Straka completes design of Ambiente course at Camelback
Jason Straka of Fry/Straka Global Golf Design has completed the design of Ambiente golf course at Camelback Golf Club.
The course at the JW Marriot Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, will open for play in November and is the first new golf development in the area for five years.
The course lies on naturally flat land, but rolling contours have been added in the design, making for a more interesting round as well as aiding drainage on the course. The Ambiente course features wide fairways, as well five sets of tee boxes on each hole and carefully placed bunkering.
The Ambiente course was designed by Straka under the banner of Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Course Design, and Straka said of the project: “It was a privilege to work with Marriott to create Ambiente. I am excited for golfers to experience its tumbling wide fairways, intriguing contours, eye-popping bunkering and wonderful blend of native vegetation. I believe golfers of all abilities will find a playable, memorable and fun round of golf in an environmentally beneficial setting.”
The project was carried out with a strong environmental philosophy, and the northern desert look of the course blends aesthetic and environmental qualities. The restoration of native habitat and encouraging the return of wildlife was a major part of the project.
Ambiente, Spanish for ‘environment’, has only 90 acres of maintained turfgrass, meaning less maintenance is required than with most course. The remaining 110 acres of the course area mix of desert riparian plants, upland desert trees, shrubs and grasses, and a palette of native winter and summer desert wildflowers.