Design League Season 2, Contest 5

[trailducker]

My entry is published "TrailDucker -DL2.5Maxwell" mattyfromcanada



For my entry I chose to build in the style of Perry Maxwell. Known to drape his holes across hilly landscapes and create some wild green complexes with internal humps and bumps referred to as “Maxwell Rolls”. I modeled my course mostly after Old Town but would also refer to Prairie Dunes and Southern Hills a bit as well. For this course I experimented with bigger greens and at a slower speed to be able to ramp up my contours.


Old Town Club by Perry Maxwell - 1939

Prarie Dunes by Perry Maxwell - 1937

---

For the NERDS I layed out my hole by hole influences and stratetgy:


Hole 1:

The opening hole is influenced by Hole 6 at Old Town Club. Perry was known to find overlooking cliffs on sites to place a green to give a vast view during the round. It is best to be on the proper tier but also stay below the hole as the green aggressively slips down. Any shots long have a scary chip to try and stop before hitting the slips down.

Hole 6 Green at Old Town Club overlooking the rest of the course from above

Hole 2:

The hole design is inspired by Hole 1 at Old Town Club with a choice to challenge the water or lay up short of it turning this reachable into a 3 shot Par 5. The approach to the green also has the same rolling valley in front like Hole 1 making the approach something to ponder. The fairways of 2,3 and 6 all collide here like a few do on Old Town. The green complex that is shared with 5 is inspired by the double green complex of Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town. Here is the first you see the internal “puffs” Perry is known for on his greens.


Hole 1 at Old Town Club, asking you to challange the water or layup short.

Double Green Hole 8 & 17 at Old Town Club

Hole 3:

The Green here is inspired by Hole 10 at Prairie Dunes with a dramatic false front and a couple internal half tiers to consider. This being a long Par 3 the best shots will find the right play of velocity as it hits one of these ridges to land where the pin is at that day.


Hole 10 green at Prairie Dunes


Hole 4:

This hole merges the 14th fairway with the 11th green complex of Old Town. You have an option to hit up top the ridge to a tight landing zone for a full wedge shot hitting into the multi tiers green. Or you can hit to the lower portion flirting with the water for a shorter shot but one that will be a pitch going in line with the tiers rather than into them.


Hole 14 fairway at Old Town Club

Hole 11 Green at Old Town Club


Hole 5:

The Fairway of 5 is a take on Hole 10 at Old Town with a high side that is safer and a low plateau jetting out in the water for the aggressive player chasing Eagle. Like 10 there is a large swell in front of the green that is more in play from the further high side. This is the second green of the double green complex influenced by Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town and with the most pronounced “Maxwell Rolls” hump on the course.

Hole 10 at Old Town Club

Hole 8 & 17 Double Green at Old Town Club


Hole 6:

The Green Complex of Hole 6 is influenced by Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes. This drivable 4 green is perched against a hill surrounded by deep bunkers. Though it's drivable this hole has a plethora of other options as well with clearing the water short right. Hitting Left with a wood or iron atop the hill or being short of the water right at the the base of the gulley. Anything left has to deal with the large hump in the front middle of the green while coming from the right gives you alignment with the axis of the green.


Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes

[cambuehl]

My entry is in - c'mon! DL2.5 Flynn
mattyfromcanada


DESIGN ELEMENTS

Nerd info first because that's what we're here for. Flynn's work differs from a lot of the designs in this game - he has more of a parkland style that is pretty understated. His courses are smooth, not sculpted, and his hole layouts are fairly simple at first glance. For me it's the strategic wiring of his courses that makes his work compelling. Here are some of the Flynn calling cards that I've incorporated:

• canted fairways - these often call for a shot to be shaped off the tee in order to hold the fairway. Often Flynn would make you hit a draw off a fade lie into the green or vice versa - that idea is alive and well here. His greens were sometimes "canted" too - sometimes a right-sloping fairway would set up an tough shot into a left-sloping green
• rewarding accuracy and "punishing" length - Flynn tried to reward the accurate player, so laying back leaves a better angle or lie. In Flynn World blasting one over the bunker on the corner of a dogleg isn't necessarily the move, it might take a wayward bounce or leave an awkward shot
• small yet tame greens - the reward for those who find them is a straightforward putt. You'll find no yellow or red slopes on these greens - perhaps a sweet relief after a go at some Maxwell greens.
• bunkers carved into the face of a slope - Not many bunkers hide here, they are announced to the player. Flynn's bunkering was shallow, and this is where I strayed from his ideas a bit to match the abilities of video game golfers and up the challenge and drama of the course a bit. 
• manufactured naturalism - Flynn was not one for artificiality, even though he did engineer naturalism. To make the slopes and drastic fairway tilts feel natural, I've pulled them from the surrounding landscape. The same goes for the greens, which typically slope in one direction and follow the general slope of the land. 
• routing - It sounds like Flynn was a master in this regard, intuitively fitting course onto tight plots of land. He set up holes in a lot of different directions and rarely showed you the same wind with the same club twice. This was hard to incorporate into a small course, but things are fairly concise and no two consecutive holes take the same direction and the pairs of par 5s as well as par 3s run in opposite each other. 
  

THE INSPIRATION

I looked to Lehigh, Lancaster, Rolling Green, and Omni Homestead Cascades. The Fried Egg article here and the Golf Atlas entries on Lancaster and Cascades were great sources to get me going.


Rolling Green via FriedEgg - to carry or not to carry?


Cascades Course via Golf Atlas - fairway pitched right, green pitched left

THE COURSE


Overview of the full nine


Carrying that bunker on the right is tempting, but will it pay off?


Par 3 encouraging a draw, but the green slope might be more receptive to a fade


Mind the slope on the tee shot - the three bunkers should warn you to stay as far left as possible. A draw leads to the best results. Then you're faced with a cut lie when another draw is the better shot.


Driver gets you close to the green, but things are by no means easy from the gully to an uncooperative green. Doesn't a nice full wedge sound better?


Plenty of cross-course views on a compact routing


I also went a little crazy and ended up with a full nine as well, playable as Mercer Country Club. (If you're familiar with Duke University basketball upsets, you'll find a connection to Flynn's Lehigh Country Club in this name...)

[graemevood]

DL2.5 gvood (Mackenzie)

My entry is Mackenzie inspired, straight off I had only heard of Mackenzie but still wasn’t aware just how much and what he had done. I did research other architects but nothing was standing out for me. I probably only discovered sand belt courses were a thing a few month back so to then find out mackenzies influence on them seemed quite fitting to give a go. I’d say the main element of my entry is focused around the bunkering of Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. I learned that Mackenzie had 13 design principles so tried to include what I could in 6 holes.

Little walking between green and the next tee, sufficiently undulating greens and fairways but no hill climbing, minimum blindness on approach, course should have beautiful surroundings and all artificial features should be natural in appearance.

Hopefully I’ve captured enough to give a Mackenzie vibe, if not I’ve enjoyed this project nevertheless and will be making it 18 holes as soon as possible.

[virtualgolfer65]

Oct 3, 2021 15:42:36 GMT -5 trailducker said:

My entry is published "TrailDucker -DL2.5Maxwell" mattyfromcanada



For my entry I chose to build in the style of Perry Maxwell. Known to drape his holes across hilly landscapes and create some wild green complexes with internal humps and bumps referred to as “Maxwell Rolls”. I modeled my course mostly after Old Town but would also refer to Prairie Dunes and Southern Hills a bit as well. For this course I experimented with bigger greens and at a slower speed to be able to ramp up my contours.


Old Town Club by Perry Maxwell - 1939

Prarie Dunes by Perry Maxwell - 1937

---

For the NERDS I layed out my hole by hole influences and stratetgy:


Hole 1:

The opening hole is influenced by Hole 6 at Old Town Club. Perry was known to find overlooking cliffs on sites to place a green to give a vast view during the round. It is best to be on the proper tier but also stay below the hole as the green aggressively slips down. Any shots long have a scary chip to try and stop before hitting the slips down.

Hole 6 Green at Old Town Club overlooking the rest of the course from above

Hole 2:

The hole design is inspired by Hole 1 at Old Town Club with a choice to challenge the water or lay up short of it turning this reachable into a 3 shot Par 5. The approach to the green also has the same rolling valley in front like Hole 1 making the approach something to ponder. The fairways of 2,3 and 6 all collide here like a few do on Old Town. The green complex that is shared with 5 is inspired by the double green complex of Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town. Here is the first you see the internal “puffs” Perry is known for on his greens.


Hole 1 at Old Town Club, asking you to challange the water or layup short.

Double Green Hole 8 & 17 at Old Town Club

Hole 3:

The Green here is inspired by Hole 10 at Prairie Dunes with a dramatic false front and a couple internal half tiers to consider. This being a long Par 3 the best shots will find the right play of velocity as it hits one of these ridges to land where the pin is at that day.


Hole 10 green at Prairie Dunes


Hole 4:

This hole merges the 14th fairway with the 11th green complex of Old Town. You have an option to hit up top the ridge to a tight landing zone for a full wedge shot hitting into the multi tiers green. Or you can hit to the lower portion flirting with the water for a shorter shot but one that will be a pitch going in line with the tiers rather than into them.


Hole 14 fairway at Old Town Club

Hole 11 Green at Old Town Club


Hole 5:

The Fairway of 5 is a take on Hole 10 at Old Town with a high side that is safer and a low plateau jetting out in the water for the aggressive player chasing Eagle. Like 10 there is a large swell in front of the green that is more in play from the further high side. This is the second green of the double green complex influenced by Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town and with the most pronounced “Maxwell Rolls” hump on the course.

Hole 10 at Old Town Club

Hole 8 & 17 Double Green at Old Town Club


Hole 6:

The Green Complex of Hole 6 is influenced by Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes. This drivable 4 green is perched against a hill surrounded by deep bunkers. Though it's drivable this hole has a plethora of other options as well with clearing the water short right. Hitting Left with a wood or iron atop the hill or being short of the water right at the the base of the gulley. Anything left has to deal with the large hump in the front middle of the green while coming from the right gives you alignment with the axis of the green.


Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes

Fantastic layout and descriptions of each Rich!  Well done!

[virtualgolfer65]

Oct 4, 2021 0:00:44 GMT -5 cambuehl said:

My entry is in - c'mon! DL2.5 Flynn
mattyfromcanada


DESIGN ELEMENTS

Nerd info first because that's what we're here for. Flynn's work differs from a lot of the designs in this game - he has more of a parkland style that is pretty understated. His courses are smooth, not sculpted, and his hole layouts are fairly simple at first glance. For me it's the strategic wiring of his courses that makes his work compelling. Here are some of the Flynn calling cards that I've incorporated:

• canted fairways - these often call for a shot to be shaped off the tee in order to hold the fairway. Often Flynn would make you hit a draw off a fade lie into the green or vice versa - that idea is alive and well here. His greens were sometimes "canted" too - sometimes a right-sloping fairway would set up an tough shot into a left-sloping green
• rewarding accuracy and "punishing" length - Flynn tried to reward the accurate player, so laying back leaves a better angle or lie. In Flynn World blasting one over the bunker on the corner of a dogleg isn't necessarily the move, it might take a wayward bounce or leave an awkward shot
• small yet tame greens - the reward for those who find them is a straightforward putt. You'll find no yellow or red slopes on these greens - perhaps a sweet relief after a go at some Maxwell greens.
• bunkers carved into the face of a slope - Not many bunkers hide here, they are announced to the player. Flynn's bunkering was shallow, and this is where I strayed from his ideas a bit to match the abilities of video game golfers and up the challenge and drama of the course a bit. 
• manufactured naturalism - Flynn was not one for artificiality, even though he did engineer naturalism. To make the slopes and drastic fairway tilts feel natural, I've pulled them from the surrounding landscape. The same goes for the greens, which typically slope in one direction and follow the general slope of the land. 
• routing - It sounds like Flynn was a master in this regard, intuitively fitting course onto tight plots of land. He set up holes in a lot of different directions and rarely showed you the same wind with the same club twice. This was hard to incorporate into a small course, but things are fairly concise and no two consecutive holes take the same direction and the pairs of par 5s as well as par 3s run in opposite each other. 
  

THE INSPIRATION

I looked to Lehigh, Lancaster, Rolling Green, and Omni Homestead Cascades. The Fried Egg article here and the Golf Atlas entries on Lancaster and Cascades were great sources to get me going.


Rolling Green via FriedEgg - to carry or not to carry?


Cascades Course via Golf Atlas - fairway pitched right, green pitched left

THE COURSE


Overview of the full nine


Carrying that bunker on the right is tempting, but will it pay off?


Par 3 encouraging a draw, but the green slope might be more receptive to a fade


Mind the slope on the tee shot - the three bunkers should warn you to stay as far left as possible. A draw leads to the best results. Then you're faced with a cut lie when another draw is the better shot.


Driver gets you close to the green, but things are by no means easy from the gully to an uncooperative green. Doesn't a nice full wedge sound better?


Plenty of cross-course views on a compact routing


I also went a little crazy and ended up with a full nine as well, playable as Mercer Country Club. (If you're familiar with Duke University basketball upsets, you'll find a connection to Flynn's Lehigh Country Club in this name...)

Fantastic entry and great detail.  Looking forward to playing this one too.

[trailducker]

Oct 5, 2021 10:27:12 GMT -5 virtualgolfer65 said:

Oct 3, 2021 15:42:36 GMT -5 trailducker said:

My entry is published "TrailDucker -DL2.5Maxwell" mattyfromcanada



For my entry I chose to build in the style of Perry Maxwell. Known to drape his holes across hilly landscapes and create some wild green complexes with internal humps and bumps referred to as “Maxwell Rolls”. I modeled my course mostly after Old Town but would also refer to Prairie Dunes and Southern Hills a bit as well. For this course I experimented with bigger greens and at a slower speed to be able to ramp up my contours.


Old Town Club by Perry Maxwell - 1939

Prarie Dunes by Perry Maxwell - 1937

---

For the NERDS I layed out my hole by hole influences and stratetgy:


Hole 1:

The opening hole is influenced by Hole 6 at Old Town Club. Perry was known to find overlooking cliffs on sites to place a green to give a vast view during the round. It is best to be on the proper tier but also stay below the hole as the green aggressively slips down. Any shots long have a scary chip to try and stop before hitting the slips down.

Hole 6 Green at Old Town Club overlooking the rest of the course from above

Hole 2:

The hole design is inspired by Hole 1 at Old Town Club with a choice to challenge the water or lay up short of it turning this reachable into a 3 shot Par 5. The approach to the green also has the same rolling valley in front like Hole 1 making the approach something to ponder. The fairways of 2,3 and 6 all collide here like a few do on Old Town. The green complex that is shared with 5 is inspired by the double green complex of Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town. Here is the first you see the internal “puffs” Perry is known for on his greens.


Hole 1 at Old Town Club, asking you to challange the water or layup short.

Double Green Hole 8 & 17 at Old Town Club

Hole 3:

The Green here is inspired by Hole 10 at Prairie Dunes with a dramatic false front and a couple internal half tiers to consider. This being a long Par 3 the best shots will find the right play of velocity as it hits one of these ridges to land where the pin is at that day.


Hole 10 green at Prairie Dunes


Hole 4:

This hole merges the 14th fairway with the 11th green complex of Old Town. You have an option to hit up top the ridge to a tight landing zone for a full wedge shot hitting into the multi tiers green. Or you can hit to the lower portion flirting with the water for a shorter shot but one that will be a pitch going in line with the tiers rather than into them.


Hole 14 fairway at Old Town Club

Hole 11 Green at Old Town Club


Hole 5:

The Fairway of 5 is a take on Hole 10 at Old Town with a high side that is safer and a low plateau jetting out in the water for the aggressive player chasing Eagle. Like 10 there is a large swell in front of the green that is more in play from the further high side. This is the second green of the double green complex influenced by Hole 8 and 17 at Old Town and with the most pronounced “Maxwell Rolls” hump on the course.

Hole 10 at Old Town Club

Hole 8 & 17 Double Green at Old Town Club


Hole 6:

The Green Complex of Hole 6 is influenced by Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes. This drivable 4 green is perched against a hill surrounded by deep bunkers. Though it's drivable this hole has a plethora of other options as well with clearing the water short right. Hitting Left with a wood or iron atop the hill or being short of the water right at the the base of the gulley. Anything left has to deal with the large hump in the front middle of the green while coming from the right gives you alignment with the axis of the green.


Hole 2 at Prairie Dunes

Fantastic layout and descriptions of each Rich!  Well done!

But, I'm Tyson 

Regardless thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!

[skillman85]

Skillman85 DL2.5 Mackenzi

[mention]mattyfromcanada [/mention]

My first entry into DL and have chosen to go with Mackenzie inspired.

Course is modelled around Pasatiempo Golf Club with a little twist in environment. Hope to have captured as much as possible and looking forward to the next.

Please make sure skillman85 DL2.5 Mackenzi course is selected as there is another published in error (same name without Mackenzi)

[zacheroni]

Oct 6, 2021 6:31:13 GMT -5 skillman85 said:

Skillman85 DL2.5 Mackenzi

[mention]mattyfromcanada [/mention]

My first entry into DL and have chosen to go with Mackenzie inspired.

Course is modelled around Pasatiempo Golf Club with a little twist in environment. Hope to have captured as much as possible and looking forward to the next.

Please make sure skillman85 DL2.5 Mackenzi course is selected as there is another published in error (same name without Mackenzi)

mattyfromcanada

[cg444]

Throwing my hat into the ring, published as dl2.5 - cg444 W.Flynn. Really enjoyed researching Flynn, and after a couple of failed attempts I chopped up a coastal Delta theme plot, Flynn features:

- Naturalism - most of the key mounds and slopes from the original plot were kept and used to design the holes around, meaning all holes generally look like they have been laid onto the terrain. Bunkers are embedded into slopes that were already existing, and fairways are full of mounds, bounds and are canted
- Small greens - Flynn favoured small greens that were fairly tame
- Routing - tight routing with views of other holes across the plot (pre planting anyway)
- Flynn's short 4 - Flynn liked a short 4 that favoured a shorter hitter, on the 5th you can either lay back with a 3 wood leaving a much better angle to the green - or take on a Driver to a canted fairway but bringing the rough into play and leaving a short pitch at an angle that makes the green really shallow
- Green run offs - inspired by Shinnecock Hills - many of the greens have drop offs at the edges
- Short 3 - many Flynn courses have a tricky short 3, which makes up the final hole of my entry
- Clubhouse - nothing to do with Flynn - I just want to add a disclaimer - I have simply plopped a pre made clubhouse on the plot so please focus on the golf 

Enjoy - all feedback welcome and appreciated!

mattyfromcanada

[freternick]

mattyfromcanada

"DL2.5-freternick-Thompson" is now published.

I was very hesitant to enter this month's contest. Very busy, plus the likelihood of you even playing it, plus the idea wasn't great, plus, plus.
Anyway, after your outstanding CC competition win, I knew what needed to be done. 
Here you have the style of Stanley Thompson. But not just any Thompson design. This is geared towards the courses he completed in South America and the Caribbean. When he was south of the border he called his friend Robert Trent Jones and asked him to head south to help him build a course but RTJ said "Heck no". This course is what may have happened if he said "you betcha".

I also took some influence from Matty and all the things he's taught me through DL. The signature hole number 5 encompasses all these techniques and some call it the Thompson Cauldron of the South.

I hope you enjoy, I know Matty will!!! 

[virtualgolfer65]

Fantastic entries already published.

I'm hoping to have a few pictures posted tonight and will be pushing the envelope to publish.  Know I will make the deadline, but working to making it a full entry I'm proud of.

[itsnaarwhal]

My entry has been published! 

The Name is DL2.5itsNaarwhal(AlMack) ...... Mackenzie wouldn't fit in the name..

Definitely learned some things throughout the process, if you have any constructive criticism slide into my DMs. 




mattyfromcanada

[Firethorn15]

mattyfromcanada

Adding to the already very long page 6, I've just published my entry: DL2.5 (Firethorn15/Flynn) .

Location: Probably somewhere in Pennsylvania.
Wind: Low/Medium; any direction.
Greens: 175' default; haven't tried 187', might be fun. Pins should be fairly balanced.
I suggest you play with as few aids (green grid, lie grid, elevation change) as you can. Reasons given in the essay.
Inspirational courses: Manufacturer's G&CC (clubhouse location; some hole design ideas), Rolling Green GC (especially for the bunker complexes; they had a renovation recently), Lehigh CC (general environment and upper stream planting; stunningly beautiful course - www.stonehousegolf.com/shop/lehigh-country-club-no-13/ - with brilliant routing).

Essay and hole-by-hole coming shortly...

[Firethorn15]

Most of Flynn's design philosophies and course characteristics have already been well-described by previous posts, but I noticed a few other things during my research. Also, there seems to be a consensus that Flynn's greens were flat and small. I think this might come from the description of the Flynn-inspired hole (#11) from The Architects Golf Club:  www.thearchitectsclub.com/hole-11-william-s-flynn. While there isn't much internal contouring on Flynn greens (the odd tier; see for example Manufacturer's 9th), I respectfully disagree that Flynn greens are flat; indeed, their tilt is their main defence. Specimen A: the 11th at Lancaster CC:



I don't fancy putting down that!

As the main defence of Flynn greens is deceptive tilt, I suggest you play without green grids to replicate the experience of trying to work out which direction and how much your putt breaks. There are also some severe cambers on the fairways, and a lot of elevation, so turning lie grids and elevation change indicators should add to the experience too.

Here are some other characteristics of Flynn courses I found:

• Clubhouses on top of a hill overlooking the rest of the course. Most evident at Manufacturer's, where there's a train to climb the clubhouse hill.
• Simple shapes of greens and bunkers.
• Straight lines, and quite angular doglegs, most evident from Google Maps. See for example Manufacturer's, Lehigh.
• Flynn template hole: "Shuttle". Fairway on one side of a stream; long, thin green on the other, rewarding brave tee shots close to the water with a better angle. Very simple concept. See for example Manufacturer's #2, Lancaster CC #4, Cascades #6 (before they diverted the stream underground to put a cart path there! golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/cascades/).
• Greens placed just on the other side of streams, attacked perpendicularly to the water. E.g. Manufacturer's #5, #10; Lehigh #7, #11.

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 (Cascades #2)

Fairly simple starter - lay up on top of the hill or bomb it over the bunkers on the right to leave a pitch shot, but a better angle in. Beware the deceptively tilted green.



Approach shot to #1, with #4 and #3 greens in background.


Hole 2

Short, uphill par 3 to a shallow green surrounded by bunkers, which slopes severely back to front.


Hole 3 (Manufacturer's #10, Lehigh #7)

Reachable par 5 playing 80 ft downhill. Fairway cants deceptively severely R-L. A miss long with the approach will lead to a very tough up and down due to the severe back-to-front slope of the green - laying up may be a better option.



3rd tee shot with #2 green to the right.




The stream. Grass planting on Stadia is not fun.


Hole 4 (Manufacturer's #6)

Long par 3 to a two-tiered, back-to-front sloping green. Landing the ball just short and right should feed it onto the front of the green.



#4 green with #3 green and #4 tee in background.


Hole 5 (Rolling Green #12 - Flynn "Surprise Dogleg" template)

The classic Flynn short dogleg par 4. Bomb it over the bunkers on the right to leave an impossible angle with your pitch to a small green sloping away from you towards the stream, play sensibly to the corner of the dogleg with 3w, leaving a slightly longer shot in off a slight sidehill lie, or play partial driver as close to the stream as you dare to leave the best angle and distance. I quite like this hole, although Flynn might have put the green on the other side of the stream to create a "shuttle" template à la Lancaster #4.



Looking over the stream to #5 green.




As Ducker exists I can't even go for the "best stream" prize, so I'm reduced to "best waterfalls" instead.


Hole 6 (Manufacturer's #18, Lehigh #18)

A classic tough uphill closing hole with the clubhouse in the background. The green has a severe back-to-front slope and false front.



#6 approach.




I went overboard with the clubhouse on this one - felt like a Flynn course rather demands some effort to be put in on this front.


Thanks Matty for the contest; it's been a blast (apart from stream planting)! Any critiques much appreciated. Best of luck to all the other contestants!

[virtualgolfer65]

Please find my entry for the DL 2.5 contest under the name TGC DL 2.5 Devereux VG65

I chose Devereux Emmet, since I'd never frankly heard of him, although I certainly knew of Congressional (Blue) and Saint Georges.  Unfortunately, as alluded to by others in this thread, many of Emmet's courses have been wrecked through poor redesigns or the land sold for other development.

For those interested in learning more about Devereux Emmet can find a fantastic writeup about him and comments about St. George's Golf Club at the following link:  golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/st-georges-golf-country-club/

I used influences from St. Georges Golf Club, Garden City GC and Congressional (Blue) for inspiration in creating my entry.  Note that I'm planning to turn this into an 18 hole course and if you fly over the course you'll see I've already finished one nine. To save time for judging I removed the hole for 7-9 but it will be easy to put them in after the contest and work on the second nine.

The design philosophies I found for Emmet and that I tried using in my entry are:

1. "When it came to bold landforms, Emmet practiced the credo ‘integrate, don’t decimate’. So in Emmet’s fairways, sight lines are often diminished because natural contours rule the day. In addition, greens often flow from their natural grade so that front-to-back tilt fools the unwary.

2. Despite his close connection with Macdonald, Emmet rejected his mentor’s philosophy of template holes.  He was quoted saying "We firmly chose to avoid classic holes like Redan and Eden because they have been overdone in the United States. There are probably over twenty Redan holes south of the Canadian border.”  Note that hole 6 on my entry was the sole template hole I created and it was inspired by a par 4 on St. Georges.

4. To have putting greens conform to nature as much as possible and not built up artificially. The result is that greens at McGregor are more in conformity with the ground, and in concert with the more haphazard shape intended by nature.”

5. He never went out of his way to dig ponds or lakes to bring water into play, yet he used natural brooks with great sensitivity at many courses including Schuyler Meadows near Albany, as well as at Wee Burn."

Note that I did create the lakes and stream, as if they were found by Emmet himself in the plot when he first discovered it.

Course notes:

* Devereux used the land slopes to create opposing shots.  For example, fairway sloping one way with a green sloping the opposite way.
* He leveraged land slopes with most greens running back to front.
* Many of his courses included "low mounds" surrounding greens
* Many of his hole were created to be like a steeplechase race, where hazards jutted from the rough into the fairway and players had to play over the hazards.
* Most of his courses were in the New York and northeast part of the United States.

I've tried to replicate the hole designs, look, and environment to include virtually all of the above, in the two par 3's, three par 4's and one par 5.

Play from the green tees for judging, but the red tees for interesting scoring chances.  2263 yards with firm fairways, firm greens and 174 default greens.

Sorry no pictures, but give the entry a play and see it for oneself.