[Matt_Cohn]

Some of you might know that I enjoy posting my own designs every once in a while and hearing what you all think.

There are of course some limitations to the detail I can include in a drawing, including important stuff like drainage, but here are some basics. The site is on lava in Hawai'i — think Mauna Lani, Hapuna, Hualalai, etc. It slopes gently to the small stretch of cliffs/beach at the corner of the property. Elevations are in feet and wind directions are shown in the top corner.

I wish I had a better way to design greens, but I imagine these greens as just gently rolling in a Maxwell sort of style — rolls and runs, not ridges and tiers. They would generally be just a couple of feet above grade with occasional gentle slopes towards short-grass areas around the greens — not Pinehursty or anything. All other turf is cut to fairway height and everything outside the lines is lava. The only forced carries are off of tees.

A final note is that #12 and #13 each have two greens, in part so that either one can be set up as drivable without having to play two drivable par-4's in a row.

Yardages shown at the bottom are back tees. Dots in the fairways are 250-300 yards from the back tees depending on the hole, and layup dots on par-5's are 100 yards from the center of the green.

Please ask me questions about anything that's not clear and I'm happy to answer! I'm really interested to hear what people say. Thanks everyone.



Link: http://s2.photobucket.com/user/cohnhead72/media/IMG_0528_zps7861a1b8.jpg.html

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hole 1 is 615 and Hole 2 is 490?

Ouch, so much for a "gentle hand shake" opening.
More like a "right, left" to the kidneys.

Hole numbers would be helpful.
Looks like fun.

[Paul Gray]

A few questions immediately come to mind:

1) Why would I ever want to flirt with the fairway bunkers on the 4th?
2) Would anyone really be inclined to choose the left option on the 8th?
3) Have you got any ideas for a hole without sand?
4) Do you think taking out a few brutal holes and replacing them with one short par 3 and one short par 4 might better expose your finesse, preferably lowering par along the way? Seems like a bit of a slog at present.

It does look like you've got some good stuff in there.

[Greg Tallman]

Looks like traffic could be an issue on 14 if the course is busy. I assume the over the beach par 3 was viewed as worth the problem (if there is one).

As Paul questions on 8... doesn't the left bunker eliminate the safer, less direct option? Perhaps there is a land form there but one cannot tell from such a drawing.

Curious as to why the two options on 13. Two greens on back to back holes seems like overkill but having never seen the site who knows, perhaps it's best use of the land.

If drawing is to scale I would suggest your practice facility is a bit narrow.

[Matt_Cohn]

Hole 1 is 615 and Hole 2 is 490?

Ouch, so much for a "gentle hand shake" opening.
More like a "right, left" to the kidneys.

Fair enough. #2 came out longer than I was expecting. I was thinking of #1 at Spyglass with #1 here, but then, #2 at Spy is 350. Perhaps it would be better at maybe 420.
Hole numbers would be helpful.
There is a little guide above the yardages but it came out a bit blurry.
Looks like fun.
Thanks! 

A few questions immediately come to mind:

1) Why would I ever want to flirt with the fairway bunkers on the 4th?
I picture it more as a "line of charm" thing that's not actually the smart line.
2) Would anyone really be inclined to choose the left option on the 8th?
[color=blueHmm. I guess in my mind I was picturing the approach from the right side being semi-blind with a little rise short of the green. But yeah, it might work better if the left was wide and right was narrow. Might change that.[/color]
3) Have you got any ideas for a hole without sand?
Interesting point. I could take out the greenside bunker on #5, and although there would still be 3 bunkers, should not particularly be in play. I could probably take out all of the bunkers on that hole and it wouldn't be any worse. I mean, with the lava it really doesn't need many bunkers, but I guess visually I thought more of large playable areas but with sand in play. So I'd say #3, #5, #13, and #17 could all be very good without bunkers. Maybe that means I should do that.
4) Do you think taking out a few brutal holes and replacing them with one short par 3 and one short par 4 might better expose your finesse, preferably lowering par along the way? Seems like a bit of a slog at present.
I mean, I do have a 140 par-3 and four par-4's under 400 yards from the tips. But if there were no aspirations to host tournaments, I could live with shortening #2, #10, #11 and #16 at a minimum.


It does look like you've got some good stuff in there.
Thanks!

Looks like traffic could be an issue on 14 if the course is busy. I assume the over the beach par 3 was viewed as worth the problem (if there is one).
Well, it's a shared back tee, but I think the tees separate pretty quickly.

Curious as to why the two options on 13. Two greens on back to back holes seems like overkill but having never seen the site who knows, perhaps it's best use of the land.
I couldn't pass up either of those green sites. Originally I was going to use only the left green and use the whole peninsula for the tees on #14. But when I drew it all, I realized that the peninsula is basically perpendicular to the line of play so using it for a "front" tee was pointless. At that point I figured I'd just put a second green on the peninsula instead of leaving it as open space.

If drawing is to scale I would suggest your practice facility is a bit narrow.
Well now that I can fix!

Thanks guys. Please keep the comments coming. I love thinking about this stuff.

[Matt_Cohn]

More, please!!!

[Brett Wiesley]

13 & 14 could be a little messy when you add cart paths, especially with the double back from the alternate green on players left on hole #13.  May be better to leave this second/alternate green out, and allow for a bail out on the par 3 No. 14.  A tee against the cliff edge could be just as pleasing as a green.  Lots of variation as well, especially with regard for the wind. 

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