Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Joel_Stewart on April 02, 2016, 04:47:15 PM
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Marshallia Ranch is located at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Its about an hour north of Santa Barbara. Built in 1957, architect Bob Putman.
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[/size]Has anyone played it and are there any good holes there?
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[/size]Appears to be surrounded by eucalyptus trees.
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I wish I had know about this course when I visited the area last summer. It appears to be a good value course:
http://www.30fss.com/golf.html
http://www.golfadvisor.com/courses/4106-marshallia-ranch-golf-course/
http://golfergreen.com/Golf-Courses/United-States-of-America/California/Lompoc/Marshallia-Ranch-Golf-Course
I played La Purisima instead and was somewhat disappointed.
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Hi Joel,
Patrick Kiser and I played Marshallia a couple years ago. It's an interesting course, if not good at times. I think the property is an interesting study and a GCA nerd like myself (ourselves?) would probably enjoy checking it out at the very least.
I'm not sure what other details to provide but there are a few holes that venture into eucalyptus filled dunes on each nine that are very interesting, but I'm not sure anything pops out as noteworthy otherwise.
In summation: some good holes (4-6) and interesting surrounding property, but much of it is fairly average. I still say it's worth checking out if you're in the area.
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The course used to be run by the USAF and if the General was a golfer it was in great shape with smooth quick greens. The area is always windy and some holes were designed for that. There used to be a lot of iceplant and that made for some tough lies. The course used to have one of the highest ratings to par in Cali. I have not played there in at least ten years so I cant speak to condition but layout is good with euks and some rolling terain.
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I played it once a few years ago when I spent quite a bit of a couple of winters along the Central Coast. I thought it was an enjoyable course to play and not pricey at all. Not sure why I played it one time only. It probably had less to do with the course itself and more to do with the proximity to La Purisima, which is not far away.
Charles Lund
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One of the better courses along the California Coast.
I think it might be closing soon.
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The course used to be run by the USAF and if the General was a golfer it was in great shape with smooth quick greens. The area is always windy and some holes were designed for that. There used to be a lot of iceplant and that made for some tough lies. The course used to have one of the highest ratings to par in Cali. I have not played there in at least ten years so I cant speak to condition but layout is good with euks and some rolling terain.
I've played the course a time or two and being in the Air Force figured I'd chime in with some information.
As far as I know the course is still being run by the Air Force. Regarding the comment on the General, that's a statement I've heard more than a time or two at every base. I guess a senior individual could theoretically have some influence on course conditioning and budget but personally I don't think it's the case.
Each base has facilities that support moral, welfare and recreation (think library's, dining clubs, bowling alleys, golf courses, paint ball courses, movie theaters, ticket offices, recreational gear rental offices...). These facilities generally operate under non-appropriated funds (ie funds they generate on their own and not tax payer dollars). Most of these facilities charge a fee but it's usually pretty affordable. At many bases these facilities aren't generating money like they used to and are therefore being closed down. It does look like there are rumors that Marshallia Ranch is on the chopping blocks.
Some of the Air Force Base golf closures I know about:
Tyndall AFB, Elmendorf AFB, Sheppard AFB (Pete Dye according to some sources - would have been one of his first 18 hole courses), Lackland AFB (one of the courses), Mconnell AFB, Little Rock AFB (closed 9 hole course), and the course I played regularly in the suburbs of Seoul Korea is given back to the Korean government (not because of lack of use).
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Sheppard AFB (Pete Dye according to some sources - would have been one of his first 18 hole courses),
I see this attribution is online, but I never heard Pete mention anything about designing a course on a base, in Wichita Falls or anywhere else. The source I see lists the year as 1957 which is before he really started as a designer ... his first 18-hole commission was Radrick Farms. So, either the 1957 date is wrong, or it almost certainly wasn't Pete. Just checked to be sure it wasn't his brother; it wasn't.
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Doesn't look close to any Pete Dye I've seen.
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If it does get sold, how awesome would it be if Keiser bought it and created "Bandon California"?? ...butttt... the way these things work, some housing developer would probably top-bid it as a tear-down and bring in Fazio for a typical cartball "sausage links" housing course. :P
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If it does get sold, how awesome would it be if Keiser bought it and created "Bandon California"?? ...butttt... the way these things work, some housing developer would probably top-bid it as a tear-down and bring in Fazio for a typical cartball "sausage links" housing course. :P
This course is on an Air Force base so nobody is buying the property.
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Boringly repetitious.
Skip it big time.
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If it does get sold, how awesome would it be if Keiser bought it and created "Bandon California"?? ...butttt... the way these things work, some housing developer would probably top-bid it as a tear-down and bring in Fazio for a typical cartball "sausage links" housing course. :P
Fescue wouldn't grow there, would it?
Whatever, they do with it, it is a tear-down.
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Sheppard AFB (Pete Dye according to some sources - would have been one of his first 18 hole courses),
I see this attribution is online, but I never heard Pete mention anything about designing a course on a base, in Wichita Falls or anywhere else. The source I see lists the year as 1957 which is before he really started as a designer ... his first 18-hole commission was Radrick Farms. So, either the 1957 date is wrong, or it almost certainly wasn't Pete. Just checked to be sure it wasn't his brother; it wasn't.
I have wondered what sort of involvement, if any, there was. When the course first closed down I posted a question about it and was told the Dye designs website that lists the course as a Dye Course is run by Perry. I assume there is at least some sort of Dye affiliation.
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In 2014 the Air Force had a RFQ for the lease of Marshallia Ranch Golf Course and optional lease of property surrounding the golf course. I suspect that nothing moved forward due to the economics of the deal.
http://www.afcec.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-140402-054.pdf
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If it does get sold, how awesome would it be if Keiser bought it and created "Bandon California"?? ...butttt... the way these things work, some housing developer would probably top-bid it as a tear-down and bring in Fazio for a typical cartball "sausage links" housing course. :P
This course is on an Air Force base so nobody is buying the property.
Joel, FYI long-term leases, such as a possible 50 year term referenced in the RFQ, are treated as purchases for accounting purposes. (For level payments in most cases but for 50 years that constraint probably would be relaxed. Haven't read the FAS on this in a while.)
And 249+551 acres wow.
Here's one for you Joel: whats the market for a resort next to an airport with zero noise abatement requirements AND a freaking spaceport??
"Sir, here's a pair of Bose quiet comfort headphones. We recommend sleeping with them on." 😂😂😂