Ogilvy Clayton redesign of Bonnie Doon GC: NEW CONSTRUCTION VIDEO

[Scott Warren]

That's right Dieter, the holes you mention have been updated, as well as the old 8th hole.

So we now have 21 separate holes. If you returned the old 11th to the par 4 + par 3 it has been played as during the redesign rather than the par 5 it was designed as (and will now return to), that's 22.

And yes, going forward the club plans to keep the course at 18 holes and have Ogilvy Clayton redesign about three holes at a time. Though I know I am not the only member -- there are many, if my experiences are anything to go by -- who would happily return to a reduced course for a future period of time if it meant the redesign were completed sooner.

[Scott Warren]

Entirely by accident, I find I have returned to this thread after exactly a year.

We're now anticipating the beginning of Stage 2 this (southern) winter, while the Stage 1 holes continue to grow in and mature and provide great enjoyment to the members.

I am sure that maturation process will be benefited by having Mike, Mike and Ashley back on site and also through the efforts of the new Superintendent, Justin Bradbury, who joins us this week after serving as Assistant Super at Congressional outside Wash. DC and Scarsdale GC in Westchester Co., NY.

The fescue roughs and heathy plants have struggled to grow in as well as the tees, fairways and greens, and although that at least means the primary playing surfaces have been good, the completeness of the strategy and aesthetics is very much dependent on those roughs blossoming and becoming healthy.

For those not familiar with the initial work, Stage 1 is shown in pictures here.

Stage 2 will see two very old short par fours revamped and a par three from the aborted Ross Watson redesign of about 10-12 years ago also changed.

The two short fours - the 8th and 16th (old 6th and 7th) - have the potential to be two of the best holes on the course. Currently they are both choked by trees, devoid of options and awkward to play and by year's end we hope, and believe with some confidence, that they will be two of the best short fours in Sydney.

[Scott Warren]

Stage 2 underway. Loving the tree removal!

Here's the 16th



And this is the 8th
Full size: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSQFl5_CYAAQDkG.jpg:large

[Brett_Morrissy]

Scott, what is the tower in the distance in 16, has it been removed since 'before' shot taken?

Is this the hole that is going to have all the bunkers in the corner, and lots of room left, with a left greenside trap?

[Scott Warren]

Hi Brett,

That's a tower over at Port Botany. Still there as far as I know.

Yes, that's the hole you describe. here's how it has been envisioned:

[Brett_Morrissy]

Thanks Scottie, what are the yardages and is the approach shot(s) reasonably level or is it uphill...the back trap is going to hurt!

Q: Do you have a lot of higher markers that use forward tees and if so, how well has this group been catered for?

[Scott Warren]

Brett,

On 16, you're looking at 300m as the crow flies, from back tee to the green. The drop in elevation is about 30 feet from tee to green.

The hole drops about 30 feet from tee to where you see the machinery and dirt piles in the "after" picture (about a 170m shot), then it climbs about 4-6ft through the centre and LHS over the next 20m, then drops again between there (100m out) and the green.

The way that bunkering is set in the diagram above, there's a drive bunker for almost everyone, and at each respective drive length, being near the bunker is better than steering away from it.

I also look at the furthest drive bunker that will challenge longer hitters tee and see that for the shortest hitters that will add challenge and interest to their second shot.

Those same players might not be able to carry the shortest bunker from the tee, but they will certainly want to get as close to it as possible to make clearing the furthest bunker easier on their second shot.

[Brett_Morrissy]

I like it a lot - Mona Lisa's face? can you tell us something about the green and surrounds?

[Ben Stephens]

Scott,

I can help thinking that the new 16th at BD is the mirror image version of the 14th at Ganton.

Mike Cocking is one of the best sketchers of drawing golf holes in the world. Its so neat and clear.


Cheers
Ben

[Scott Warren]

Brett,

No word yet on the green, aside from that it will reward an approach from the RHS handsomely,  and make the coward who bailed left earn his par.

[Mike_Cocking]

Scott,

All three of us were on site yesterday and today - shaping of the 8th has been our priority and it's going well.  Bunkers have moved a little from the original plan but the essence is still much the same.  Split level fairway with a big reward (visibility and angle) for playing up the right.  We've got a few options for 16 and we're not 100% sure which way it will go - whether one large bunker dominates the corner or a scattering but either way the green will still be much the same - shallow and angled to favor play from the right.  It probably won't be very big either.

For those that are interested we just put together a time-lapse of one of the holes completed in stage 1 on our website - the 9th.  It's a good way of showing how the progressed over the last couple of years.  The link is www.ogilvyclayton.com/bonnie-doon-before-and-after-hole-9/

Mike

[Scott Warren]

Here's Mike Cocking's drawing of what's planned for the 8th hole (see above for a pic from the tee - it climbs slightly from tee to DZ and fairly steeply from DZ to green).

"I should point out we decided against the first bunker on the right in the end. The rest is still accurate."

Mike - what sort of distance from the back tee is the central drive bunker?

There's a lot of the 3rd at Barnbougle Dunes in this hole, aside from the elevation change.

[Sean_A]

I watched the video of #9.  The thing I like best about the work is that lone tree was left be.  Its a perfect example of how trees should be presented on a golf course.

Ciao

[Mike_Cocking]

Scott,

The carry on the bunker is probably about 220m played a little uphill but it's largely irrelevant as anything that carries it will finish down the bottom.  Its more about trying to thread your drive between the vegetation on the right and the ridge which is about 20 or 25 metres than trying to carry the bunker.

The carry to the top level is about 190m (off the back) so within the reach for most to make the decision off the tee.

Green side bunkers are bigger than shown on the sketch but still in roughly the same spot.  The hole would actually work well without any bunkers - with the big drop off on the left of the green penalty enough for being on this side of the fairway, but the bunkers look good and actually help stop balls running 60 metres off the green.  

We talked about 3 at barnbougle to help the club understand the idea of a ridge through the middle of the fairway but this one is much bigger and the strategy off the tee is probably more like the shot off 15 at  than 3 - threading a tee shot between the marram on the right and the central bunker at barnbougle being of a similar difficulty and each hole with a significant reward threading a shot up the right.

Mike.

[Scott Warren]

Sean, the tree on the right about 100m out? It's a great feature.

Mike, thanks for that summary. I was thinking more about how far away it would be for running a ball between it and the RHS moreso than carrying it. It's going to be a tough drive still to hit it up the RHS.

I'm hoping to come out for a proper walk around in a couple of weeks.

[Sean_A]

Yes, its quite an attractive tree in an Aussie sort of way .  I can image it as a perfect refuge from hot sun while some poor soul thrashes away in the sand.

Ciao

[Scott Warren]

It's also a handy reference point for placing your lay-up if you hit your drive to the right.

[Brian Stewart]

That really looks awesome Scott.  I'll make my day back one day to play the finished product.

[Scott Warren]

Brian, I'll look forward to that. Hope all's well back in the US.

---

Just saw this awesome picture, taken from Mike Clayton's private jet!

[Scott Warren]

The new par three 11th - the hole of the current trio underway that we were probably least excited about before work began - is looking fantastic. Falls nice and naturally off the hillside, where the hole it replaces was over-engineered and fought the lay of the land.

Plays about 175m (192 yards) from the back. Winds tend to be dead behind or into you, so it will vary between a fairway wood and a short iron and rarely play exactly what the number says.

LHS and rear bunkers are greenside. The RHS bunker is short of the green, so you can play a little draw over it and run it down the hill onto the green.

Green is fairly subtle, with a little shelf middle right that will be tough to access.

Full size: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1397679_598103356891754_1224247601_o.jpg


The drive at the short (280m or so as the crow flies) par four 16th, cavernous drive bunker around which the hole turns slightly to the right. Green bunkered left and angled to reward a drive over the bunker.

Full size: https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/883742_598103296891760_1660316307_o.jpg

[Mark Saltzman]

Scott,

Is the course staying open throughout the process?  Are holes being taken out of play?

What should be open in February? 

[Scott Warren]

Mark,

Course is open, playing 18 holes. Seven holes from stage 1 and the remainder are "old" holes.

Situation will be the same in Feb when you visit. These new holes will be growing in then, for an April opening.

[Mark Saltzman]

The 7 new holes are pretty spectacular... Awfully hard to pick a favourite and all appealing to the GCA mantras of width, strategy and fun.

I believe this is the 10th, a 430m par-4 that plays parallel to the 440m par-5 9th.  Par for the two holes is 9 though the par for each hole will vary with the wind:




The versatile par-5 14th with a diagonal sand ridge to be carried from the championship tee:




And a spectacular boomerang green!




The 125m 15th and its wild green:




The green at the downhill 170m yard par-3 13th, where much of the green is blind from the tee.  Easily the most controversial of the new holes:




Tempting downhill par-4 12th, about 290m from the championship tee:






The 18th now stretches to 440m and the principal's nose bunker complex 40m short of the green will wreak havoc on scores:

[David_Elvins]

Nice photos, Scott.  10, 18 and 14 my favorites.

[Scott Warren]

Thanks for the pics, Mark. It was a great afternoon for photos as the sun got low!

Gladly we have had some good rainfall since you left town, which is helping the grow-in of the new holes.

Work continues on the Stage 1 holes, too, with some extra fairway width here and there, the chipping area right of the 9th green softened so fewer balls run into the garbage and also a general cleaning up of that waste sand area short right of the 10th green.

The major shortfall of Stage 1 is still the rough areas, but they are coming along slowly and showing some improvement.