GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture
Birdwood Golf Course (Charlottesville, VA) Photo Tour
Matt Albanese:
I had the opportunity to return to the University of Virginia, my alma mater, this week to see the new Birdwood Golf Course at Boar’s Head Resort. The new course by Love Golf Design replaced the previous 1984 Lindsay Ervin design. The new course uses 9 of the same corridors, 5 in the same direction and 4 reversed. There are 9 new holes on the property. I will be posting a detailed photo tour over the next few weeks. Overall, I think the project was a success in upgrading the facilities for the Division 1 program while maintaining the sense of place in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. Although I have great nostalgia for the old course having played hundreds of rounds there, the new course is an improvement. It is certainly a more robust test for the elite level player. It is a modern feeling design. However, it still fits nicely on the land.
Overview
Designer: Davis Love III
Co-Designer: Mark Love
Architect: Scot Sherman
Par 71 3856 to 7116 yards
“The Nest” Six hole short course and “Ridges” 18 hole putting course
New Scorecard
Old Scorecard
New Aerial Drawing
Old Aerial Satellite
New aerial drawing superimposed on old satellite
Tees: Northridge Bermuda
Fairways: Zeon Zoysia
Greens: V8 Bent grass
Rough: Fescue and bluegrass mix
Native areas: Irish links mix, fine fescue and natural grasses like Broomsedge
The most dramatic green contours are found on the 18-hole putting course. The greens on the main course appear to have been designed with modern green speeds in mind. I imagine that the internal contours would come to life with green speeds in the 12+ foot range while maintaining pinnable areas. There are detailed green drawings of each hole posted in the clubhouse. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of these drawings. If anyone is able to take some, they would be a welcome addition to this photo tour.
Stay tuned to this space for the complete photo tour and commentary. Any and all discussion is welcomed.
Tommy Williamsen:
Matt, I heard that DL3 did a great job. I hope to play there in late August when my foot heals. I am eager to see it. I never played the old course so I can't compare them.
Matt Albanese:
Hole 1 - Par 4, 372 yards.
This is one of the five holes that uses a previous corridor in the same direction. The new hole is very similar to the old hole, although clearly an improvement. The hole was shortened from 408 yards to 372 yards. This was accomplished by moving the tee forward and to the right.
New first tee
The hole is now much straighter. This eliminates the awkward opening tee shot which was often a layup to the fairway short of the right fairway bunker and trees through the dogleg. The carry over the left bunker on the corner left a steeply uphill shot to the green.
View from the new back tee. The hole has been straightened.
The bunker complex down the left side of the fairway has been expanded from a single bunker to three bunkers. The longest carry is about 275 from the back tee. The longer players can decide whether to carry this bunker complex or play right / short of them. The bunker on the right side through the dogleg has been eliminated.
1st fairway from the tee
New bunker complex down the left
Old hole #1 (photo credit: https://worldgolfer.blog/2017/03/17/review-birdwood-golf-course/)
The hill leading up to the green site has been flattened. The hole does not play as sharply uphill. However, it remains a mostly blind uphill approach shot to the green that slopes gently from back to front. There is a closely mown area to the left of the green and a bunker right.
1st green
Matt Albanese:
Hole 2 - Par 5, 574 yards.
The second hole also follows the corridor of its previous counterpart. A new back tee was added behind and to the left of the old tee bringing it closer to the water. This slightly changes the angle of the tee shot. The green was also moved back and to the left (more on that later). These changes have increased the length of the hole from 508 yards to 574 yards.
View from the new back tee
It was quite jarring to stand on the second tee and see golf holes on the hill left of the lake. This area was previously densely forested and not part of the original golf course. In fact, it would have been nearly incomprehensible when playing the old hole to think that there could be golf holes there. It has been entirely cleared which opens up dramatic, sweeping views of the property and the mountains. This will be evident later in the tour. Seven of the nine new holes (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12) occupy this previously unused and formerly heavily wooded area.
View from the old 2nd tee (photo credit: https://worldgolfer.blog/2017/03/17/review-birdwood-golf-course/)
The second tee also provides the first look at the back-to-back green sites of 3 and 11.
Once you get past the shock of seeing golf holes left of 2, you must then focus on the tee shot. As with the old hole, anything left will likely find the water. The new left fairway bunker may save some balls from a rinse. The carry is about 300 yards from the back tee. The right fairway bunkers that were cut into the hill to collect balls off of the hill have been removed. This is a welcome change as these bunkers had an unnatural appearance sitting above the level of the fairway. The preferred line on the new hole is to aim at the right edge of the trees in the distance on the right. From there, the ball will bound left off of the steep hill into the fairway. The fairway is still sloped dramatically from right to left so it is possible for balls to land in the right rough and end up on the left side of the fairway. Additionally, the hill to the right of the fairway is severe enough to kick most balls down toward the fairway. If it hangs up in the rough on this slope, however, it leaves a very awkward stance for the certain layup. The fairway starts to slope toward the hole after the left fairway bunker giving an advantage to players who can reach this point. This leaves a mid to long iron for the second shot into the green.
The green site was moved back and to the left of Morey Creek. This creates a diagonal hazard for both layup shots and approach shots to the green. This is another excellent change as the previous green site was awkwardly defended by the creek and trees to the left. On the new hole, the green sits on a left to right diagonal away from the player daring him to challenge the creek. However, there is ample bail out to the left with a large closely mown area. Diagonally placed bunkers right and left provide a directional challenge to various hole locations.
Here is a view from the lay up zone. The size of the right fairway bunker in this area has been decreased.
This is the view from behind the green highlighting the well-placed diagonal hazard creek.
Here is the old second green site toward the tee and to the right of the new green. The new 9th tee occupies some of the land of the right forward tee on the old 3rd hole (more on that later in the tour).
Mike_Trenham:
Matt - Keep it coming. I played a good amount of golf at Birdwood while in Business School from 1997-99. It was a really tough walk and too many students rode carts. The revised routing really looks like an improvement. I would say #5-7 are the only real good holes that went away.
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