Life Update - TDI and Cowboys Golf Club

In July, I accepted an offer to rejoin TDI Golf (www.tdigolf.com), a golf course construction company I interned for last summer at the Dataw Island Club in Beaufort, South Carolina.  My first project has brought me to Dallas, Texas, where we are currently in the process of completing a bunker renovation project at Cowboys Golf Club in nearby Grapevine.  I will give a much more detailed review of the course once we have completed our work, but for now, I will just give a little background on the course and a preview of some of the work we are doing. 

The Jeff Brauer-designed course opened for play on June 14, 2001 and has been considered one of the premier daily-fee, resort golf courses in Texas since.  The golf club is the first (and only) NFL-themed golf course in the world; a tribute to...you guessed it, the Dallas Cowboys.  They're kind of a big deal around here.  The club was the brainchild of Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones.  It is operated by Eagle Golf (www.eaglegolf.com), a golf course management company based here in Dallas, but with courses located across the midwest and west. The course is littered with historical markers of past Cowboys' triumphs, and the Cowboys Hall of Honor in the clubhouse is definitely something to see.  Instead of cart numbers, the carts are named after famous Cowboys.  This place is ALL about the Cowboys.  If you hadn't figured it out by the time you reach the 4th hole, you will know for sure then!  Located directly in the middle of the fairway is a huge blue star, the easily recognizable logo of the Cowboys. 

The tee shot on the par 4 4th hole

The view from the fairway on number 4

The work we are doing is based on improving drainage in the bunkers.  It is pretty bad in a lot of places.  We are installing the Better Billy Bunker drainage system (www.billybunker.com).  A little history and information on that process and then on to some in-progress pictures. 

The Billy Bunker system was created by golf course architect Billy Fuller in the 1980's, while he was then Golf Course Superintendent at famed Augusta National in Georgia.  The system was the first of its kind.  It involved placing a 2" layer of pea gravel in the bunker before the sand, thus drastically improving the bunker's drainage potential.  A geo-textile fabric was placed between the gravel and sand to prevent contamination.  The original Billy Bunker system is believed to have been installed on 600-700 golf courses in the U.S.  Over time, however, it became apparent that the fabric layer was creating more problems than it was solving.  Years of raking, Sand Pros, and forces of nature were exposing the fabric, creating a difficult maintenance situation for supers.  Introducing, then, the Better Billy Bunker system.  The process is largely the same, however the geo-textile layer has been replaced with a bonded polymer spray that basically bonds the gravel, creating a solid, yet permeable, surface for the sand to sit on. 

The guys at Billy Bunker joined forces with Dow Chemical to create a solution, ST410 Polymer.  It is, in essence, a sprayable plastic.  It is a messy process, but the results are impressive.  With a 10 year guarantee, superintendents across the country are now switching to this drainage system and TDI Golf is a licensed installer.  The future looks good for both.  There are two other courses in the Dallas area that are already planning to switch to this system by the end of the year. 

Pretty much my life right now...

If you look back to the pictures of the 4th hole, you can notice the existing bunker sand.  It's a brownish, natural sand that looks good, but has been compromised.  The sand we are replacing it with is a bleached, white sand that has a better perc rate and definitely stands out more.  I won't get into the politics of natural vs bleached sand, but I think the white sand fits with the type of course that Cowboys Golf Club is trying to be.  The architect for this project is an in-house guy from Eagle Golf, Ed Easley, formerly a Senior Golf Course Architect with Desmond Muirhead, Inc. 

Here's a quick run-through of the process:

Some shaping work on the 1st hole.  Reduced the size of this bunker by 1/2

After shaping and drainage, a 2" layer of pea gravel is placed in the bunker

The Project Manager spraying the polymer on one of the fairway bunkers on #1

Lastly, the sand...

Now, for some before/after and in-progress pics:

The par 3 17th, post-spray/pre-sand and sod

The 17th completed

Left greenside bunker on the par 4 16th before...

...after

From the fairway on the par 5 18th, post-gravel (the left 3 sprayed/right 3 not)

Final product

The now-completed 18th hole from the tee

Keep checking back for more updates on our progress!

Course Review: Country Club of Charleston

Country Club of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Seth Raynor - 1925

In late June, I had the pleasure of exploring my second Seth Raynor course, the esteemed Country Club of Charleston, just across the Ashley River from the beautiful battery of downtown Charleston.  The course opened for play in 1925, the same year as Raynor's other Lowcountry offering, Yeamans Hall.  Its proximity to downtown makes it a much more accessible course for its membership, but here, unlike at Yeamans Hall, Raynor was tasked with the proposition of creating a course of great interest on an extremely flat piece of land...no easy feat given that he lacked the large scale, land-moving equipment used in golf course construction today.  While it is not one of Raynor's most famous courses, it still presents an interesting study of golf course architecture.  I, for one, was looking forward to comparing it to Yeamans Hall, which I had just played earlier that week.

In 2006, golf course architect Brian Silva was brought in to help restore some of Raynor's original features which had been lost over the years.  From the back tees, this par 71 course plays at 6,799 yards.  While this may seem short, the club was built on a cramped piece of property, and being at sea level makes it play a bit longer than most courses.  The Country Club of Charleston and Yeamans Hall share 11 template holes, including all 4 of the par 3's (Short, Redan, Eden, and Biarritz) and 2 of the par 5's (Long, Home). 

The Scorecard with Template Names

The Routing

The course starts out with the 436 yard, par 4 1st, aptly named Westward Ho!  Most opening holes in golf tend to play to the west (or really, any direction but east) so that players teeing off early in the day won't be hitting directly into the rising sun. 

The tee shot at the 1st.  You can see how flat this place really is

The large, flat, rectangular green at #1

The tee shot on #2, the 384 yard par 4 "Belvedere"

With its false front and similar bunkering, hole #3 at Country Club of Charleston, "Eden," reminds me very much of the Eden hole at Yeamans Hall, #13, though it plays more open thanks to the lack of trees on the left hand side of the hole.

The par 3 third hole, "Eden"

A closer look

Hole #4, the Alps hole.  Not a great example, in my opinion

Note the "Principal's Nose" type bunker on #4, a cool feature

The tee shot on the par 5 5th, "Narrows"

The 6th hole at CCofC is the "Biarritz" hole.  I was looking forward to comparing this hole to the 16th at Yeamans Hall.  Similarly, this hole also has the "dip" before the green.  I found this to be a very uninspiring version of the hole, even more so than the example at Yeamans Hall.  in fact, I had a hard time even justifying it being called a "Biarritz" green. To me, it's more a nice, long par 3 with a false front.

Hole 6 from the tee

The swale....eh, I don't know

The "Maiden" green at #7, a great example of the concept

A view across the river to downtown Charleston from the 7th fairway

The 8th green from the right side of the fairway

The approach to the par 5 9th hole

One thing of interest to me was the routing of the front nine compared to Yeamans Hall.  With the exception of an extra par 5 (the 5th) at Country Club of Charleston, the two courses could actually share a scorecard.  4-4-3-4-(5/4)-3-4-4-5

The approach on the 90 degree dogleg left 10th hole

The 11th hole is where this course really takes off, in my opinion.  That's not to say the first 10 holes are bad, or boring, golf holes.  It's simply a testament to the genius of the final 8.  The 11th hole is my favorite on the course, and probably the coolest par 3 I have seen.  This is the "Redan" hole at CCofC, though it is actually a Reverse Redan, sloping from front left to back right, as opposed to the normal front right to back left.  It also has the craziest false front I have seen.  It's at least 10 feet, maybe more. 

A zoomed in look at the tee shot on the 11th.  The golfer shows the scale of the false front

Another look at the false front, from the right side

The right side bunker...now that is deep!

From back right of the green with the clubhouse in the background

The tee shot on the 12th, a great example of the "Road" concept with a reverse cant fairway

The bunkering along the right side of the par 4 13th

The wild, three-tiered green at the par 4 14th, "Knoll"

The 15th hole, "Plantation," uses a very interesting concept to dictate the play on this 533 yard par 5.  At around 140 yards from the middle of the green is a large, grass berm that crosses the length of the fairway.  For the player to approach this as a three-shot hole, they must successfully navigate this feature with their second shot.  It becomes even more of a factor with a missed tee shot, as the trees on either side of the berm can then come into play. 

The tee shot on the par 5 15th

From just short of the grass berm

From the green looking back toward the tee

At 473 yards, the 16th hole, "Lion's Mouth," is a very long par 4 with another extraordinary feature fronting the green.  It is easy to see where this hole gets its name. 

The awe-inspiring "Lion's Mouth" at the 16th

A closer look

From just above the false front on the left

The appropriately named par 3 17th, "Short," followed by...

...the massive, 482 yard par 4 18th, "Home"

The huge 18th green with the beautiful clubhouse in the background

Snuck a picture of the hole location chart to help remember the shapes of the greens

I came away from this afternoon with a favorable impression of the Country Club of Charleston, especially so the last eight holes.  While often overshadowed by its sister course up the road in Hanahan, this is still easily one of the top three golf courses in the Charleston area, along with the aforementioned Yeamans Hall Club and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.  Raynor did what he could with a billiard table-flat site and managed to produce a unique golf course with a series of memorable holes that I look forward to visiting again (hopefully when the greens haven't been recently punched). 

In my next post, I'll give an update on what I have been up in the world of golf course architecture!

Course Review: Yeamans Hall Club

Yeamans Hall Club
Hanahan, South Carolina
Seth Raynor - 1925

I love Charleston!  Seriously, living here has a lot of advantages.  Sure, the summers can be hotter than two goats in a pepper patch and it is ALWAYS humid, but it more than makes up for that from December-March.  I mean, where else can you find the combination of Lowcountry charm, good people, fresh seafood, classic architecture, four centuries of history, a good climate, the ocean, and TWO Seth Raynor golf courses??

Yeamans Hall Club, located nearby in the small town of Hanahan, is the epitome of Lowcountry South Carolina.  Founded as a winter retreat for wealthy northerners, the club is situated on a 900 acre peninsula that protrudes out into a marsh and stream system that eventually feeds into the Cooper River.  The original intention was for two 18-hole golf courses to be built here, along with 250 homes, but the stock market crash of 1929 put an end to that dream.  Today, there exists one 18 hole golf course, the impressive clubhouse facilities, and 35 privately owned homes.  The course is highly regarded as one of the best in the state and has spent time ranked in the Top 100 in the World. 

As it is, driving into this place is like taking a step back in time.  After turning off of N. Rhett Avenue, one is greeted by a "No Outlet" sign, followed shortly by a set of railroad tracks and then a guard gate.  After crossing through the gate, the feeling that you might have driven back into colonial South Carolina sweeps over you as you travel down the gravel entrance road.  

This picture hardly does justice.

The golf course was designed by Seth Raynor and opened for play in 1925.  Raynor was an engineer by trade, but was hired by Charles Blair MacDonald in 1908 to survey the land that would eventually become the National Golf Links of America on Long Island.  MacDonald was impressed and kept Raynor around to help in the construction.  Eventually, Raynor struck out on his own.  MacDonald was known for his use of "template holes" in his golf courses.  These were a collection of what he believed to be the best types of holes that golf had to offer, based on his time studying the great links courses of the British Isles.

Raynor followed suit in his own practice, and each of Yeamans Hall's eighteen holes has an adaptation of these principles.  Between its opening in 1925 and the 1980's, the course lost many of its original features, thanks to overzealous greens chairmen and maintenance practices.  In 1998, Tom Doak and his Renaissance Design crew came to the rescue, restoring many of the features that had been lost. 

Front of the Scorecard

Back of the Scorecard with Hole Names

In June, I had the great honor to be able to tee it up at this fantastic course.  After two false starts where my round was halted by Mother Nature, I was able to finally see the golf course in its entirety.

The routing

The golf course starts off with a bang thanks to the diabolical 427 yard, par 4 1st hole.  Many courses tend to give you a breather to start the round.  Not here!  While the fairways here are plenty wide, the first starts out with an uphill tee shot, over water, to a fairway that doglegs off to the right.

The tee shot on Hole 1

You find out that you are in for a real treat, when you get to your tee ball though.  The approach shot is played over the entrance road, to one of the wildest greens I have ever seen.

The approach shot on Hole 1

The diabolical green

Another view

The majority of Raynor's greens that I have seen tend to have a false front.  That is certainly the case at Yeamans Hall.  Also, each green here has one corner that is cut square.  I am not exactly sure why, but I assume this was done to make cutting the greens easier.

Square-edged corner of the first green

The course continues to head out to the marsh, prominently displayed behind the par 3 third green, the first of a great set of par 3's here.

The par 3 third hole, aptly named "Short" with the marsh in the background

Typical Raynor bunkering, deep and simple in their design.  No frilly edges here!

This green was built with what resembles a thumb print depression in the middle

The par 4 5th hole, Raynor's "Alps" hole.  Tricky tee shot

The mounds on the left aren't bunkers after all!  Sneaky!

The par 3 6th is Raynor's "Redan" hole.  Not a great example, but still a great hole

Deep bunker fronting the 6th green.  Not the place to be.  I know...from experience!

The seventh hole here, a rendition of the "Road" hole at the Old Course at Saint Andrews, acts as a connector between the land where the first six holes are located and the rest of the course.  It was a smart decision because the 8th hole is just fantastic, in my opinion. 

The tee shot on the 8th as it heads back towards the water

Another look.  Awesome!

The tee box on #9.  I could've hung out here all day!

The tee shot on #9, back up the hill toward the clubhouse

The back nine heads off toward the south with the short, par 4 10th hole, nicknamed "Cape."

The 10th green.  You do not want to miss this one left, right, or long!

The "Maiden" green at the par 4 11th.  Use your imagination!

The par 3 13th, nicknamed "Eden"

I really enjoyed the 14th hole, nicknamed "Knoll."  The tee shot is pretty unassuming as the hole looks fairly straightforward.  In reality, though, it is quite visually deceiving.  

The tee shot on 14

I got under my drive and was left with this approach shot.  Again, ho hum, right?

The approach shot from my tee ball

I hit a great draw with a 5 iron here that hit in the middle of the green and settled on the right edge.  Once I got to the top of the hill though, I saw how close my shot came to being in really bad shape!

What the area surrounding the green actually looks like!

The flag on #15 with the marsh and river in the background

Despite its appearance from the tee and the fact that I made a pretty routine par, this hole turned out to be very memorable for me.  I think that is the essence of great golf course design.  The 16th is another enjoyable hole.  A "Biarritz" green, this hole was inspired by a hole at the Biarritz Golf Club in France.  This type of hole features a deep depression that bisects the green into front and back and can be found on many MacDonald/Raynor courses.  The green here, however, doesn't begin until after the swale.  I'm not sure if that is typical with Raynor or if the original design was not restored. 

The "Biarritz" green at the par 3 16th.  The pin appears to be on the back of the green

The pin is actually on the front of the green.  The swale proved deceiving!

The punchbowl green at the par 4 17th

The approach on the par 5 18th.  I did NOT want this round to end!

My first experience on a MacDonald/Raynor course was one that I had been looking forward to for some time.  It certainly did not let me down, and I look forward to the opportunity to see the rest of their offerings!  This course quickly moved to the very top of my favorites list.  Someone recently asked, "what course could you play every day for the rest of your life?"  Well, this is the one for me!

Perhaps the concept of playing template holes will get repetitive as I see more MacDonald/Raynor courses.  However, the setting really makes this course unique and I look forward to the opportunity to play it again in the future!  Up next...the other Raynor in the Lowcountry, Country Club of Charleston!

The end!