Gil Hanse and Indian Creek

[Tom Fussell]

I just got wind of this from a friend who is a member.  Gill seems to be very popular these days, especially in South Florida:

Indian Creek Country Club

Town Hall Meeting

Sunday, January 26, 2014

5:30pm / Great Hall

Please join us for a special reception with globally recognized golf course architect, Gil Hanse. Gil has been working with the Green Committee for the past six months on a new golf course master plan. The plan's major theme is restoring many of the original features of the William S. Flynn design. Please come and meet Gil personally, learn about the plan and have your questions answered.
 
We also invite you to stay for the Barbeque Dinner on the Patio that night. To make a reservation call 305-866-5751 or visit the club’s website at www.indiancreekcountryclub.org.

[Kevin_D]

Nice! Very cool

[Tom Fussell]

I think you will obviously need a member number to rsvp for the bbq dinner.  That was from the actual email invitation.

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

You couldn't get on the island without a member making arrangements at the bridge.

I was one of the four who was interviewed last year.
I found a pretty interesting collection of old aerials (obliques) from over the years (I gave them to Gil).
The club had not seen the older ones.

The golf course had exposed sand at one point.
I'll be interested to see what he proposes.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ian,

There are a number of neat, old aerial photos hanging on the clubhouse walls that show the exposed sand areas.

With a property so swept by wind, I wonder if a return to that configuration is feasible ?

[Ian Andrew]

Pat,

Those all went back to the 50's or 60's.
There was stuff in the Florida State Archives that went back much further.
And more exposed sand...

They buy their water - it might be necessary in the end.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I was fortunate enough to play there a couple of years ago, and whilst playing for three days couldnt help but think and wonder what it would be like if restored to its original shape.
Delighted they are doing this.
The course was shwoing too any signs of having moved away from the original plan, the bunkers were looking as though they were sort of inbetween ideas.
Love the routing, for such a small piece of land iot is a wonderful place to play, and that clubhouse and ambiance, oh my..what a treat.

[mike_malone]

What interests me is that Flynn could choose the height of the course because it was built from scratch. There are elevation changes there but not significant.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hi. My first post.

Head of G&G at Indian Creek is a friend who is on G&G with me at (his summer course) Glen View Club (also Flynn) here in Chicago. Jim Urbina is almost finished with our restoration. Almost finished as in 95% plus some tinkering. JU mentioned that in his GC interview.

G&G chair at Indian Creek is a real Flynn follower and involved with many other Flynn clubs and organizations. I would bet that the work there will be a true restoration.

[Tom Fussell]

Tom,

You couldn't get on the island without a member making arrangements at the bridge.

I was one of the four who was interviewed last year.
I found a pretty interesting collection of old aerials (obliques) from over the years (I gave them to Gil).
The club had not seen the older ones.

The golf course had exposed sand at one point.
I'll be interested to see what he proposes.

I've been invited by my friend to play there, but not been able to make it yet.  Hoping to spend a few days there in the next few weeks though.  Someday, it will be interesting to see the "before".

[Patrick_Mucci]

What interests me is that Flynn could choose the height of the course because it was built from scratch.
There are elevation changes there but not significant.

Mayday,

I'll have to reference Valdamort's book/DVD, but, are you sure that Flynn had a hand in the construction of the island, with an eye toward producing elevations for golf holes ?

Or, are you saying that he had a free hand in pushing dirt around ?

[Mike_Young]

What interests me is that Flynn could choose the height of the course because it was built from scratch. There are elevation changes there but not significant.

Mike,
If I remember correctly the 15th green there is 32 feet above sea level.  I think it began as a couple of acres and was dredged to almost 300 in two years.  My wife grew up in the middle of the place as her father was the supt there.  She still has 8mm movies of the entire place....I think it is one of the W of the W in golf architecture feats.

[mike_malone]

Pat,
Let us know what you found. My statement comes from listening to the "villan" himself speak about the design . I may have made a leap to Flynn being involved in the building of the island.

[Jeff_Lewis]

They have some old overhead photos in the clubhouse. Tons of exposed sand, a really wild environment back in the day. I wonder how it ends up so grassed over - is it on purpose or by accident?  Anyway, Gil should be just the guy to do this restoration, which is great news.

[Addison King]

Bumping an older thread. Has Indian Creek gone though a restoration in the last several years since Hanse has been working on the property?

[Ian Andrew]

I'm pretty sure Ron Force is back working with the club.
Proposal was voted down and the committee changed.
I think they choose to return to what they were doing before.
That was my understanding.

[Ian Mackenzie]

This has been going on for years as I understand it.
Several false starts, political land mines and committees that have fallen on swords.


A member at our club was very involved down there and I heard there have been fireworks, bad blood and factions that have pushed this idea in many directions.


Club politics is THEEE worst.

[archie_struthers]

 


Indian Creek is way cool and a testament to man made golf holes being good. It is Uber fun and can test the better player when the wind blows. I watched Ray Floyd gamble with the "locals" back in the late 70's on an almost daily basis. Boy could he work his ball around a golf course   There are some subtle elevations at the course that Flynn had fun with and the 12th and 13th holes are a hoot in the wind. Was lucky enough to play there in a four ball invitational for many years that had lots of excellent players show up! Scores were a little higher than you might have thought as they used the tournament pins to good effect.


Hard to imagine they membership there would ever let a Pinehurst/Seminole de-grassing redo. Just doesn't fit the personality of at least half the membership!

[Lou_Duran]

Is IC to Seminole what Shoreacres is to CGC?


Isn't there quite a bit of overlap in the two memberships?

[MClutterbuck]

Hard to imagine they membership there would ever let a Pinehurst/Seminole de-grassing redo. Just doesn't fit the personality of at least half the membership!

Hard to imagine that redo look and feel on an artificial island surrounded by houses and condos in the distance. I admit I am not familiar with the original design and grassing, but if there is one course I would not wish changed back in time it is this one.

[archie_struthers]