Acadia Lodge (National Treasure Winner - Stanley Thompson)
May 12, 2024 12:15:34 GMT -5
blueblood1995, sroel908, and 25 more like this
Post by b101 on May 12, 2024 12:15:34 GMT -5
Acadia Lodge is my take on a Stanley Thompson inspired course. I picked Thompson to force myself to do new things - so much of what he does is different to what I do. I initially wanted to go for a more standard Stanley mountain course, inspired by Jasper Park Lodge, but it just didn't click. After about seven attempts at a plot, I set about looking for other National Parks and found an amazing video on Acadia National Park in Maine (no, not Canada...). It's well worth the watch, so I've linked the video below.
This plot was everything the previous attempts weren't - it came together in about 40 minutes and was a blast to route on, without ever feeling forced. I spent a load of time reading up on Thompson, so there's nods to a lot of his projects in there, with this drawing most from Highlands Links (albeit with the benefit of never being planned to be a Highlands-inspired course). Particular Thompson features I've tried to work in:
For those looking for Banff style bunkering, the bunkering here is more in-line with Highlands Links. On hillier sites, his bunkers were less 'dramatic', but there's still some flair with the lower profile land.
Anyway, I'll shut up now. Have some pictures and hope you enjoy your rounds. For casual play, I'd recommend the greens at Fast (155) (or Moderate for CC players (134)) rather than defaults (162).
This plot was everything the previous attempts weren't - it came together in about 40 minutes and was a blast to route on, without ever feeling forced. I spent a load of time reading up on Thompson, so there's nods to a lot of his projects in there, with this drawing most from Highlands Links (albeit with the benefit of never being planned to be a Highlands-inspired course). Particular Thompson features I've tried to work in:
- Five par threes, including two long holes.
- Several bunkerless tee shots and three bunkerless holes.
- Focus on natural land movement and embracing elevation change.
- Greens tend to feature broad slopes rather than relying on internal contouring. The greens are still challenging (his greens often incorporated BIG, consistent slopes).
- Simple green shapes. Greens rarely surrounded by fairway.
- The routing is a journey through multiple environments and a true out and back. The occasional scenic walk from green to tee.
- Hotel-style clubhouse.
For those looking for Banff style bunkering, the bunkering here is more in-line with Highlands Links. On hillier sites, his bunkers were less 'dramatic', but there's still some flair with the lower profile land.
Anyway, I'll shut up now. Have some pictures and hope you enjoy your rounds. For casual play, I'd recommend the greens at Fast (155) (or Moderate for CC players (134)) rather than defaults (162).
