Construction Has Begun on New Bonne Terre Golf Club
May 7, 2020 10:51:18 GMT -5
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Post by jsobers1 on May 7, 2020 10:51:18 GMT -5
BONNE TERRE, MO -- The town of Bonne Terre, Missouri has fallen on hard times since the lead mine was closed in 1962. Ever since it was featured in the Encyclopedia of Forlorn Places, visitors to Bonne Terre and its famous mine have dwindled, prompting the town to commission the creation of a municipal golf course in the hopes of drawing more people to the area.
After seeing the work of Messrs. Coore and Crenshaw at Ozarks National, the town attempted to secure the pair for their new course, however the asking fees were more than the town could afford. An open search commenced and resulted in the hiring of Jeff Sobers, a newcomer to the design scene, as the architect for the new project.
A spokesperson for the town said this of Sobers, "His design philosophy was very much in line with what we were looking to achieve. This course will be a destination for visitors to Bonne Terre, as well as a haven for local residents, but we also hope to draw the attention of the Tour. We felt strongly that he could provide a course that met all of these objectives and utilize the natural landscape as much as possible to reduce construction costs." It is the opinion of this reporter that the town ultimately selected Sobers because of his willingness to forego a design fee on the project.
"I told them when I saw the property that it was so good I'd do the work for free. I never considered they'd take me up on that offer," said Sobers.
Despite working pro bono, Sobers dove into the project headfirst. "As my first design, I was really excited by the terrain. Obviously, this land was meant to be a golf course. I probably could have found a hundred holes, but I believe I've selected the best eighteen holes the property has to offer."
Once the routing was determined, construction began. Sobers has a very specific process for construction. "The first thing I do," Sobers said, "is to examine the green site to flesh out the overall plan for each hole. The major earthmoving is next, although on this site the land allowed us to minimize that phase. Then we stake the greens, fairways, and hazard locations. Shaping is next. We start with the greens, with an emphasis on variety and harmony, while making sure each has appropriate drainage and runoff. Then we work on the tees, fairways, bunkers, and finally the cart paths. The crew then goes to work on landscaping and grassing, although we're using as much of the natural grasses as possible to emphasize the beauty that exists here already."
When asked about the biggest challenge so far, Sobers responded, "A lot of time is dedicated to the greens and the bunkers. I wanted to give this course a very special look while making it a strong test from the back tees, but making it playable for those golfers using SkyTrak."
The first five holes are complete (see pictures accompanying this article), and shaping has finished on the remainder of the front nine. Major earthmoving is underway on the back nine now.
The town is hoping for a mid-summer release to take advantage of the warm weather. Sobers believes he may be able to have the course completed even sooner.
"This entire project is a labor of love," said Sobers. "I am putting a ton of effort behind the work, and I'd like to see it completed as soon as possible because I really can't wait to play it."
Hole 1 Tee Shot
Hole 2 Aerial View
Hole 3 Tee Shot
Hole 3 Approach
Hole 4 Tee Shot
Hole 4 Approach
Hole 5 Tee Shot
Hole 5 Approach
After seeing the work of Messrs. Coore and Crenshaw at Ozarks National, the town attempted to secure the pair for their new course, however the asking fees were more than the town could afford. An open search commenced and resulted in the hiring of Jeff Sobers, a newcomer to the design scene, as the architect for the new project.
A spokesperson for the town said this of Sobers, "His design philosophy was very much in line with what we were looking to achieve. This course will be a destination for visitors to Bonne Terre, as well as a haven for local residents, but we also hope to draw the attention of the Tour. We felt strongly that he could provide a course that met all of these objectives and utilize the natural landscape as much as possible to reduce construction costs." It is the opinion of this reporter that the town ultimately selected Sobers because of his willingness to forego a design fee on the project.
"I told them when I saw the property that it was so good I'd do the work for free. I never considered they'd take me up on that offer," said Sobers.
Despite working pro bono, Sobers dove into the project headfirst. "As my first design, I was really excited by the terrain. Obviously, this land was meant to be a golf course. I probably could have found a hundred holes, but I believe I've selected the best eighteen holes the property has to offer."
Once the routing was determined, construction began. Sobers has a very specific process for construction. "The first thing I do," Sobers said, "is to examine the green site to flesh out the overall plan for each hole. The major earthmoving is next, although on this site the land allowed us to minimize that phase. Then we stake the greens, fairways, and hazard locations. Shaping is next. We start with the greens, with an emphasis on variety and harmony, while making sure each has appropriate drainage and runoff. Then we work on the tees, fairways, bunkers, and finally the cart paths. The crew then goes to work on landscaping and grassing, although we're using as much of the natural grasses as possible to emphasize the beauty that exists here already."
When asked about the biggest challenge so far, Sobers responded, "A lot of time is dedicated to the greens and the bunkers. I wanted to give this course a very special look while making it a strong test from the back tees, but making it playable for those golfers using SkyTrak."
The first five holes are complete (see pictures accompanying this article), and shaping has finished on the remainder of the front nine. Major earthmoving is underway on the back nine now.
The town is hoping for a mid-summer release to take advantage of the warm weather. Sobers believes he may be able to have the course completed even sooner.
"This entire project is a labor of love," said Sobers. "I am putting a ton of effort behind the work, and I'd like to see it completed as soon as possible because I really can't wait to play it."
Hole 1 Tee Shot
Hole 2 Aerial View
Hole 3 Tee Shot
Hole 3 Approach
Hole 4 Tee Shot
Hole 4 Approach
Hole 5 Tee Shot
Hole 5 Approach