CC of Florida (R.B. Harris / Lester George) - A Photo Tour

[Mark Saltzman]

The Routing




A very interesting routing, with an even more interesting sequence of holes.  At no point in the round (other than 9-10) is the golfer ever faced with back-to-back par-4s.

I love the opening stretch of holes.  Each of the first four holes plays in a different direction.


Scorecard Information



Architects:

Robert Bruce Harris (1956)

Arthur Hills (1987)

Lester George (2006)


What I Liked - note, I will keep this to a minimum as I am sure everyone hear would prefer to hear from Lester...

1) Excellent use of water hazards - Like many golf courses in Florida, water is a central feature (in play on 8/18 holes).  But, unlike most golf courses in Florida, it is used in a very strategic manner.  In almost all cases, the water need not be carried, but if you do challenge the water successfully, you will be rewarded.  

2) Strategic Bunkering - There is limited use of bunkers at CCF.  Where a bunker is used, it used to serve a purpose -- no eye-candy here.  Much like the use of the water, challenge the bunkers and you will be rewarded.  Couple this with great mowing lines and you have a very strategic golf course.

3) Elevation Changes - Florida is known for flat golf.  Not so at CCF (though don't expect mountainous terrain).  Many holes have noticeable elevation change and it is used to maximum effect at CCF.


CCF is certainly a golf course that qualifies as a hidden gem!  Enjoy the tour [pictures and yardages from the 6500 yard Osprey tees].


Hole 1: Par 4, 382 Yards




Something of a gentle handshake opener, though playing into the prevailing wind this is not a pushover.  Ideal tee shots will favour the left side of the fairway.  A single bunker 250 yards from the tee keeps the longer hitter honest.  Approaching from the right is very difficult as the green slopes away from that side of the fairway.




Approach from the right side of the fairway.  From here, a portion of the green is hidden by the deep greenside bunkering.




An approach from the left allows the golfer to see the entirety of the putting surface.




Hole 2: Par 5, 497 Yards




A very simple hole if the golfer is willing to play it as a three-shot hole, but the possibility of reaching the green in two will tempt many golfers to cut the corner.




The bunkers that guard the inside of the corner are very deep.  Find these bunkers from the tee and the golfer can do little more than wedge his ball back to the fairway.  But, if the golfer can carry these bunkers from the tee, his ball will find a speed-slot and carom down to the bottom of a valley, leaving well under 200 yards to the green.  Big risk = big reward.




A single bunker 70 yards short of the green creates the interest on the lay-up.  Approaches from the right are ideal, but one must be mindful of this devilish bunker.




One of the tamer greens on the golf course, sloping generally from back-left to front-right, with plenty of room to miss right.




Hole 3: Par 4, 418



There is a tee a couple of steps off the back of the 2nd green that can make this hole a brute, but these pictures are from the 418 yard tee.  There is a ton of room to hit it right off the tee, but like at the 2nd, the golfer is tempted to take the short-cut over the bunkers.




If successful in carrying the bunkers, the golfer is rewarded with this large kicker that will send his ball forward and right, toward the centre of the fairway.




The approach will be played with a mid-iron to hybrid.  Merely hitting the green, however, is not enough as the 3rd green is split in half by a very large ridge running horizontally through its centre.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 4: Par 3, 160 Yards



One of two obvious nods to CBM (the other being the biarritz green at the 10th), the reverse-redan 4th is one of the best holes on the golf course.  Bunkering well short of the green and a deep bunker guarding the right side of the green emphasize the need for the golfer to play long/left to use the contouring to bring his ball onto the green.

Tee View:






Approaching green, left of teeing angle:




The green is another good one.  A diagonal ridge runs across the green at about 1/3 the way back, forming a small bowl for front pins, and a green that runs away toward the back of the green for the last 2/3.  The front pin we had was fairly easy, but methinks a back pin would be a good 1/2 shot harder.

Green from left:




Green from back-left:

[John_Conley]

Is this in or near Naples?  Thanks for sharing the photos.

[Mark Saltzman]

John, CCF is in the Village of Golf, near Boynton Beach.

[Carl Nichols]

Mark:
Thanks for the pictures so far.  I had never heard of CC of Fla before this thread and your post on my thread asking about golf in/around Palm Beach, but it looks really solid -- and different (especially with the elevation changes) than a lot of Florida golf. 

[RJ_Daley]

I'd like to see any before photos of R.B.'s work and design of the bunkers in their original form.  I suspect they were in the large same places as the Bs now, but were big open gapping Bs, without the many tongues, capes and bays.  Also, it seems like the Bs might be a bit of hard work to keep them flashed up the faces of their slopes after hard FL rain events.  But, the big slopes behind and aside of the bunker complexes seems like RB Harris stuff I"ve seen.

The distinct contours through FW and Gs, and the apparent elevation changes sure doesn't look like one's typical idea of a FL course.  It looks like an excellent GC design so far in the photo tour.   Looking forward to more... and can't wait for possibility for Lester to describe some features and how the design developed.

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark:
Thanks for the pictures so far.  I had never heard of CC of Fla before this thread and your post on my thread asking about golf in/around Palm Beach, but it looks really solid -- and different (especially with the elevation changes) than a lot of Florida golf.  

Carl,

CCF is better than solid.  I suspect the course has not had enough panelist visits, but it could be ranked in the top 100 in the country.  I preferred it to both TPC Sawgrass and Calusa Pines.  

[Mark Saltzman]

I'd like to see any before photos of R.B.'s work and design of the bunkers in their original form.  I suspect they were in the large same places as the Bs now, but were big open gapping Bs, without the many tongues, capes and bays.  Also, it seems like the Bs might be a bit of hard work to keep them flashed up the faces of their slopes after hard FL rain events.  But, the big slopes behind and aside of the bunker complexes seems like RB Harris stuff I"ve seen.

The distinct contours through FW and Gs, and the apparent elevation changes sure doesn't look like one's typical idea of a FL course.  It looks like an excellent GC design so far in the photo tour.   Looking forward to more... and can't wait for possibility for Lester to describe some features and how the design developed.

Dick,

I have spoken to Lester and he has said he will contribute to this thread... it will certainly be interesting to hear from him.

I don't want to speak for Lester (mostly because I will probably get a lot of things wrong), but... it is my understanding that there was very little of the RBH design still there when Lester was hired for the renovation.  There was a significant renovation by Arthur Hills in the 1980s, which added water, removed bunkers and flattened the greens.  Lester's renovation was significant, which is why I am not even sure RBH and/or Hills deserve attribution when listing the course.  Again, I may be wrong, and I am sure Lester will correct me.

[RJ_Daley]

Mark, yes I suppose we will have to be patient and wait for more of you great photo tour, and Lester's input.  One might think that at 7000something yards, the course was lengthened, and possible FW Bs were relocated to new yardage factors off tees.  If Hills added water, one would think spoils of the ponds were used for feature shaping.  I wish I knew how to get those old aerials that some posters link to their posts.... hint hint to someone that knows how to retrieve and post them...

I just get the sense this might be a good case study in original design, remodel, and remodel, and the approach the original archie and successors have taken to improve the course. Whatever the process, it sure has 'the look'.

[Mark Saltzman]

RJ,

I agree, the evolution of the course and the decisions Lester had to make would be very interesting.

To whet your pallet, here are the first four holes pre- and post-Lester.

A 1968 aerial showing the Robert Bruce Harris iteration:





From 2004:




From 2011:

[Alex Miller]

Something that the aerial reveals is the improved positioning of the cart paths too. Not to be overlooked! (the repositioning I mean, the cart paths themselves should in fact be overlooked)

[Mark Saltzman]

The thing I noticed, even going back to the 1968 aerial, is that Lester added some interesting green shaping.  In the previous two iterations, the green seem very circular and frankly dully shaped.

3 of the first 4 of Lester's greens are set at an angle to the fairway.  Sean Arble, you liking this or what? 

[Joe Leenheer]

Something that the aerial reveals is the improved positioning of the cart paths too. Not to be overlooked! (the repositioning I mean, the cart paths themselves should in fact be overlooked)

I'm sure many on GCA would say the paths were in perfect position in the 1968 photo.

[RJ_Daley]

If RB had more internal contour, even on his more circular greens, then I'd have to say they didn't get much improvement if not regressed with AH, considering the bunkers were reduced and reshaped.  Bunkers on RBs were obviously more in play strategy, and possibly more fierce. 

Even the houses on the drive, which obviously received many additions and improvements to their structures, seem to have undergone a bit of tree clearing along with Lester's tree trimming on the course. 

Mark, your the man!  Great thread and thanks for digging those aerials up. 

[Keith Phillips]

Great thread, about a course I had never heard of before some passing mention on GCA a year or so ago - Mark I'm intrigued with the following comment CCF is better than solid.  I suspect the course has not had enough panelist visits, but it could be ranked in the top 100 in the country.  I preferred it to both TPC Sawgrass and Calusa Pines.

That is strong praise indeed - curious how you might compare CCF to courses in closer proximity, like Pine Tree, Boca Rio, Jupiter Hills...

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mark,

I know the general area pretty well and am shocked by the terrain, it's most unusual.

What a great luxury

[Mark Saltzman]

Keith,

I've not played many of the top-tier courses in the Palm Beach area, though I have played more than 100 courses in the state.

As a point of reference, here are the courses I have played (just scroll down a bit to see the one's I've played in FL): http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2011/12/master-list-of-courses-played.html

I've never really thought about my favourite course in the state.  While I think TPC Sawgrass and Calusa are both excellent and are in my top-5, I am sure I prefer CCF to either of them.  Though it is far from a consensus pick, Johns Island West, would certainly be in my top-5 as well.  To round out my top-5 is a difficult decision.  Contenders would be:

World Woods (PB)
Black Diamond (Quarry)
Lake Nona
Medalist
Old Marsh
Trump WPB

But, in the end, it is impossible not to pick Mountain Lake.

So, I guess my Florida top-5 would be:
1. Johns Island West
2. CCF
3. TPC Sawgrass
4. Calusa Pines
5. Mountain Lake.


Patrick, the terrain is certainly very interesting.  It is not as varied as the land on 'Florida's sandbelt' (on which Jupiter Hills, Hawk's Nest and Johns Island West, among others, are located).  I would say the elevation changes are similar to those found at Trump WPB.

[Mark Saltzman]

1968 aerial:




2004 aerial:




2011 aerial:




Of note, Hills drastically enlarged the size of the water hazard on the left of hole 5 and removed the green side bunkering.  It appears as though Lester restored the bunkers (and added a back bunker), as well as re-shaping the green.

The changes on 6 are drastic.  Hills removed virtually all of the bunkering short of the green and converted the duo of bunkers guarding the inside of the dogleg into one large bunker.

Lester's changes are fantastic.  He cleared some trees on the left and converted rough to pine-straw.  He also removed the single large bunker on the left and added a series of three bunkers that move diagonally along the line of play, creating a real decision from the tee.  Greenside bunkering was restored.  A lake was added to the right of 6 fairway.


Hole 5: Par 4, 363 Yards




Water left and right, but it's staggered and thus creates options.  The ideal tee shot will challenge the water on the right to leave the ideal approach angle.  But, the bailout area is to the left, so long as the player does not take enough club to reach the water on the left (240 yards).  Longer-hitters are able to carry the water on the right, allowing them to play to the entire width of the fairway.  Lots of elevation change down to the fairway.




The approach is played to a punchbowl green guarded by deep bunkers.  Approaches from the right are ideal.




Slopes around the green will serve to bring the ball toward the centre of the green, but a large ridge running diagonally across the green means hitting the green on the wrong side will spell trouble.






The contours just off the green will bring the ball toward the green, but miss the green by more than a couple of yards and the contours will repel the ball away from the green, leaving a very difficult recovery.





Hole 6: Par 5, 578 Yards




One of my favourite holes on the golf course, the sixth is another exceptional par-5 at CCF.  There is plenty of room to the right of the fairway bunkers, should the player be happy to play this short-ish par-5 as a three-shot hole.  But, the strip of fairway left of the centreline bunkers beckons -- playing as a sub-500 yard hole from all but the back tees, the golfer knows that if he is successful in cutting the corner, he will easily be able to reach this green in two.




Tee shots played successfully to the left of the bunkers can find this series of slopes and a turbo boost down to the 200-yard marker.  Having taken the bolder line, the water is now largely out-of-play, but a tee shot up the right must stare it in the face.  Shots attempting to reach this green in two must be struck assertively as deep bunkering guards the front of the green, and contouring short/right of the green will send weakly struck shots tumbling away from the green.






For those laying-up, approaching the green from the right is ideal.




One of the more severely contoured greens at CCF, though generally sloping from back-to-front.

[Keith Phillips]

Every hole looks better than the next - a really good 'tour', I particularly like the overheads to be able to compare/contrast the old/new - looks phenomenal - question...the course looks very well-conditioned, but on the 'green' side...does it play firm/fast?  Also seeing the stakes in front of 6th green, I'm just curious is it a cart course or is walking encouraged?

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 7: Par 4,

     1968                          2005                                2011





A phenomenal example of the 'bunkers everywhere look' (http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=50853.0).  A very intimidating tee shot, complete with a 'top-shot' bunker to complete the visual assault.  Though it appears as though the two bunkers on the left are on top of each other, there is over 100 yards between.




Conservative golfers will play to the widest part of the fairway, short of the right-side fairway bunker.  From here the golfer will have a 150-yard approach to a hidden green surface and with a blind green-side bunker lurking close to the line of play.




Aggressive tee shots down the left are rewarded with a clearer view of the green:




The final bunker on the left appears to be right next to the green, but it is some 60 yards short of the putting surface.  A large swale between the bunker and the green will catch any shot that is mis-struck.




The entire green slopes toward the centre and there are two very noticeable knobs on the back portion of the green.

[Frank M]

This place looks right up my alley...loving it so far.

[Mark Saltzman]

Once again, the most significant changes are to the greens.  Both the 8th and 9th greens have been re-shaped and enlarged.  I love the change to the 9th green, angled to reward a bold drive up the left.


Hole 8: Par 3, 162 Yards

















Hole 9: Par 4, 423 Yards

[Bruce Wellmon]

Mark,
       What a great tour. The use of aerials is really helpful in understanding the changes that have been made. I must admit I had not heard of CC of Florida, but I would love to see Lester's work firsthand in the future. I was most intrigued by the par 5 6th, and the fairway bunkering.
                                                                                                                     Bruce

[Lester George]

Mark,

WOW!  Any golf course architect would love this critique for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, you have really got a "read" on what I was trying to do here and not just from the yardage book.  It is really flaterring the way you have picked-up on the subtelties I tried to incorporate.  Give yourself an "A" for really looking hard at it and understanding this aspect of the design.  Second, the use of the different era photos is really helping the readers understand what we were given to start with, and, in some cases trying to recapture of RBH's work.  Although this was not a restoration, when I had some design freedom, I grounded some of my decisions with what RBH originally did in the 50's using a plan that still has a prominent place in my office.  Lastly, your photography and comments regarding the playing angles of the holes is spot on!  If I were describing the holes to someone, I would try to get them to visualize the holes from exactly some of the perspectives you present.  Really great job!

I just returned from two weeks on the road so I will try to catch up in the next few days.  I will leave you all with this.  Some of your comments are the same ones we hear alot like "never heard of it", "or never been there or" or "raters".  Here are a couple of things on that.  Country Club of Florida does not typically allow raters.  If you are trying to get to play I would warn you NOT to mention if you are a rater.  THEY DON'T CARE.  It is difficult to get on because of numbers alone.  The less guests, the more rounds for members, simple as that.  I know people who have lived in Palm Beach County their entire lives who didn't know CCF even existed.  Very cool place and one of the top memberships I have ever worked with.  They have one of the best Superintendant, GM, Golf Professional and staff you will ever encounter.  The reason for their success is due to their attitude.  They are not interested in being something they aren't, don't care what the club down the street is doing, and know they have the best kept secret in Florida.  Really great people and very good players, men and women.  I was priviledged to get the interview and honored to do the work.  More later. 

Lester

[Mark Saltzman]

Lester,

Wow, very kind words!

Thank you for contributing to the thread.  I completely agree, the people at CCF know how to do everything right.

I'll hold-off on posting the back-nine to give you a bit more time to comment.

BTW, congratulations on your 1000th post!