up is not a bad choice.

Why not widen the fairway to the right and let the two right side fairway bunkers be centerline bunkers? Your narrowing makes me think you are dictating my shots.

How tight is tight? The fairway is almost 30 yards wide between the first bunker and the giant one. To reach the second bunker takes a Bubba rip, or playing from the front tees. Also, it is a par 5. You don't have to attack the bunkers to make a birdie. 

Are you designing for the 0.001% (Bubba) or for the average golfer? You stated it was reachable in two. From the middle of the front tee, I suspect that you are asking the average golfer to lay up. Why not give him the option off hitting across/beyond what would become centerline bunkers in a 60 yard wide fairway. It's a huge property. There is no reason have narrow fairways unless you can't afford the maintenance, but when such a large property is offered, I suspect the budget is there for wide fairways.

The average golfer. It would take the equivalent of a Bubba rip for the average golfer to reach the second bunker, that is if it isn't downwind. I guess they could be centerline bunkers.

Thanks Peter.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 2 - par 4
Back - 435
Middle - 380
Front - 440

A very straight-forward par 4. A fairway bunker on the right makes players layup short with a 3 wood or challenge it as there is plenty of room left of it. The green is protected by bunkers front left and front right. Balls hit onto the "wings" of the green will try to funnel down towards the bunkers. The front portion slopes right-to-left, away from the front right bunker.

I see no reason to site a green at this location. Was this just a connector hole?

[Matthew Essig]

Yes, this was the one connector hole on my original west course, although some may say that the biarritz may be a connector also.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 3 - par 3
Back - 240
Middle - 190
Front - 140

This hole uses qualities of a biarritz. It is heavily guarded on both sides. There is a deep swale in the middle of the green. The general tilt of the green is from left to right.

Quite a boring piece of land so spicing it up with a template might be a very good choice, much like Jim and Tom fitted the Road hole to a fairly flat piece of ground at Old MacDonald.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 4 - par 3
Back - 160
Middle - 140
Front - 115

From the back tee, the left portion of the green is not visible. The error is short as a false-front will funnel the ball about 40 yards away. The green is split down the middle, with the left side, lower, and the right side, higher.

I like this Dell Hole concept way better than Whitten's at Erin Hills.

[Garland Bayley]

Hole 5 - par 4
Back - 470
Middle - 380
Front - 270

The fairway slopes hard to the left on the right side, making drawers/hookers have to find the middle of the fairway to avoid the bunker. The green slopes from back left to front right, with the front left being a shelf, pushing balls back, right, and forward off the green.

Can it be widened on the right to make that first hillock of the pair on the right a turbo boost slot from the correct tee placement? Shots that don't make the top of the rise are going to be kicked left, unless too far right and they will be kicked right towards rough. If you choose the turbo boost you are faced with a shorter approach over the bunker. If you choose the more direct path challenging the bunker on the left, you have a clear path to the green. Decisions, decisions!!!

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 5 - par 4
Back - 470
Middle - 380
Front - 270

The fairway slopes hard to the left on the right side, making drawers/hookers have to find the middle of the fairway to avoid the bunker. The green slopes from back left to front right, with the front left being a shelf, pushing balls back, right, and forward off the green.

Can it be widened on the right to make that first hillock of the pair on the right a turbo boost slot from the correct tee placement? Shots that don't make the top of the rise are going to be kicked left, unless too far right and they will be kicked right towards rough. If you choose the turbo boost you are faced with a shorter approach over the bunker. If you choose the more direct path challenging the bunker on the left, you have a clear path to the green. Decisions, decisions!!!

The fairway is covering the topo lines up, but there currently is a speed slot; however, it is probably not as big as you want it.

[Matthew Essig]

Hole 7 - par 4
Back - 475
Middle - 420
Back - 400

*Optional par 5 for women

The bunker is further to carry off the tee the more left a player aims. The green is surrounded by a slight fall-off right, a pot bunker left, a bunker in the rear, and a bunker about 10+ yards in front of the green. The green slopes from back left to front right.

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