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A
project to rebuild the golf
course on the site of the Palo
Alto Municipal GC in Palo Alto,
California, is approaching completion.
Golf course architect Forrest
Richardson, ASGCA, has been
tasked with reconfiguring the
original William F. Bell design at the
site, which has long been plagued
by flooding from the nearby San
Francisquito Creek.
The course—which, once reopened,
will be renamed Baylands Golf
Links—is located in Silicon Valley,
between the main campuses of
Facebook and Google.
The reworked 18-hole layout will play
to a maximum length of 6,800 yards.
An interesting feature is the shared
20,000 square foot green complex
on holes three and fifteen. The
fourteenth hole meanwhile features
two separate greens. One is a
classic punchbowl design, while the
alternative is on a small peninsula
into a wetland part of the site.
Almost 500,000 cubic yards of soil
was moved as part of the construction
effort, which was led by Wadsworth
Golf Construction. Wadsworth’s team
has worked alongside representatives
from Toro, Watertronics, Better
Billy Bunker and Profile Products at
different phases of the project.
The rebuilt Baylands Golf Links
course is expected to open for play in
spring 2018.
DIGEST
Baylands Golf Links set for spring 2018 opening
New golf course
7
Caption style
The unique experience of golf course
design on a former Cold War military
site is among the topics covered by
Mike Benkusky, ASGCA, on the latest
“Tartan Talks” podcast.
Guy Cipriano of
Golf Course
Industry
asked Benkusky about
Arlington Lakes Golf Club, and
Benkusky’s efforts to provide golfers
the option of playing three-hole, six-
hole, nine-hole and 18-hole loops.
Bunkers remain a major topic of
discussion during any masterplan.
Reducing the footprint of bunkers is
a recurring theme, Benkusky said,
thanks to natural wear and tear, the
need of updated irrigation, and even
bunker style.
“A full bunker rebuild allows for
more analysis on maintenance and
where we are going with them today
compared to the past,” he said.
Listen to the full interview
here .“Our job as architects is to identify how to make
a course as appealing as we can to golfers”
MI KE BENKUSKY, ASGCA
Wetland areas of the course, such as here on the
fifteenth hole, have been restored
Photo: Dave Sansom
HERE ARE LINKS TO OTHER RECENT “TARTAN TALKS,” NOW FEATURING MORE THAN A DOZEN EPISODES:
• Jim Engh, ASGCA,
discusses why he avoids following ‘unwritten’ golf course architecture rules .• ASGCA President John Sanford, ASGCA
, on his beginnings in the field and his early influences .