Best New Courses - Sort of - 2011

[Anthony Gray]

Steve, Thanks for posting this.

I just went to see the pix and the very first one, makes me NOT want to continue.
 


The caption reads;

For pure risk and reward, Firekeeper in Kansas has plenty of alternate routes and options to encourage even average golfers to think strategically.

For such a short sentence, I found at least 3 things I take umbrage. Showing a tree lined hole and taking about options seems odd. Then I realize they are not only wrong about average golfers, but, are insulting us. And finally, Pure Risk Reward...What the hell is that?

  Very bold statements Adam. Shouldn't you give it a try before you critsize it? That picture looks pretty cool to me.

  Anthony

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sort of an interesting design dilemma, I guess.  On a site 1/3 each of farm, prairie and scrub, and mature woods, are we so dogmatic that we take out the trees on the wooded holes for width, or do those 5-6 holes (with this one being a par 3) go narrower for variety of play value?

Obviously, working for the Prairie Band, who revere nature, it would be harder to explain to them why I was taking down their beautiful trees for width than even explaining to golfclubatlas.com why I didn't take them down!

BTW, I had no trouble making holes 8, 9, 11, 13 (the one above) and 14 narrower than the rest for contrast just on golf design philosophy alone.  11 is still pretty wide for being in the woods, too!  14 is narrow and those are the two par fives on the back nine where most of the big trees are, purposely done so each plays different.  11 is reachable and 15 probably is not, so a three shotter where two shots must thread the needle for absolute control is a nice change of pace here.

Just my thoughts, other than its nice to be in the top 4 out of 12 or 15, given it is an average midwest site, and built on  a pretty low budget to make it affordble for a casino course.  Also, we didn't shoot for extreme difficulty, knowing that the PGA Tour wasn't showing up (except for the NB3 challenge some day)

To me, that is the takeaway - that you can have a pretty fine course under those conditions.....providing you hire a reasonably talented designer!

[Bill McKinley]

Aidan,

Great pics.  Anything on Kauai is worth a look, because you get to go to Kauai to look at it!! What an amazing place, golf course looks quite pure too.

[Jay Flemma]

There weren't many last year either.  That's how Shining Rock go into the top 10 for last year...there were, what, 15 courses that opened?  If that?

[Steve Okula]

The maintenance there in Hawaii looks frickin' awesome. I'd like to know what it costs for such immaculate conditions. And is that Paspalum?

[Joe_Tucholski]

  Very bold statements Adam. Shouldn't you give it a try before you critsize it? That picture looks pretty cool to me.

  Anthony

What I took Adams statement to mean is GD did a poor job selecting the photo for the caption.  If you go to the course website I think the photo GD selected to be paired with the caption is the one I would have selected last.  The photo they selected does not really show "alternate routes and options."  The other photos on the course website would have been more appropriate representations of the caption.

[CJ Carder]

Kukuiula is worth a look IMHO............

Aidan, I'm pretty sure your pictures could make anyplace "worth a look."  Hell, probably most of them look better in the picture than in real life.  Thanks!