11th Stingray Green & New Banner

I spent the day at the course on Friday to meet with Don and check out the course. Everything was looking really good, the infrastructure is taking final shape and the big clubhouse is moving along. On my way out I couldn't resist one last peak of the course in the setting sun. The above picture is the 11th green at dusk. The grass is mostly dormant and looking good for the coming season.

The line of play is from the right of the picture. It is a long par 4. The right (far) side of the green is steep, but to play to the safe side of the green, there is a bunker short left of the green - as can be seen here.

I want to call it the stingray green because the ripples looks like a stingray swimming upside down - we'll see what name sticks when it starts playing.

The 11th Hole

I'm skipping hole order this week given the course has changed quite a bit, and I want to share some very current data. The above image of #11 shows off the fairway contouring, the shared (with #12) bunker and the green is right of the bunker.

What is special for me about the hole? That it is the first hole we grassed - :). Truthfully it is the hole I was inspired the least by – in its pre-finish form. The intent was for it to be a challenging hole, a longer par 4. My vision was in some ways impractical with our site constraints. Don and Jacob, our shaper, both convinced me to take a more practical approach with the green complex. I think we made a very wise decision together - even if it wasn't going to rain like hell this summer. I really dig the hole now, and it still may even be one of my least favorites – I have very high regard for the rest of the holes.

Lastly, our turf farm scout said the finish on our first several holes was as good as he'd ever seen - Don - and the team (me included) - are now a bunch of finishing sombitches!
I am very excited.

Earlier Holes Featured:
1 - 2 - 3