Cape Naturaliste Club (CC Contest Entry)
Aug 29, 2021 10:38:15 GMT -5
blueblood1995, meyo, and 5 more like this
Post by Rickster on Aug 29, 2021 10:38:15 GMT -5
Welcome to the Cape Naturaliste Club. My fictitious course for the Challenge Circuit Design Contest 2021. The name comes from an area I love to spend holidays in the South of Western Australia.
Inspired by the landscape and seascape of a famous Californian beachside golf course South of San Francisco (and by Design League 2.3), Cape Naturaliste Club is situated some 400 miles further North on the Pacific coast.
Course Geography
The golf course spans almost 2 kilometres of Pacific coastline and two small bays. Cape Naturaliste and its lighthouse define the Northern coast of the course. Alligator Rocks defines the Southern coast of the course. An the two bays, Brooks Bay to the North, and Cormorant Bay to the South are divided by the rugged ocean-side cliffs of Nickel Head Point. Small beaches are broken by stretches of rock and reef snuggling up to low coastal cliffs. Nine of the holes on the Cape Naturaliste course either run along these cliffs or have their green near the cliffs. The cliffs and beaches support a range of salt tolerant scrub and bushes. The two rocks and reef structures visible in the middle of Brooks Bay are know as "The Otters" by locals, as the rocks and reefs are frequented by many otters at various times of year. A ravine runs 350 metres all the way from the beach up to a large Cenote to the left hand side of Hole2 fairway. This ravine crosses both Hole2 and Hole7. Up on the course there are plenty of tall pines and spruce trees mixed in with other coastal tree varieties and large and small specimen trees.
Course Style
The course is fairly well manicured, and almost feels like a parkland style course by the beach. However some of the holes running along the beach-side cliffs have a dunes course feel due to the absence of trees and proximity to the ocean. The mixture of Spruce and tall Pines with other coastal trees, and some large and small specimen trees give nice mixtures of foliage and colour. Trees and bushes between the fairways are kept in distinct areas with tracts of green heavy rough meandering through giving glimpses of ocean and other fairways here and there between the trees.
Course Stats and Play
The following refers to play from the blue Pro tees. The course plays 6706 metres with Par at 73 due to there being five Par 5 holes. From the clubhouse, holes 1 to 9 loop around the South end of the course and holes 10 to 18 loop around the North end of the course. With favourable winds and skillful ball flight, players can drive the green on some of the shorter Par 4 holes. Hole2 dog-leg Left Par 5 looks to be a monster and will normally take 3 shots to reach the green unless you have a tail wind, but it does play shorter than the scorecard indicates because of the 20 metre downhill drive and a narrow left side fairway (split fairway) allowing accurate players to cut the corner as well.
There is a fairly even balance for direction of play by the compass and with hole shape. There are 3 straight holes (Par 3s), 8 dog-leg Right and 7 dog-leg Left, although a few dog-legs are very gentle. Playing from the tee there are 12 downhill shots versus 5 uphill shots and 1 level shot. For second shots (if required to get to the green) there are 7 uphill, 4 level, and 7 downhill.
Most fairways are around 30 metres width in driving areas with minor to medium undulations and cambering. Most greens are multilevel with moderate undulation and default green speed is set at 7.7 in the Designer (Medium/Fast - Fast). All greens have variable width of fairway around them, except for the shared green for Holes 4 and 5 at the end of Nickel Head Point - you don't want your ball rolling too far off the green here! The first cut width is about 1 metre wide. Fairways and greens are fairly well bunkered, with total bunkers at 109 which averages about 6 per hole.
All beaches, beach-side cliffs and the ravine are out of bounds. The private property around the restaurant, pub and spa, as well as the accommodation areas on the North hill are also out of bounds.
Cape Naturaliste Club Scorecard
Features on Course
The Cape Naturaliste Club boasts one of the largest clubhouses in California, thanks to many celebrity sports stars and business people who have membership at the club for their Northern Californian getaway weekends. The clubhouse boasts a 4 lane bowling alley, 2 squash courts, gym and sports science centre, as well as reception centre, restaurant, 3 bars, offices and an Olympic size rooftop pool. There are two tennis courts behind the clubhouse.
There is a large maintenance complex including accommodation for Club CEO, Course Superintendent and Grounds staff. Many staff are needed to keep this course looking pretty.
A beach-side hospitality area is adjacent to Holes 12 and 13 comprised of "The Oyster Beds" restaurant and reception centre, "Hamasaki's Day Spa", and a pub called "The Lonely Otter".
There is private apartment and hotel accommodation on course on the hill visible from holes 13 to 16.
Course Screenshots
Hole3 - Par 4 - This hole takes the player down to the ocean cliffs overlooking Cormorant Bay
Hole4 - Par 4 - A spectacular hole along the rugged cliffs of Nickel Head Point is almost drivable from the blue Pro tees with a strong tail wind - but you better be straight. The green is shared with the short Par 3 Hole5 with a butterfly like shape around the two Spruce trees
Hole8 - Par 3 - This longish Par 3 hole only has one bunker half way down the cliff face on the left side of the green.
Hole9 - Par4 - A short Par 4 heading back to the clubhouse with some obstacle rocks in the middle of the fairway as well as a pond guarding the right hand side of the green. Definitely drivable with assisting winds. And time for a pit stop too.
Hole11 - Par4 - This hole has players driving over the Brooks Bay beach. The Oyster Beds restaurant can be seen in the far left perched over the cliff.
Hole13 - Par4 - A glaring hole into the afternoon sun with some nice views from the green, including the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse.
Hole16 - Par5 - The shortest of the Par 5 holes, this one's definitely an Eagle chance with two good shots.
Hole18 - Par5 - And now we are heading for home. A nice downhill drive followed by a long uphill second to the green with the clubhouse in sight.
Hope you enjoyed the photos and enjoy your round at Cape Naturaliste Club.
Cheers