By Design - February 2019

15 T he newly-opened Friday Harbour Resort, developed by Geranium Corporation and ConDrain Group, covers 600 acres on the shores of Lake Simcoe, north of Toronto, Canada. 2,500 low rise and town house units have been built around a man-made 1,000 slip marina, and the resort also includes a 200-acre conservation area and a new 18-hole golf course and practice facilities. ASGCA Past President Doug Carrick was appointed to design the course. One key challenge of the project was to eliminate the costs associated with removing two million cubic meters of material excavated for the marina development. Carrick’s proposal was to deposit the material onto flat agricultural land with no natural feature, shaping it to produce a rolling moraine-style landscape, which would accommodate the first fifteen holes of the course. The excavated material would be sculpted to capture runoff in specific drainage areas and direct stormwater into a large pond so that it could be recycled for irrigation purposes. The result was a landscape with dramatic elevation change of up to fifty feet in places. Golf holes were routed to encourage walking, says Carrick, “with gentle climbs going uphill, and more dramatic elevation changes on downhill holes.” The final three holes of the course were laid out in an adjacent wooded area of the site. To compensate for trees removed here, and elsewhere in the development, more than 14,000 native trees and shrubs were planted around the rest of the golf course. Native grasses in out-of-play rough areas also helped to enhance the natural character of the site. Having a relatively blank canvas to work with, Carrick produced a design with a wide variety of hole types and strategies. Four par-five holes play in different directions and offer risk and reward options, the longest of which is the undulating 572-yard eleventh. Par threes on the layout include the 145-yard Postage Stamp second and 243-yard Redan-style twelfth, and the par fours are varied, including two that are potentially drivable. “The bunkering style was inspired by the closely mown green and bunker environs found on the great sandbelt courses in Australia,” said Carrick. “Greenside bunkers are surrounded by bentgrass, and fairway cut extends to the leading edge of fairway bunkers.” The course opened in August 2018 with a driving range, chipping green, practice bunkers and a nine-hole pitch and putt course. With four greens close to the clubhouse, the routing provides the option of playing three, six, nine, fifteen and eighteen-hole loops. The Nest Location: Innisfil, Ontario Golf course architect: Doug Carrick, ASGCA www.carrickdesign.com Project summary: The Nest is a new 200-acre golf course at the Friday Harbour Resort on the shores of Lake Simcoe near Toronto, Canada. The project saw two million cubic meters of earth, excavated for the resort’s marina development, sculpted into a rolling moraine- style landscape on what was flat agricultural land with limited natural character. Partners: Northgate Farms (contractor); Turfcare — Toro (irrigation); Lakeshore Sand (bunker sand); Ontario Seed Corporation (seed); ADS Canada (drainage) ASGCA DESIGN EXCELLENCE THE NEST Designing a landscape Material excavated for marina development used to create rolling moraine landscape for resort course Photo: Steve Vanderploeg