The Pellucid Perspective - December 2014 - (Page 9)

GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT A new day indeed, or in Breed, for Independence George redesign slashes pace of play, owners build everything else By Jim Dunlap WWW.PELLUCIDCORP.COM THE PELLUCID PERSPECTIVE PHOTO: MIDATLANTICGOLF.COM G olf course architect Lester George merged design imagi- and walking paths were moved to enhance traffic flow, and the nation, engineering precision and a cosmetic surgeon's greens were replaced with Champion Bermuda. touch in reshaping Tom Fazio's 2001 design of IndepenThose changes obviously increased playability, and the elimidence Golf Club so successfully that not only was it deemed nation of maintained roughs and trees enhanced sustainability, one of 2014's "Best New Courses" by Golf Digest, but it met but the most dramatic result was in pace of play. When enough and exceeded the number one mandate of owners Giff and Alan rounds had been played to establish benchmarks, pace had been Breed by shaving anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour off reduced by at least 45 minutes to around 4:03 per round. The the challenging course's pace of play. In the meantime, while less results were so striking that George was asked to make a preis more with the current Independence golf course, the Breed sentation on his work at the recent Pace of Play Symposium brothers are in the process of virtually making the golf course held by the USGA. property a community with a life and heartbeat of its own. "We walked the course every day and looked at how the trafIndependence, located in the affluent Richmond, Va. sub- fic moved, and what we could do to improve it," George said. urb of Midlothian, opened shortly after the turn of this century, "The owners were great - they gave me a free palette to make designed to serve as not only a showplace for golf but also as whatever artistic and aesthetic changes necessary, as long as it headquarters for the Virginia State Golf Association and a ju- met the three major criteria. I think what we ended up with was nior golf academy complete with dormitories, cafeterias, lodges a golf course that was a lot more fun to play and a less burdenand cottage facilities for groups and overnight stays. Giff and some experience. As far as pace of play, we thought we might Alan Breed, whose brother Michael is an award-winning golf get close to the 45 minute [reduction], but it looks like we may instructor who hosts his own show on The Golf Channel, own have done even better than that." and operate the facility under the aegis of their company, Pros "We approached the golf course like a manufacturing facilInc. ity," Giff Breed said. "We looked at what technology we could Feeling that the Independence course, while striking, was use to make more widgets, which in this case was getting more perhaps a bit too challenging for enjoyment by the major- play on a high end daily fee golf course. It was a very compliity of the golfing public, and lamenting the fact that too Aerial view of Independence many rounds were exceeding Golf Club, Midlothian, Va. the 5-hour mark, the Breeds commissioned George, designer of a number of Virginia's top layouts, to reshape it. The governing principles of his assignment were pace of play, sustainability and playability. To accomplish those goals, George said they took out more than 500 trees to open up the course both visually and strategically, and took almost 50,000 sq. ft. of bunkers out, mostly, George said, short and to the right of greens where most players ran afoul of them. Fairways were widened, roughs were mowed down or turned into mulch beds, cart paths 9 http://www.MIDATLANTICGOLF.COM http://WWW.PELLUCIDCORP.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Pellucid Perspective - December 2014

TOC
The Northern Golf Alliance – A new challenge to the NGCOA?
Troon strengthens Southeast presence with Honours Golf acquisition
2014 in review: where is the hope?
A new day indeed, or in Breed, for Independence
New payment processing technology offers challenges and opportunities for courses
November golf weather impact: A parting shot from Mother Nature
Orlando operators need some magic to be in the black
Tucson muni courses struggling despite turnover to private management
Tiger: balm, or bomb

The Pellucid Perspective - December 2014