13 I have found draws their focus away from the aggressive lines they need to take. It makes it more of a challenge to see the shot, feel the shot and commit. “To that end, there are no two shots that are the same. Every hole is quite different and so are the meaningful options. When you couple this with bermuda greens that are not overly severe but have changes in direction of slope – and changes in speed because of the slopes – it requires a better player to position their ball well to leave themselves putts where they can more easily match line and speed. These subtleties are a challenge for the better players trying to play at or near par, but the average player is not going to be taking four or five shots to get up and down from around greens, or three-putting a lot during the day.” The Cassinis have said that the parfive twelfth is an early favourite of the members who have played the course during preview play. “This is the hole where we parked on the first day to start our walk around,” said Davis. “The tee location was just there on a knoll and ridgeline, with the fairway falling pretty gently from the tee as it drops about 30 feet to the landing area, and then a layup area nestled between a huge old oak on the left and the largest pine on the site to the right, and finally a green on a subtle ridge that has an infinity backdrop.” Davis also highlights the eighteenth as one of his favourite holes on the course. “It is a hole you play down the right to be safer, but that leaves you a really long approach,” he said. “At 510 yards from the back tee, the big hitters can try to cut the corner and take on a creek that’s around 300 yards, leaving them with a shorter approach.” Davis and Duininck Golf were supported on the project by general manager Adam Kushner, golf course superintendent Jimmy Humston and Davis’s shaper Jason Gold. EC Design Group designed Rain Bird’s integrated control system, incorporating CirrusPRO, with Carter Engineering Consultants providing technical support. “We worked hard to give the course an older feel, a lot of stunning visuals, and a walk to remember, but this is all grounded in a golf course where the play of the game was the focus,” said Davis. “Substance was the focus and we worked style into it.” TEE BOX Photo: Tripp Davis ‘The routing fits on the ground really well,’ says Davis “ We worked hard to give the course an older feel, a lot of stunning visuals, and a walk to remember”
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