With respect to Hanse, Doak and even Kidd, whose new Castle Course at St. Andrews likewise features free-form tees, none of their creations is as radical as Charlton's at Chambers Bay. His tees aren't conventional wide pads linked by undulations. His are narrow paths, where golfers have to search for a level lie. His intent is to aid average players in executing decent tee shots. Choose a slight uphill lie to get the ball airborne, a little downhill spot to keep it under the wind, or a sidehill slope to impart more hook or slice. It's a remarkably clever concept, but we suspect by the time the U.S. Open rolls around, the USGA will insist on lots of big, flat tee boxes for the pros.

Hanse has adapted the basic pick-your-lie concept on a new 10-hole par-3 course he's designing for The Prairie Club, a multiple-course project near Valentine, Neb. His layout will feature no tees, just expanded fairways with lots of dips and rolls in them. His idea is, each round will be based on the basketball game Horse, where the guy who wins the previous hole gets to chose the stance, lie and shot that must be attempted on the next hole. (To really integrate the idea into golf, Hanse ought to call his game Gorse.)

1:  60-90 yards
2:  50-115 yards
3:  30-85 yards
4:  65-125 yards
5:  45-105 yards
6:  40-125 yards
7:  55-110 yards
8:  40-105 yards
9:  60-140 yards
10: 40-125 yards

Total: 485-1,125 yards

Click to enlarge:

2nd hole approach and green growing in. Approximate 100 yard hole depending on where you tee off, can be played with any club to a green with hints of the Old Course's 12th tiering.

4th tee view, far left tee. Approximately 115 yards.

 View from the rear 10th tee, 105 yards playing over the 9th green. Other teeing options are to the right, green is set between bunkering.

5th tee view. Green sits on other side of bunker "blowout" with yardage ranging from 50-105 yards depending on tee and hole placement

1st hole tee view, far left side option. Tee is very large and angle/distance options are greatly varied.

In the coming months I'll be posting photos, updates and some "video diaries" on the design and construction of "The Horse Course."

In the meantime, here are a few images of it in the early stages of construction and prior to seeding. Click on the images to enlarge...

First tee view of green 85 yards away, prior to seeding (click to enlarge image)

Approach to 2nd green prior to seeding (click to enlarge)

View from left 4th tee, green site rough shaped in (click to enlarge)

Rear view of 4th looking back toward tee (click to enlarge)

View from picnic spot behind 4th green (click to enlarge)

View of the 9th green from tee approximate 70 yards away, (click to enlarge)

View of 10th green and bunkers from 9th green, prior to seeding (click to enlarge)