Washington Monthly
ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF CLUB on the shores of Lake Manassas has been around for less than a decade. But in that time it has become one of the most sought-after corporate memberships in the Washington area.
Named for its own illustrious architect, the course is nearly 7,300 yards of some of RTJ's best work. It's fitting that it was named after the man who helped professionalize the business of golf course architecture. His contributions are world famous. His inspirations helped talented newcomers continue to improve the business.
One of those is Kyle Phillips, the man who was asked to help rehab parts of his former boss' namesake venue. "I got a call from the club because I had worked with both Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. for more than 16 years," says Phillips, whose own company is based in Granite Bay, Calif. "The PGA Tour was involved with the project originally (through preparations for the Presidents Cup), and the club was interested in maintaining the architectural integrity of the course. They needed someone to do some upgrading while maintaining the look and feel of the original golf course."
The major architectural activity took place on holes 14, 15, and 18 along with some work on No. 4 green and No. 9 tee. The No. 15 and No. 18 fairways were rebuilt from the landing areas to the greens, and the No. 9 tee was expanded and improved at the spots where members wanted to play. The most noticeable renovation, however, was made at the layout's finishing hole.
"The old green sat up quite a ways above the lake," says Phillips. "There was always a desire by the members to get the green nearer to the lake.
Both the PGA and the RTJ membership played big roles in the upgrades. The changes were geared for the long-term health of the venue and not just to accommodate the Presidents Cup every so often.
"Members of the PGA Tour had their issues and the club wanted to know how that theory would be applied, if it would fit in with the original design," says Phillips. " You have a very astute membership there. They take a lot of pride in their golf course, and rightly so."
Although the bulk of Phillips' golf course attention has been based in the western United States and in Europe (he is finishing a course six miles from St. Andrews), his Eastern resume includes work at Sugarloaf in Maine and Landsdowne near Leesburg, Va.
He has become particularly impressed with RTJ's conditioning, which is in large part due to superintendent Glen Smickley's constant doting.
"Every time I go there, winter, spring, summer or fall, the greens are always in great shape," says Phillips, who likened the RTJ challenge to that of Spyglass Hill in his home state. "Even with the dramatic changes in climate, it stays well maintained. Glen must use magic dust on them or something."
The 2000 Presidents Cup, a match-play format between the U. S. team and the International team, will be contested at RTJ Oct. 19-22. Labels: Other Courses, Press
Alameda GolfBy Ron SalsigEver since the idea to build a golf course out at the far northwest corner of the former Naval Air Station became viable, Kay Miller (who has been running the re-development effort out there) has had a picture specific type of golf course on the wall in her office.
The picture is of of the Old Course at St. Andrews , Scotland. The original "Links" golf course. The land that the new golf course at Alameda Point will be built on is perfect for a Links course.
A true Links course, like the home of golf in Scotland , is a relatively flat course built on sandy soil that connects or "links" the land with the ocean. The land the new golf course at Alameda Point will rest on is relatively flat and "links" to the waters of the bay. The city of San Francisco looks so close you might well say this land also "links" to the city.
With this in mind, it came as no surprise that the man selected to complete the first phase of development for our new golf course is the man who is currently designing and building a true Links course a few miles down the shoreline from that Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
The Alameda committee of Miller, Dana Banke, Tony Corica, Leslie Zander and Elizabeth Johnson eschewed proposals from the likes of Robert Trent Jones II and Robert Muir Graves to award the $50,000 feasibility study contract to golf course architect Kyle Phillips on Feb. 20.
"I thought it had an excellent location," Phillips said. "And the technical and environmental challenges interest me. This is a unique property for Alameda ."
Phillips has developed a reputation for finding solutions to difficult environmental and planning issues on a multitude of terrain while designing golf courses for more than 60 clients in over 20 countries. When he left the Robert Trent Jones II firm to hang his own shingle in July of last year, the first project he landed was a dream: To rebuild and re-design the old Kingsbarns Links seven miles down the coast from the Old Course at St. Andrews.
The Links at Kingsbarns was first played over nine holes before Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815. But the course was used for maneuvers in World War II and never restored. The Nov. 16, 1997 issue of the St. Andrews Sunday Post called the course, "perhaps the last pure Links to be built in Scotland ." Working with Phillips as a consultant will be Walter Woods, retired head greenskeeper of the Old Course.
When I first saw the property, "Phillips said, "I wondered how the guys at Pebble Beach felt when they first walked the site. It's an incredible opportunity. Seven holes play directly down the shoreline and the rest have splendid views of the North Sea and distant Angus coastline. We started construction last fall and it will be done in the late summer."
So we have a man who knows Links and does Links. But in Alameda there are two other problems which must be dealt with - environmental concerns (a habitat for the least tern) and whether dredgings from the Estuary will be a suitable base for the course.
Phillips scores high in experience in both areas of concern. He designed the Resort at Squaw Creek Golf Course in Squaw Valley , widely considered to be the most environmentally responsive course ever constructed, with two-thirds of the layout dedicated to wetlands. And in Aruba he designed and constructed a course with imported sand, much like the dredgings will be in Alameda.
"We have an opportunity to go in and create a golf course with this dredge material in Alameda ," Phillips said. "Part of our investigation will be to look into the dredging, work with them, find out more about the material. How that material will work, to create a much better environment than exists there now - it's a runway - to create a habitat for the least tern...these are the questions that intrigue me, the challenges that interest me."
Phillips believes that the new golf course at Alameda Point can be a top-level golf experience.
"A lot of people would like to have a very high-end product, but they don't have the site or the location," he said. "But this is a very unique property in Alameda."
Philllips lived in Fremont while he worked as a vice president and designer at Robert Trent Jones II. He moved to one of his proudest creations, Granite Bay GC near Roseville in the Sacramento area, to hang his own shingle. But no matter where Phillips lives, he is always on the go. The real money in golf course design is overseas. For instance, in May he begins construction on a course in Austria . His interest in the Alameda property is a compliment to that site.
"With the experience Kyle has had with some really big developments, we want that," Golf Manager Dana Banke said. "He has a proven track record."
Phillips should finish the feasibility study by June. He will also then have his foot in the door as the architect for the project.Labels: Other Courses, Press
