From golf hole to helipad: a dual-use design for a private client

It’s not often that a golf course architect works on a project that comprises a single hole, and it’s rarer still for their brief to require the hole to double up as a helipad. But that’s exactly the brief that George Philpott of Legacy Golf Architecture received for a private client’s property in Costa Rica. 

Located on a small peninsula near the tourist destination of Tamarindo, on the Pacific coast of the Central American country, the property is used by the owner and available as a luxury rental.

The green of the par-three hole has synthetic turf (Photo: Legacy Golf Architecture)

“Tamarindo is a quaint tourist destination with beautiful sandy beaches,” said Philpott. “The scope of the project was to build a par-three golf hole on the peninsula that would serve both as an amenity for the rental property, as well as a helipad for the owner and guests.”

The most obvious challenge was to incorporate an area suitable for landing a helicopter. “Building the green with synthetic turf allowed for that dual use without causing damage to the putting surface,” says Philpott, who worked with local synthetic turf specialist Guana Turf on the project.

“The synthetic turf and shock pad hold shots extremely well, while providing a smooth putting surface. The hole was integrated into the property with complementary pathways, stone and extension of synthetic turf into the property’s landscaping.

The green also serves as a helipad (Photo: Legacy Golf Architecture)

“The hole has three teeing areas to enable a variety of pitch shots and playing options, with lengths from the tee to green varying from 38 to 67 yards. Tee shots play over a sprawling waste bunker to a raised green protected by a bunker on the front-left, with natural areas to the rear and right.

Philpott's design has three teeing areas and five pin locations, to allow for varied repeat play (Image: Legacy Golf Architecture)

“This property has views of the Pacific Ocean and the Costa Rica coastline to the left and rear. The green was designed and shaped to create five distinct pin positions to play to, with indigenous grasses planted surrounding the waste bunker and interfacing with the synthetic rough.”

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