By Design - February 2019

7 A rcadia Bluffs Golf Club in Arcadia, Michigan, already had one highly-ranked golf course, which was operating at full capacity. The club wanted to add a second course on land with far less natural interest than the lakeside bluffs on which its first course is situated. Dana Fry, ASGCA, and Jason Straka, ASGCA, were appointed to create an inspirational design that would give public golfers a compelling alternative to the resort’s existing layout. “Arcadia Bluffs is not only located on one of golf’s greatest landscapes but is also one of golf’s most successful operations in America,” says Fry. “Its location provides stunning views from the bluffs of Lake Michigan and the terrain creates an exhilarating round of golf. With the course being at full capacity, the owner desired to add a second venue. But the chosen land, one mile inland, had none of the grandeur of the original. The challenge was to create a golf experience, on a significantly less dramatic canvas, to rival the acclaim of the original course.” For their design of the South Course, Fry and Straka took inspiration from America’s private clubs, and two of the leading designers from the early twentieth century, an era described as the ‘Golden Age’ of golf course architecture. “The South Course was inspired by the work at Chicago Golf Club by early American golf course architects CB Macdonald and Seth Raynor,” says Fry. “It’s a testament to the challenges and emotions experienced at only a few select, classic private courses from golf’s earliest days.” The course has been routed in two distinct, walkable nines, each containing a balanced mix of holes orientated in various directions. “Golfers will notice the distinct lack of trees on the course, making the ever-present wind a consideration and affording long range views across the property,” says Fry. Wide, straight-edged fairways offer strategic lines of play. Fairway and green surrounds slope directly into boldly-styled bunkers defined by steep grass faces and ribbons of flat sand. Large greens, often squared off at the edges, are separated into different sections using swales, ridges, slopes and bumps. “The objective for the South Course was to strategically position a collection of elements, serene in appearance, ultimately creating a veil of simplicity over the complex challenges that await,” says Fry. “It is this aspect of enduring classic design that both confounds and excites golfers, leaving them with an elevated anticipation to return.” Location: Arcadia, Michigan Golf course architect: Dana Fry, ASGCA, and Jason Straka, ASGCA www.frystraka.com Project summary: Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club wanted a second course that would be a compelling alternative to its existing exhilarating lakeside layout. Dana Fry, ASGCA, and Jason Straka, ASGCA, turned an undramatic inland site into a compelling course that showcases classic golf architecture. Partners: E & M Golf Construction; Justin Carlton, Derek Dirksen, Jimmy Kleinschmidt (shapers); Mavis Consulting (agronomy) Michael Kuhn & Associates, Inc (irrigation design); Thielen Turf Irrigation, Inc. (irrigation installation); Pete Bohn (onsite construction manager) Arcadia Bluffs South Course ASGCA DESIGN EXCELLENCE ARCADIA BLUFFS SOUTH COURSE Inspired design New course at Michigan resort is inspired by Golden Age golf design Photo: Chip Henderson Photography