Brent Boardman

Mentor: Kenneth A. Struckmeyer

WSU Landscape Architecture – 2008

 Special thanks to:

Daniel L., for giving me hope;

Christine W., for giving me the right nudge;
Renaissance Golf Design, for giving me an opportunity;
David L., for giving me support when no one else could or would;
Legend Resorts Ltd., for giving me a site and invaluable information;
and to all my close friends, for giving me strength thru the last four years.
 “It is my theory that nature must precede the architect, in the laying out of
links. It is futile to attempt the transformation of wholly inadequate acres into
an adequate course… The site of a golf course should be there, not brought
there.” – Perry Maxwell

“A really great golf course must be a constant source of pleasure to the

greatest possible number of players. It must require strategy in the playing
as well as skill. It must give the average player a fair chance and at the
same time, it must require the utmost from the expert. All natural beauty
should be preserved, natural hazards should be utilized and artificiality
should be minimized.” – Alister Mackenzie
 Table of Contents
Brent Boardman.....................................................................................................................................................1
Mentor: Kenneth A. Struckmeyer..........................................................................................................................1
WSU Landscape Architecture – 2008...................................................................................................................1

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

Overview........................................................................................................................... .....................1

Goals & Objectives..................................................................................................................... ...........4

Background.....................................................................................................................................6

Overview........................................................................................................................... .....................6

Early Design (Thru 1937)...................................................................................................................... 7

Post-War Design (1949-1985).............................................................................................................. ..8

Contemporary Design (Present)............................................................................................. ..............9

Categories of Golf Architecture............................................................................................... ...........10

Internship................................................................................................................................ .............11

Summary.................................................................................................................................... ..........12

Methodology..................................................................................................................................13
Prospect Golf Course

Siting.................................................................................................................................................. ...13

Inventory & Analysis....................................................................................................................... ....14

Design program............................................................................................................................16

Overview........................................................................................................................ ......................16

Tees..................................................................................................................................... ..................17

Fairways................................................................................................................................... ............19

Bunkers........................................................................................................................... .....................20

Greens................................................................................................................................................... 23

The Course....................................................................................................................................25

Hole 1 – 145 yard par 3................................................................................................... ....................29

Hole 2 – 320 yard par 4................................................................................................... ....................31

Hole 3 – 130 yard par 3................................................................................................... ....................34

Hole 4 – 570 yard par 5................................................................................................... ....................36

Hole 5 – 140 yard par 3................................................................................................... ....................39

Hole 6 – 470 yard par 4................................................................................................... ....................41

Hole 7 – 190 yard par 3................................................................................................... ....................43

Hole 8 – 170 yard par 3................................................................................................... ....................45

Hole 9 – 340 yard par 4................................................................................................... ....................47

Hole 10 – 625 yard par 5................................................................................................ .....................50

Hole 11 – 435 yard par 4.......................................................................................... ...........................52

Hole 12 – 185 yard par 3................................................................................................ .....................54

Health & the Future.....................................................................................................................56

Health of the Player....................................................................................................................... ......56

Health of the Course......................................................................................................................... ...57

Alternative Energy......................................................................................................... .....................58

Conclusion....................................................................................................................................60

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References......................................................................................................................... ...................62

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 Introduction

Overview

Golf, as a sport and recreational pastime, has existed for hundreds of years.
Richardson (2002) places its origins as far back as the 15th century, and
many believe the game evolved well before then. Courses emerged in the
British Isles on land between the sea and the farms or towns, known as links
land. The earth here was unsuitable for building or farming, yet a perfect
expanse and location for people to congregate; the natural vegetation and
lay of the land dictated how many holes would be played and the routing for
the round. Golfing then was a daily social event - one utilized not only to
maintain contact with others in the community, but also as a form of exercise
for those that had become rather lethargic in their daily proceedings
(Mackenzie 1920).
Prospect Golf Course

Today, the face of golf has changed drastically. To be sure, the heart of
the game continues to hold its roots in social interaction and a beloved
pastime. Unfortunately, the explosion of the game’s popularity in the last
half-century, along with the pervasive nature of marketing and mass media,
have introduced conditions that golf may not have historically been prepared
to handle, or at least possess the capacity to endure. Where it was almost
impossible for a “professional” golfer fifty years ago to make a living solely
playing the game, sponsorship, development, and supporting industries have
created opportunity for those who today pursue golf to achieve riches most
can only dream of.
Am I saying this idea, in itself, is a detriment to the game? Of course
not; ask anyone if they would like to become wealthy doing what they love,
and the answers will likely come through as a resounding “yes!” The issue
stems from the perceptions and expectations that arise in the midst of this
setting. Pressure for the game to constantly express qualities which are
“bigger and better” with each passing year, tournament, or commercial
appears to drive negative impacts. For example, the general public views
advances in technology and heavily manicured, “pristine” courses on
national television as what should be the norm. In reality, technological
innovation is making the most revered courses obsolete, leaving some of the
greatest courses ever designed to be forgotten because they do not cater to
the length of today’s average player. Moreover, televised weekend
tournaments portraying courses streamlined for aesthetics, with grasses
trimmed as close to the surface as possible, are barely sustained for the
weekend rounds. Viewers rarely understand the resources required to
maintain such an appearance for each professional tournament.
Another trend damaging golf’s sustainability is the automatic inclusion
of golf courses in land and resort development. Because the game has
become so popular, cookie cutter courses are immediately added to
development plans as a strategy for luring additional consumers (later, tie in
to why this course is not cookie cutter, and refer to Stone Eagle). Suitable or

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not, sites are cleared for golf courses that are often insensitive to local
context. The first golf course architects had few earthmoving resources;
limited to human and animal power, they were forced to pay strict attention
to detail when dealing with contours and specific site features. Each design
was informed by the ground on which it was to be implemented. Now,
designers can take practically any piece of land, hire a crew of bulldozers,
and carve out whatever course their hearts desire.
Drawing up plans for a course without seeing or stepping foot on site
has become common practice for some architects. Such process leaves golf
vulnerable to arguments that threaten its survival. Protestors against golf
courses have a strong case when it comes to developments that set this
example; viable land is becoming scarcer every day, and improper use for
the sake of profit is simply not acceptable. However, suitable sites for golf
courses do still exist and land-sensitive construction practices are more
apparent today. Certain developments and resorts, preservation areas (when
properly executed), links land, brownfields & superfund sites, and many
others are legitimate locations for future golf courses. In each case,
sensitivity to the site and its surrounding context is paramount.
Health is an additional subject worthy of note when speaking about
golf – this is reflected in the health of the players, the landscape, and, in
turn, the game. Previously stated, golf once prospered as a form of
recreation and exercise for its players. Every year, players are further
removed from the pleasure of walking the course and the physical benefits
that are gained from doing so. Concern for pace of play and overall
convenience and/or accessibility has resulted in a dramatic increase of
golfers who choose to ride a cart for the duration of their round. Throughout
most of golf’s history, riding in a motorized cart was not even an option when
playing a round of golf. Choosing to ride in a cart not only removes the
participant from the health benefits obtained from walking the round, it also
disconnects them from a greater physical and mental association with the
course; subtleties in form and nuances of the ground are much less evident

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when propped on four wheels. Moreover, golf carts usually require their own
path, which creates greater expense and has further impact on the course
grounds – grounds that are increasingly stressed by the chemicals and
maintenance practices required for the public’s required aesthetic.
Golf is renowned worldwide as a medium for breaking barriers of
communication, a facilitator for exercise and restoration, an excellent
physical and mental challenge, and probably most of all, an honored
tradition. It would be a tragedy if overly progressive, mainstream media and
opinion broke away from historic precedence so much that golf’s image was
tainted forever. In order to guard against that possibility, golf course
architects and developers alike should step back and address the impacts of
their designs. Golf has steadily become a high profile sport; the practices of
those who do not think ahead can affect the future well-being of many. Golf
course industry must be cognizant of context, health, the environment,
natural resources, and more. Adopting certain historic design principles will
aid in achieving this notion.

Goals & Objectives

For the project, I had two main goals, which were accompanied by other, less
tangible goals that were no less important. My two greatest endeavors were
to educate myself in depth on current and historical golf course architecture
philosophy and applications, as well as to design a course in accordance with
what I took away from the philosophies I have studied and the work
experience I have attained up to this point. Other goals included fulfilling
senior project requirements, obtaining a greater understanding of the inner
workings of golf course architecture and construction, and capitalizing on
opportunities to further my professional development and networking.
To educate myself on philosophy and applications, I spent much of my
own time outside of classing doing independent study by reading books,

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keeping up on current trends, and becoming a member of a large golf

architecture discussion group. I also entered into an internship in the golf
course architecture/construction field for the summer of 2007, which I
describe further in a following section of this paper...

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 Background

Overview

Stick-and-ball games make appearances in some way, shape, or form in

books throughout history. Golf specifically has been around for
approximately 600 years or more; the first recorded mention of golf so far
discovered occurs in a 1457 Act of Scottish Parliament, banned by King
James II because it interfered with archery practice (Richardson 2002).
Obviously, the game must have become popular long before to have caused
such a stir.
Originally, the process of molding a golf course consisted of studying
the land, selecting sites for greens with naturally short or stunted grasses,
finding appropriate teeing grounds that were a sufficient distance from the
greens, and then clearing away the taller vegetation in between tee and
green to substantiate the native grasses as fairways (Hurdzan 2006). For
 Boardman

hundreds of years, the amount of holes on a course was determined by the

players. In fact, holes were used twice as players made their way out, and
then back in to the clubhouse. It was not until the Old Course at St. Andrews
was turned into an 18-hole facility in 1764 that a standard number of holes
were adopted (Richardson 2002).
As a profession, the art of golf course design did not take root until the
late 1800’s (Hurdzan 2006, Richardson 2002). Even then, many courses
chose not to hire a professional in an effort to save money. However, a few
early greenkeepers were savvy enough to persuade ownership committees
in favor of more acceptable decisions. Of these, probably the two most
famous names include Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris, both of whom
were supervisors of the links at St. Andrews (Richardson 2002).
Since the onset of golf architecture, there have been three eras of
course design: early design, which included the time up to the Second World
War (including 1910-1937, which is often referred to as the golden age of golf
design); post-war design, which then existed until around the 1970’s; and
contemporary design, which has been practiced since. These eras have also
brought about three design theories: strategic, penal, and heroic.

Early Design (Thru 1937)

Linksland gave birth to many of the courses in this period. The term links
comes from the Old English “hlincas,” which means “ridges” (Richardson
2002). The term has also been
credited to the idea that the land
was a link between the city and
the sea; previously unusable
because it was too barren to farm
on and too soft to build on. Golf
courses virtually sculpted

Workers using horse-drawn scrapers to 7

shape a bunker (Mackenzie 2002: 69)
Prospect Golf Course

themselves out of the earth, as players had few tools to shape courses on
their own. Every nuance of the ground was appreciated by the player
because it was not smoothed over by heavy machinery (Doak compares
many shapers today to dry cleaners, as they iron out so many of the
ground’s interesting features). The natural vegetations of the region were
kept in place as functional elements of the course.
The years between 1910 and 1937 are sometimes also known as the
Golden Age of golf design. The period involves completion of some of the
greatest and longest-standing courses ever built in America, including:
National Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Augusta
National, Seminole, Pasatiempo, Pinehurst, Oakmont, and Prairie Dunes
(Richardson 2002). Ask any golfer, anywhere, and they have without a doubt
heard of one, if not all, of those courses. Golf course architects of the time
had to rely on routing a course according to the natural terrain and living
landscape, resulting in some of the most memorable courses ever imagined.

Post-War Design (1949-1985)

The end of World War II brought about what I consider the post-war age of
golf course architecture. Modified tanks became bulldozers after the war. In
addition, the introduction of dynamite created a one-two punch for new
methods of earthmoving. New tools in hand, designers were able to build a
golf course in almost any place imaginable, granting them endless freedom
of creativity. The result was an incredible boom in the amount and popularity
of golf courses, though not without a price.
The use of these new tools turned golf course designers into golf
course architects. Innovative feats of engineering were required to apply all
of the new ideas to the landscape. Names like Robert Trent Jones were key
figures in the growth of golf course architecture, and helped to make the
profession what it is today (Hurdzan 2006). However, post-war design

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brought with it the never ending desire for residential golf developments,
electric carts, meticulous manicuring, and televised events (Richardson
2002). Each has pros and cons in their own right, yet the stress they put on
the sustainability of the game should make the golfer think twice about their
role in its future.

Contemporary Design (Present)

Contemporary design can be considered the time from the mid 1980’s
through the present day. The shift moved away from the mass production of
golf courses to a heightened level of environmental awareness. Architects
like Pete Dye began utilizing a more minimalist form of design, letting the
ground shape the course much like those built a hundred years before (Doak
1992). Technology alone has altered the ideology behind design.
Restrictions on building and development, along with a decrease in the
amount of land available, have slowed the boom in the golf course design
field. Construction costs have further slowed growth, as running a course
and remaining “in the black” has become a constant struggle (Hurdzan
2006).
Fortunately, technology has also made possible the development of
lands previously unheard of. Brownfields, for example, present an
opportunity to transform abandoned waste sites back into working ecological
systems. Golf can now be associated with restoration, where it once was
merely tied to destruction.

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Categories of Golf Architecture

Three categories of golf course architecture exist: strategic design, penal

design, and heroic design. Each has their place in the history of golf, but
different architects have argued for or against each theory.
Penal design, stemming from the word penalize, focuses on hazard
placement to punish poorly struck or executed shots. The penal school of
design is considered the most simplistic in its nature, due to the fact that it
merely looks to design around certain types of play. The biggest argument
against penal design is that, while the accomplished golfer may have great
success on its courses, the beginning golfer will become so discouraged that
the game loses its true value (Doak 1992).
Strategic design, which has become the popular design of choice since
the early 1900’s, has revolved around where to place the ball instead of
where not to place it, if you will. Holes are designed to be heavily guarded
on one side or sloped in a particular manner so that the line of the golf shot
determines the difficulty and strategy for the next shot, and so on (Doak
1992). Position becomes paramount.
Heroic design, which is slightly a derivative of the strategic school,
involves creating advantages for the golfer that can carry specific hazards or
shape shots in close to perfect fashion. Normally, the average golfer will be
in between clubs, as they say, on holes of a heroic nature. The effect is often
a risk-reward situation. While the penal school offers minimal choices in its
layout, the strategic and heroic schools offer many options, each of which
must be weighed. In the end, the best golf courses adopt component of all
three strategies (Doak 1992).

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Internship

In the spring of 2007, I was awarded an internship for Renaissance Golf

Design, Inc. I had applied for the same internship the previous year without
any kind of call back, so it was nice to not only get that call, but be given the
position as well – especially since Tom Doak (the lead architect for
Renaissance) is one of the most well known architects in the field today. Not
many internships exist in the golf architecture field these days. In most
instances you need to know someone who knows someone. Others set out
to work for a golf contractor in hopes of gaining some hands-on construction
experience, which is very useful for understanding applications in later years
as an architect.
As it turns out, my internship involved working on the construction of a
new golf course named Wicked Pony in central Oregon until mid September
later that year. While difficult and arduous at times, the work exposed me to
many facets of the industry that I would not have otherwise encountered. I
was interning for the architect, technically employed by the contractor (to
get paid) while being under the influence of the developer at the same time,
and working alongside the maintenance crew. It wasn’t easy being told to do
different things by different entities, while being expected to achieve results
for all of them at the same time. However, over the course of the summer I
learned a variety of quality lessons including some shaping, grading, many
aspects of drainage, greens construction, fairway composition, bunker
construction, contextual development, and the list goes on.
Networking may have been the most readily valuable resource I took
away from the internship, especially for the foundation of this project. If not
for Brian Slawnik, who was the lead architect at Wicked Pony this summer, I
would not have been connected to the people at Legend Resort, which is the
developer for Veranda Beach and the owner of the property where my site is
located. Just meeting the people from Renaissance may prove to pay off in

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the long run. In fact, there may already be a possibility of more work this
coming summer.

Summary

Golf courses and, more recently, golf course architecture, have evolved over
the life of the game. Different times pose different challenges and theories
along the way. Today, golf course architects face the most difficult of times,
attempting to balance economy, the environment, public opinion, and the
changing face of the game. However, this has forced modern architects to
address important issues such as natural systems, health, and the overall
impacts of their design. In effect, forthcoming golf courses should be some
of the most progressive, diverse, and interesting courses the game has ever
seen.

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 Methodology

Siting

For the purposes of this project, my biggest goal was to find a site proposed
for a golf course, but still in the early stages of development. Ideally, a raw
piece of land someone wanted to construct, but had not been touched yet.
Of course I wanted something close to home, but I would settle for anything
within reasonable driving distance. The contacts I made over the span of my
summer internship left me with two options.
Nick Schaan recommended me to John Harbottle, who is actually a
well-known golf architect in the Northwest. Based out of Tacoma, Harbottle
had completed designs for courses such as the Olympic Course at Gold
Mountain, and even Juniper Golf Club in Redmond, Oregon, which was the
town I lived in for the summer of my internship. John was in the planning
stages for a golf course in Tillamook, Oregon, to be named Tillamook Bay
Prospect Golf Course

Golf Club. After visiting the site, I decided it wasn’t in my best interest
because John had already completed a lot of the design work and the
developer exposed me to many of his ideas. I preferred to work on a site
that I didn’t have any preconceived notions about.
Luckily, Brian Slawnik introduced me to the people at Legend Resorts,
which is the developer for Veranda Beach and the area of the proposed
course. The site for this course was still in feasibility stages, which literally
meant they were still searching for the right architect. With this site, I had
the freedom to come up with my own ideas without being swayed by the
ideas of an established architect already on paper.

Inventory & Analysis

The site for Prospect Golf Course consists of approximately 600 acres of
hillside just east of Osoyoos Lake in Oroville, Washington, about half a mile
south of the Canadian border. In spite of this, only a small fraction of the site
could feasibly support a golf course, as roughly 90% of the site consists of
slopes with a grade of 15% or more. While much of the site is too steep, the
existing soil would be great for golf, comprised of a fine, loamy sand.
My earliest concern for the site was the abundance of whitetail and
blacktail deer. However, I soon discovered that adjacent to the area was
Nine Mile Ranch, a 7,000+ acre wildlife preserve. Still, I wanted to be sure to
maintain as much of the little tree cover on site as possible, including the
small grove of trees near the middle of the grounds. The deer appeared to
congregate there at various times of day for protection from the elements.
The trees within the grove looked to be some form of Limber Pine.
Most of the other vegetation on site consisted largely of sage and
native bunch grasses, along with a specific kind of spreading ground cactus.
Not much else seemed to be able to grow within the harsh topography of the
site. Also, the region only receives about eleven inches of annual rainfall

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(including snowmelt), so only hardy native species survive in the area.

Furthermore, wind gusts can average 20-30 miles per hour on any given day,
so more delicate species only survive in more heavily protected areas of the
valley.

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 Design program

Overview

The toughest decision for this site literally came down to how many holes to
include in the course. With only 130 usable acres, and only a fraction of
those able to facilitate a golf hole, the choice was not obvious.
The spectacular view opportunities at the highest locations of the site
were prime locations for holes, so I knew right away that the routing
definitely had to traverse the heights. Besides, I had already pinpointed at
least three ideal hole locations at the top on my first trip to the site alone.
Yet, even with five holes located on the upper level, how could I ever fit
thirteen holes on the lower plateaus? Attempts at squeezing them into those
sections failed time after time. There simply wasn’t enough room for that
many. At the same time, there was ample space to easily fit more than nine
holes. Consequently, I went with another option: 12 holes.
 Boardman

Through the ages, golf courses have been comprised of various

numbers of holes, from as little as five to 22 or more. 18 holes was not any
sort of standard until the late 18th century. Still, more than 100 years later in
the late 19th century, venues like Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club were being
opened with numbers other than nine or 18. Shiskine is a 12-hole course on
the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Similarly, Osgood Public Golf Course in Fargo,
North Dakota also makes use of a 12-hole strategy, giving players the choice
to play any multiple of three holes.
Further arguments in favor of alternatives to 18-hole courses are the
growing amounts or resources required to participate in the game today.
Where a round used to take three hours to complete, the same round today
requires around four and a half hours. Furthermore, a reduction in real
wages and changes in family dynamics make it more complicated for many
players to stay on top of and enjoy the game. Studies by The National Golf
Foundation show a 13.4% decrease in total golfers since the year 2000, with
core players now measured against eight rounds per year instead of the
previous 25. This reflects quite a hit to the industry.
Prospect Golf Course would employ two six-hole loops, with each loop
returning to the clubhouse. This created two distinct groups of holes, one on
the higher grounds and one on the lower. For anyone wishing to play 18
holes, they would merely have to replay one of the loops. In addition to
catering to today’s golfer’s needs, the layout would save on construction,
irrigation, maintenance, environmental, and other costs.

Tees

Tees, though they commence every hole, are usually one of the last priorities
in the thought process of a golf architect. Locating the best green sites and
the routing to them takes much higher precedence then the precise spot to
initiate the hole. To be sure, architects have a rough idea of what length

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Prospect Golf Course

they would like the hole to be, but normally an acceptable tee position can
be found in the general vicinity.
That being said, an architect is not above the idea that certain places
offer such an incredible vista or panorama that they deserve their own hole.
Though, it would be a disservice to the landscape for one amazing view to
dictate the fate of a number of other previously sited holes, or for it to
require an enormous amount of earthmoving to be realized. After all, the
ground should influence the style and routing of a course more than anything
else.
One ever-present preconception concerning teeing areas is that they
should be very basic in shape, and as flat as possible (presumably so players
have consistent teeing areas) to fulfill their utilitarian purpose. While I agree
that tee “boxes” should
be consistent – and are
even more so when
elevating the ball with a
wooden tee – I do not
agree that the entire
teeing area needs to be
a plain, boring square or
rectangle. Minimalist yet

Rectilinear tees at the Fishers Island course by progressive architectural

architect Seth Raynor firms like Renaissance
and DMK Golf Design are beginning to push the envelope a bit by laying out
more natural and anamorphous forms on their tee sites. The shapes not only
tie into the space better, but also look more natural to begin with. Moreover,
the architects resist the urge to hold the tees to a singular plane; individual
tee boxes are sometimes designed to accompany more than one level, and
many teeing areas can be physically and visually linked to give the
impression of a substantial teeing complex.

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Due to the abundance of

elevation change on site, blind tee
shots were inevitable in the routing of
the course. An excellent precedent for
dealing with this issue is what they did
for the 13th hole on The Course at
Qualchan, in Spokane, Washington. The
13th covers a large down slope on the
Video fairway monitor on the 13th
property, resulting in a very blind tee at Qualchan

shot. For safety and speed of play, a video camera has been strategically
place halfway down the fairway, looking down onto the landing area. Players
at the tee are able to view a small monitor and decide when it is safe to hit
their shot. This same technology could be utilized at a couple of points on
the course where blind shots and safety might be of some concern.

Fairways

Philosophy behind fairway design for Prospect would be very simple: let the
ground do the talking. When routing the course, hole placement was largely
dictated by the ground
plane and how the holes
could be connected, much
the same as how holes
were laid out in early
times. Why not let the
existing undulations
inform the shape of the
fairway as well?
An important idea is A highly undulating fairway at Lahinch, Ireland
(golfclubatlas.com)
that there would be no

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Prospect Golf Course

necessity for trucking soil in or out of most of the holes; cut and fill would
simply be moved around the area as needed. Earthmoving ends up being a
tremendous cost on numerous new course constructions. Much of the
ground on site already provides an interesting template for contouring the
fairways, so a great deal of those costs could be avoided.
Tying the edge of the fairway into the native landscape is a place that I
feel many courses fall short. Grass lines and three cuts of rough only detach
the fairway further from the surrounding context. Here, edges would be
sporadic in shape. At Wicked Pony, where they are applying hydroseed to
grass the fairways, some of the seed is allowed to flow into the adjoining
native, blurring the line between man and nature when the course grows in.
Moreover, surrounding rough only limits the possibilities for the hole;
omitting the rough extends the width of the fairway, opening it up for
increased interest and greater shot making possibilities. The fairways at
Prospect would include little to no rough. Only some small waste and
transition areas would be allowed to grow taller.

Bunkers

While at Wicked Pony, Brian Slawnik asserted one idea that really stuck in my
head: bunkers can be the most crucial component of a golf course. Sure, he
could possibly have only been saying it because I was heading the crew that
constructed his bunkers, but I remember the moment he said it and how
much I believed those words. Besides, Brian, who was a shaper at Pacific
Dunes – currently the top rated public course in the nation – had also been
lead architect at Tumble Creek a couple of years ago, and was going on ten
years working with Tom Doak. Why wouldn’t I take those words to heart?

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The truth is, bunker design is central to a quality, believable course. It

is too often the case that a course is riddled with standard, geometric
bunkers filled with white sand. What is believable about California beach
sand in Pacific Northwest hills? Players and architects alike get caught up in
the notion that all golf
courses should have
gleaming white, curvilinear
bunkers lining every fairway
and surrounding every
green. Rather than paying
attention to context, they
instead opt for a
generalized standard that
has been adopted for no Example of black slag bunkers at Old Works
other apparent reason than “they look nice.” At Aspen Lakes in central
Oregon, a type of red sand was used to emulate the iron-rich soil
predominant in the region. Similarly, in the way of context, Jack Nicklaus
utilized a neutral black slag found on site for his Old Works course at a
converted brownfield in Anaconda, Montana. A byproduct of the copper
smelting process, the slag possessed a consistency analogous to bunker
sand, was just as harmless, and provided a refreshing contrast to the
occasionally monotonous white sand seen practically everywhere else.
Bunker shape can be taken out of context as well. Circular and/or oval
bunkers can often be equated with poor design, though they may fit well in
the proper framework. Bunkers with irregular shapes that mimic surrounding
form are much better at increasing the continuity of the course, not to
mention the overall interest of play. Examples from other sites can also be
used to inspire form, as long as they fit well in the immediate context. For
example, Brian also informed me of his inspiration for the bunkers at Wicked
Pony: the Sleeping Bear Dunes near his residence in Traverse City, Michigan.

21
Prospect Golf Course

On early courses, bunkers were created by livestock and other animals

in an attempt to take shelter from the relentless coastal weather. Small
ridges and hills in the links land were dug into to escape rain and wind,
exposing the sandy soil that existed underneath. In the following years as
golf gained popularity, the exposed portions of soil were then treated as
obstacles (hazards) in the
line of play, and eventually
evolved into the bunkers we
are so familiar with today.
The orientation of bunkers
on a particular hole form a
prevailing direction of play,
much the way prevailing
winds caused animals to
employ them on linksland.
One of the many sand areas exposed by animals
seeking shelter on site As Alister Mackenzie said,
“…every bunker which has been constructed of a natural appearance,
although extremely visible from the tee, is invisible when viewed from the
opposite direction” (1998).
Fortunately, I discovered more than one location in the hills above
Veranda Beach where wildlife and livestock had managed precisely the same
thing. In a similar effort, faces of contours in various areas have been
unearthed to provide shelter from the often ruthless weather of the northern
interior. These exposed areas, in addition to the large existing sand hollows
on site, would inform the construction and aesthetic of bunkers implemented
at Prospect.
One last crucial element to bunkering and the course in general,
especially in the early years following its opening, is to make things look like
they’ve been there for ages. As Brian explained to me, bunkers on
established courses have large buildups of sand on faces in the direct line of
play to the hole. Years and years of play out of a bunker splashes small

22
 Boardman

amounts of sand onto the top of the face each time, creating a grassy mound
ahead of the player. To give the illusion that a course has been there for
some time, it is important to emulate this phenomenon within many of the
bunker complexes on the course.

Greens

Greens are probably the most site specific element of the golf course. Due
to their relative size, it is imperative that their contours blend in smoothly
with the surrounding terrain. The character of greens varies from course to
course, but rest assured that the greens receiving highest acclaim are those
that are fittingly aesthetic as well.
Over the last couple of decades, it has become custom to manicure
greens so tightly that they roll faster and faster every year. Tragically, this
has led to greens that are progressively flatter and lack real interest. For
example, on a visit to The Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, I was
told an interesting story by the member I was touring the course with. The
Plantation Course is famous for hosting the Mercedes Benz championship
every year on the PGA Tour. A Coore & Crenshaw design (architects well
known for minimalist courses like Sand Hills in Nebraska), the greens there
were originally crafted with generous movement. Nevertheless, Tour players
complained so much about the difficulty of the greens that many were soon
shaved down into the smoother surfaces they are today.
Why were the players complaining, you ask? Well, it wasn’t because of
the design of the greens. It was because of the maintenance. The original
designs were not meant to roll as fast as they do today. As a result, the
faster conditions could not support many of the lines the players had to putt
through. In a twist of irony, the now flatter greens have reduced public

23
Prospect Golf Course

opinion of the course and it is in jeopardy of losing its tournament

sponsorship.
Prospect Golf Course could learn a valuable lesson from places like
Kapalua. The proposed green sites need not only be contextual and
interesting, but also allowed to roll at slower speeds in order to be playable.
One simple method to achieve slower speeds is to cut the grass slightly
longer than the required standards of so many Tour courses. After all,
tournament courses regularly adhere to maintenance paradigms that are far
from sustainable. No course should look like the Masters 365 days a year.

24
 The Course

The following pages describe the layout and strategy of the course, broken
down into separate pages for each hole. The individual holes begin with a
plan view of the hole on the left facing page, followed by descriptions and
further illustrations of the hole on the right facing page. Preceding the
individual hole descriptions is a master plan of the entire course, laid out on
the next two pages.
Hole 1 – 145 yard par 3

The first hole is a medium length uphill par three that will play about one
club longer than the yardage indicates. Being the only truly forested area on
the course, the player is
invited to experience a
unique aspect of the
property. It is likely that
only three trees would
need to be removed,
preserving the character
of the space and the
habitat that deer and
some smaller animals
utilize. Removing these
View from proposed tee area
trees will open up the corridor for better visibility and shot value.
Players will be required to cross a small valley and play up to an
elevated green. The bunker fronting the green appears to be quite a hurdle
to the uphill tee shot, but ample area behind the bunker and a generous
green give the player some leeway. An extended landing area behind the
green, as well as a bunker on the back right, do well to catch any balls that
overestimate the proper yardage.
Hole 2 – 320 yard par 4

The walk from the first green to the second tee is the longest transition on
the course. This walk alone was one of the major reasons it was decided the
course would not be able to pass as walking only, due to some patrons’
expected inability to make the approximately 200’ rise in elevation.
Representing one of the largest
earthmoving tasks on site, which follows
the minimalist tenets of earthmoving
overall, the tee area here would be raised
roughly 20’ to mitigate the angle of an
already blind tee shot. As can be seen in
the image to the left, the second tree from
Current view from tee location the left would be removed to create a
framed opening as the proper path of a tee ball. The fairway itself would
begin immediately after this bank of trees, and slopes to the right and away
from the teeing area.
In many instances, am
extremely precise or
shaped shot would be
required in order to
hold the fairway.
Position for the second
shot is also paramount;
the further to the right
side of the fairway, the
more elevated the
green in relation to the
ball. How the second fairway might look
Prospect Golf Course

Being the highest hole on the course, the ground here is more rock
than sand and topsoil. Winds can often be heavy at times as well. Thus, no
bunkers have been implemented on this hole.

32
Hole 3 – 130 yard par 3

Just over the hill from the second green lie the tees for hole three. Crossing
a small dip and existing fence line, the tee shot is relatively short but
simultaneously intimidating. Each golfer is faced with a shot appearing akin

What the third green might look like

View to site of third green
from the tees
to throwing a dime on a small tabletop and hoping it stays there.
As with the previous hole, no bunkers have been employed here. The
player must be accurate with a short iron or will possibly face a difficult chip
to the green. The grassed areas around the green are often on sloping
ground, so a wayward shot may not always stop and could trickle back down
into the native vegetation.

Panorama of the Okanogan Valley and Osoyoos Lake as seen from the third green
Hole 4 – 570 yard par 5

The tee shot for the fifth hole

crosses back over the existing
fence line and traverses the
saddle directly ahead. An
existing rock would be
preserved to direct the safest
line of play, as the player will be
required to hit at least one more
shot to reach the green. The
landing area just past the saddle
View from 4 tees
opens up to accommodate tee
shots and provide alternate angles toward the green.
As the player arrives at their ball for the second shot, they are
presented with two strategic lines of attack to the green. The line to the
right must deal with the ridge that slopes off dramatically, requiring a well-
controlled shot. The
line to the left is
safer, but a large
bunker and adjacent
collection area could
make a wayward
shot much more
difficult in the long
run. The green is
somewhat tucked
behind a small
group of trees, so

View of green from first landing area

 Boardman

making it there in two shots will prove difficult. A wind turbine is visible on
the hill to the left, which is described in a later section.

37
Hole 5 – 140 yard par 3

This shorter par

three is largely
meant to act as
short respite after
the preceding,
rather demanding
par five. The green
sits in a level saddle
between the
surrounding hills,
with ample landing
area and one small
bunker flanking the
The fifth hole has minimal physical and visual impact
right side. The tee
shot is intended to be straight forward.
Hole 6 – 470 yard par 4

With a drop of over 60’ from tee to

landing area, this hole requires two
well struck shots to reach the green.
The landing area for the first shot is
liberal, but narrows as you approach
the waste bunker to the left. A bunker
to the right should catch and balls that
might careen down the slope.
Since the second shot will be
long for most golfers, the front of the
green is opened up to accept balls that
will need some roll to reach it. Tee View from sixth tee site

shots directed far to the right will be forced to carry over a large bunker en
route to the green, and those that venture too far to the left will face a
menacing blowout bunker set in a small ridge short-left of the green.
The sixth hole brings golfers back to the clubhouse and marks the end
of the first loop on the course.

Sixth hole fairway site The resulting fairway would be heavily

contoured
Hole 7 – 190 yard par 3

Tees for the seventh hole are adjacent the clubhouse, and take the golfer
sharply downhill into the lower portions of the property. The change in
elevation from the tees to the green requires an adjustment of two to
possibly three clubs in this case. For this reason, the landing area is the
largest of any par three on the course. However, any shot falling
substantially short of the yardage will be faced with a vast bunker
resembling some of the existing large sand hollows on site.
Hole 8 – 170 yard par 3

As the second of consecutive par threes, this hole may initially receive some
criticism. However, the elevation changes and layout of this area make the
two short holes almost necessary. Besides, courses like Cypress Point and
Pacific Dunes have consecutive par threes, and they are annually ranked
near the top on everyone’s lists of the best courses in America.
The large bunker on this one-shotter is what the large bunker on the
previous hole would be modeled after. Prehistoric times feasibly saw much
of the site, excluding the highest
portions such as the second and
third holes, covered in water.
This would account for the
exceptionally sandy soils and
large sand deposits around the
area.
One of many sand deposits on site
Fronting the right portion
of the green, this existing hazard, along with a green that slopes away and to
the right, creates what almost becomes the mirror image of the famous
Redan hole at North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland (though not intentionally).
A right-to-left approach would be ideal for this green, but that line puts the
oversize bunker directly in the path of the ball.
Hole 9 – 340 yard par 4

At 340 yards, this hole would not seem reachable off the tee. However,
because of the downhill orientation of the hole, longer hitters may take a
crack at the green. Many architects prefer to have at least one reachable
par four on their courses; this is Prospect’s contribution.
The basic strategy behind this hole is the fact that the fairway narrows
as you approach the green. Consequently, the more of the fairway you try to
bite off with your tee shot, the less fairway you have to work with. Distance
must breed accuracy.
Prospect Golf Course

Down the right, a player is allowed quite a hefty margin of error, as the
slope feeds down and toward the green. On the other hand, a side/downhill
shot to the green is less than idyllic. If a tee shot is lost out to the left, it will
either be gobbled up by the large collection bunker or flirt with being lost

The ninth hole serves up a fine dish of risk-reward

down the hill.

48
Hole 10 – 625 yard par 5

The tenth hole is one of only

two par fives on the course.
While it is possible for some
to reach the fourth hole in
two shots, the tenth is a true
three-shotter. The fairway
here covers some of the most
rolling terrain on site. In fact,
this is one of the few places
where some of the contours

Part of what would be the tenth fairway will need to be subdued in

spots.
The sizeable first bunker challenges the player into a forced carry,
while the second bunker calls for a little bit of thought for the longer hitters.
Though, much of the fairway to the green is wide open. As you approach the
green, the fairway begins to bottleneck, eventually leading to a cove
surrounded on three sides. Here the green is set into a bowl, allowing
players to really shoot for it without too much fear of getting far off course.
 Hole 11 – 435 yard par 4

As with the second hole, the tee here

would be elevated about 20’ to mitigate
the uphill tee shot, as well as to create
the cove for the tenth green.
A large landing area welcomes the
golfer as they walk up to meet their tee
shot. The fairway curves around a small
hill to the right, opening up a direct line
Current view from tee site
to the green.
Two bunkers sit in the fairway short of the green. The first bunkers is
much larger than the second, creating the illusion that the green is actually
further from the golfer than it actually is. Because the second shot here is
long and deceiving, the eleventh green is one of the largest and forgiving on
the course.

View from the eleventh fairway, with clubhouse visible in the distance
Hole 12 – 185 yard par 3

For the finishing hole, I wanted to

encompass a couple of basic ideas.
First, the final hole of a course is usually
one of the most challenging or poses a
spectacular element of the site. While
this is not always possible when you are
at the same time attempting to finish
near the clubhouse, it must at the very
least be memorable. Second, I wanted Site for the final hole
the hole to finish so near the clubhouse that there would be a greater
interaction between people completing their round and those who were
already at the clubhouse.
The 12th hole accomplishes both of the goals by posing a challenging,
long par three guarded by bunkers, finishing just below the clubhouse deck
overlooking the hole.

12th green and clubhouse

 Health & the Future

Health of the Player

Coming in to this project, one of my goals (I guess I should say hopes) was to
propose a course that would be walking-only. That is, to design a course with
no cart paths which promoted a more active lifestyle and challenged the
player to study the ground plane, rather than just breeze through every hole
propped up on four wheels. Writer Rebecca Solnit, who often waxes
philosophic on the union of active and contemplative lives, one said,
“Walking is the only way to measure the rhythm of the body against the
rhythm of the land.” In order to truly experience the intricacies and subtle
nuances on the ground plane, a golfer should walk the course.
That being said, I soon realized the abundance of topography changes
on site, coupled with the only option being to walk, would exclude a larger
than acceptable population from being able to play the course. Still, it is my
 Boardman

hope that the people who were able to would still choose to walk the
grounds, reaping the many physical and cognitive benefits.
A 2006 study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings covered some of the
physical benefits of walking. The study was a response to recent concerns
“in the fight against obesity, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and various
musculoskeletal pathological conditions” (Kobriger et. al. 2006). One trend
reviewed was the 10,000 step program, which shows that people who walk
at least a total of 10,000 steps per day are more likely to meet daily physical
activity standards prescribed by many physicians. The results of the study
illustrated that a typical golfer, male or female, walks in excess of 10,000
steps for every round of 18 holes (Kobriger et. al. 2006). Prospect Golf
Course would of course only be 12 holes, but the slightly more challenging
terrain would partially make up for the shorter walking distance. Besides,
time saved playing fewer holes would leave the player with more opportunity
to participate in other activities.

Health of the Course

Golf courses have come under heavy scrutiny in recent years due to some
insensitive practices involving water, pesticide, and land use. Fortunately,
advances in technology, forward thinking, and awareness by industry
professionals have actually placed golf ahead of many industries in these
categories.
Studies in Ontario, Canada, have shown that a majority of courses
could implement a 90%
reduction in pesticide
use and achieve the
same basic results. A
dramatic reduction in
grassed area has also

57

A less than green fairway at Ballyneal

(golfclubatlas.com)
Prospect Golf Course

reduced pesticide application, as well as the amount of irrigation required to

maintain a course. At Ballyneal in Holyoke, Colorado, supervisors share
some very progressive thinking on the subject of irrigation. The fescue on
the course is not kept pristinely green all year long. In the summer, when
the temperatures soar and the winds are often gusty, grass is allowed to turn
many shades of brown. Nevertheless, the playing conditions remain almost
exactly the same as when the course displays a completely green façade.
Maintenance crews measure soil moisture with a probe; experience has
shown that one cannot simply apply water according to the color of the turf.
This practice also contributes to efforts in Integrated Pest Management, while
at the same time utilizing valuable this valuable resource in an efficient
manner.
Ballyneal is unique in these practices for a specific reason: its
members. The people that play there understand the progressive nature of
the game and how practices need to be changed. For them, as long as the
course is challenging and enjoyable, it does not need to uphold ridiculous
standards nearly everyone views on television during weekend PGA
tournaments. If those viewers could be persuaded as well, the whole of the
game could benefit.

Alternative Energy

Mounting trepidation regarding energy supply and demand leaves us no

choice but to seriously consider alternatives for the way we power our
everyday lives. Reducing consumption, utilizing unconventional fuels, and
creating self-sustainable sites are steps in the right direction.
Chris Gray is beginning to set an excellent precedent for alternative
energy practices. Chris is the head superintendent for Marvel Golf Club in
Benton, Kentucky, and national public and overall winner of the 2003 and
2007 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America / Golf Digest

58
 Boardman

Environmental Leaders in Golf Award. He has experimented with many

sustainable practices, including developing mulch piles – which have a three-
year turnover – to fertilize his golf course, a rain catchment system for
irrigation, and he has even gone as far as to convert all of his non-warranty
equipment to a vegetable oil biofuel. While Chris adapted much of the
conversion technology himself, conversion kits are now available for as little
as $30 (though some run as much as $500). Since filtered vegetable oil is
roughly 1/5 the cost of traditional fuels, money saved in the long run easily
exceeds the cost of conversion (Massey 2008).
Additional sources of energy are also on Chris’s mind. In the future, he
plans to install a wind turbine on his course at a minimal cost of $5-6,000.
While this may appear substantial at first glance, Chris expects the turbine to
run the clubhouse and send surplus energy back to the grid, resulting in a
credit payment to the course (Massey 2008). If all works out as planned, the
turbine could pay for itself in a few years.
Larger companies are beginning to jump on the alternative energy
bandwagon as well. Toro has recently begun producing a line of golf
equipment that runs on 20% biofuel, with a model that operates exclusively
on alternative fuels planned to enter the market in 2009 (toro.com).

59
 Conclusion

One reality worth reiterating here is the fact that all golf courses, whether
minimalist or profligate in scheme, are expensive to design and build. It
would be wasteful to simply construct a course from some template that held
little interest on the ground which it was built. This is reflected across the
country, as literally hundreds of courses have closed down due to rising costs
and lack of enthusiastic patronage. New construction must be well thought
out, contextually sincere, and, as Mackenzie hinted toward, playable for the
high handicapper while at the same time challenging for the scratch golfer.
At Prospect Golf Course, the answer may very well be a twelve hole
course. Numerous golfers and architects have agreed that the idea can
work, and some are surprised the concept has not been utilized more to this
day. Shiskine and Osgood are only two examples in which the model has
indeed turned out successful. The key is to design a quality course that
stands on its own, in addition to offering a fair price. The biggest initial
barrier for the course would be to overcome the opinions of the developer
 Boardman

and players, whose ideals primarily lie within the time-hardened tradition of
18 holes. If the market can be persuaded, then a proper and inspired
business plan could be rewarding.
The changing face of golf poses many new obstacles, yet with open
minds and progressive thinking nearly all of those challenges can be turned
into opportunities. Developments in maintenance practices as well as new
technology and alternative fuels further compliment new construction,
restoration, and retrofitted courses. As long as the game remains sensitive
to the world around it, golf courses of 18, 12, or any other number of holes
should persevere.

61
References

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