73 Hanse and Jim Wagner, had opened. Alongside Fazio, Davis co-designed the second course and has been a driving force for the entire project, from site selection and permitting to construction supervision. In the January 2025 issue of GCA, I highlighted the stark difference in character of the club’s first two courses – the Hanse/Wagner design lies gently on the land and emphasises the natural environment, while the Fazio/Davis layout involved enormous earthworks and is bold and brawny. The third course, designed by Kyle Phillips, is another distinctive and contrasting experience. Initially known as the West, South and North, respectively, the club has renamed its courses to be synonymous of Apogee: Paramount, Apex and Summit. The land for Phillips’ course, Summit, slopes gently away from the clubhouse site, meaning that most of the holes closest to the clubhouse – one, twelve to fourteen and eighteen – feature notable elevation change. Elsewhere, low-lying holes weave among pines, oaks, a cypress grove and specimen weeping fig and banyan trees in an environment that has been described as having an ‘Old Florida’ feel. This evokes a sense of the land being untouched, embracing and emphasising the nature of its setting. It is already clear that an abundance of birdlife and other creatures are happily finding a home on the course and its surrounds. While the general landscape flattens as you move away from the clubhouse, the entire course has substantial ground contour, particularly around the green complexes. This is apparent from the first hole, where a swale short right of the green must be negotiated on the approach, and abundantly clear by the second, a short par four with a rolling green complex, including a false front that will repel anything erring on the short side. It is difficult to hold the wide putting surface, with several mounds and hollows ready to career the ball away. For those seeking to reach the green in one, the best approach may be to try to carry two large bunkers to the left of the putting surface, as the ground beyond will steer the ball towards it. Phillips, his associate Mark Thawley and site representative David Smith have created a design that encourages the game to be played along the ground, and offers several ways to take on holes, particularly around the green. Working with superintendent Tony Nysse, they selected TifGrand turf for fairways (Apogee’s other courses feature TifTuf), which performs well at low mowing heights and means the course will play firm and fast. Its darker green colour also contributes to a significant visual contrast between Phillips’ layout and the others at Apogee. APOGEE SUMMIT The course returns to the clubhouse after the twelfth, giving Apogee members the option to play six, twelve or eighteen holes Image: Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=