92 Photo: Jeff Lawrence HOLING OUT Flexing creative muscle Jeff Lawrence designs an 18-hole routing with just four greens and seven teeing locations. When a private client calls for a golf course in their backyard, golf course architects are able to get their creative juices flowing without the constraints imposed by more traditional projects. “It’s not often you get the unique opportunity to design and implement a non-traditional golf course with limited restrictions,” says golf course architect Jeff Lawrence. He recently completed one such project for a client in Greenville, South Carolina, who had several acres of pastureland and a small tree farm to work with. “I developed a creative plan, assembled the team, and led the work in the field – making real-time adjustments and collaborating closely with the client and team to ensure the final product met our vision.” Lawrence’s design comprises four artificial greens, averaging 4,500 square feet, and seven teeing locations (including one very long tee, measuring 11,470 square feet). He was supported on the project by Oliphant Golf, Bunker Solution, Golf Agronomics, Southwest Greens and New Life Turf. “The result is an 18-hole routing that includes everything from full-length par fours to short, sporty par threes,” says Lawrence. “The property itself is truly special – featuring majestic oak trees, a one-acre pond, gently rolling terrain, horse pastures, historic rock walls and even a windmill. The hole options are virtually endless. Just be creative and design your own golf holes by mixing and matching tee and green locations. “The golf course is as challenging as you want it to be, depending on your choice of tee and pin locations.” Each of Lawrence’s greens features six distinct pin placements, ranging from approachable to demanding. The surfaces are fast and firm – rolling at approximately 12 on the Stimpmeter. A five-foot revetted bunker protecting one of the greens adds a striking visual element and reinforces the course’s strategic character. “Fairway widths are generous, bunkering is tastefully implemented, and other design elements are applied with creativity and care,” says Lawrence.
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