More On Harbottle's Career

Todd Miles expands on his initial report about the sudden passing of golf architect John Harbottle.

One of his last renovation projects was underway at the course where he grew up – Tacoma Country and Golf Club, which flew the American flag at half-staff Friday in his honor.

Along with Tacoma course superintendent Joel Kachmack, Harbottle came up with a design to significantly alter bunkering, giving it a jagged-shaped, fescue-lined, classic-style look. The first phase has just been completed.

Harbottle was at another work site this week, and set to return home Thursday in time to sit on a First Tee of South Puget Sound board meeting Friday.

Apparently he was waiting for a layover flight at Los Angeles International Airport, and complained about pain in his neck and shoulder, Tacoma Country and Golf Club’s Friend said.

He went over to be worked on at a nearby chair massage and spa business in the airport terminal. Shortly after sitting down, he abruptly died. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

R.I.P. John Harbottle III

The golf architect was just 53.

Todd Miles with the sad news.

Update on 2012-05-25 16:40 by Geoff

**From the ASGCA:

John Harbottle III, ASGCA, dies at 53

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – John Harbottle III, an American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) Member and president of John Harbottle Design of Tacoma, Wash., died May 24, 2012. He was 53.
 
Harbottle was nationally recognized for his commitment to environmentally-sensitive design. His award-winning layouts included Ridgecrest Golf Course, Nampa, Idaho; Stevinson Ranch, Stevinson, Calif.; The Olympic Course, Bremerton, Wash.; and The Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, South Lake Tahoe, Nev. All were designated "Best New Courses in the United States" by “Golf Digest.”
 
A landscape architecture graduate from the University of Washington, Harbottle began his career with ASGCA Past President Pete Dye, with whom he collaborated on projects throughout the world. Harbottle became an ASGCA Associate Member in 1992 and a Regular Member in 1996.
 
Extensive travel to Scotland allowed Harbottle to study golf’s traditions and form the basis for many of his own designs. He described his design work, especially its noted sensitivity to the environment, when he said, “Our goal is to create natural looking golf courses with a links touch; timeless classics that fit the terrain as if they have always existed. The indigenous character of the links courses makes them not only appear a natural part of the landscape, but also allows them to function as a sustainable part of the ecosystem.
 
“Great courses possess natural beauty, strategic hazards and variety – not only in overall design, but also in the ways to play each hole,” Harbottle said.
 
Harbottle is survived by his wife, Teresa, and children, Johnny and Chelsea. 

Pinehurst Looking At A Possible Course No. 9

Golf Digest's Matty G interviews Don Padgett, who suggests the possibility of a totally revamped version of The Pit, though it sounds a ways off if it happens.

Q: The last time we spoke (February 2011), you had just bought the Pit. You went on to close the course and focus on the reopening of No. 2. Is there any update on what was the Pit?

A: Bill Coore was assigned to do a routing, which I think he’s close to completing. I have not seen it, but he has told me that he is almost there. We’re not going to pull the trigger anytime in the immediate future, but [Pinehurst owner] Bob Dedman would love to build that golf course. Bill [Coore] feels like it will be a very, very good golf course. He would be excited to build it. A lot of the land he’d use would be in the 150 acres east of what was the Pit golf course. That’s the parcel that Bill likes the best. At some point there will be a No. 9 at Pinehurst.

The interview touches on several other topics of note for Pinehurst fans, including the positive reaction to the changes to No. 2.

Tiger's Punta Brava On Track For Fall '13 Opening

From the PR wire, amazingly detailed plans for Punta Brava's environmental stewardship efforts and golf course construction timeline for Mexico's Punta Brava, aiming to be the first Tiger Woods 18-hole design to be completed that is projecting play as early as September, 2013.

“As a development, we are proud to have engaged the world’s brightest minds in the field of sustainable golf construction, emerging clean technologies, as well as the Ensenada community, throughout the planning stages of Punta Brava. And we believe many of the innovations we achieve will have a catalytic influence across the golf industry,” added Leggat.

Course Construction Timeline

Upon completion of current conservation programs in the coming months, the first phase of golf construction consists of earthwork, fairway shaping and bunker construction. This 10-12 month phase is timed to coincide with the peak germination period of the Baja coastal desert climate (June 15th – August 31st 2013).

The second phase of construction consists of drought-resistant grassing, irrigation and drainage. Due to the mild summers in Ensenada, it is estimated the course will reach optimal root base and allow for member play as early as September of 2013.

"There is reason to think par-3 courses will gain popularity."

With the opening of Bandon's par-3 course, Chris Santella posts a NY Times item on the history and possible resurgence of par-3 courses.

But although the image of par-3 courses is decidedly downscale, they need not be ugly or unchallenging. The par-3 course at Augusta National Golf Club has holes that replicate some of the greens and approach shots of the famed site of the Masters. The par-3 tournament held the day before the Masters has been televised in recent years, helping to elevate the status of par-3 golf, Whitten said. There is also a par-3 course at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, where the United States Open will be held in June.

"Trump International Golf Links Scotland is destined to become one of the most polarizing courses in all of golf."

Darius Oliver with the first Trump International Scotland review from a trustworthy source.

The main issue with the playability of the Trump International Scotland course, is that fairways are relatively tight given the frequent high winds here and the off fairway areas are quite penal. There is no doubt that over time the maintenance crew will have to soften some of the problem areas, and likely learn to keep the marram grass in the immediate surrounds under control. What will give operators more trouble are the teeing grounds, with golfers able to choose from more than 100 different tee boxes across the property. Virtually every hole has a spectacular back tee, which is often placed high on a bordering dune and completely exposed to the elements. Hawtree has admitted that he is uncomfortable about some of these back tees, and with good reason too as players with poorer techniques are likely to find the narrow fairways even harder to hit from such elevation. The other concern with having so many tees is that the course invariably becomes longer to walk, and therefore longer to play. Even fast fourballs playing solid golf will struggle to keep rounds under four and a half hours. Busy days with high winds could be brutal here.

Four Greens at TPC San Antonio To Be Rebuilt

Golf World Monday's Ron Sirak notes the Valero Texas Open's inability to draw a field and the TPC San Antonio's AT&T Oaks Course, which was 50th of 53 in the Golf World player survey, appears to be the problem. He reports that four greens will be rebuilt and the unplayable lies just out of play will need to be addressed.

When Greg Norman and Pete Dye were selected to design the 36 holes at San Antonio, a policy board member famously suggested budgeting for the inevitable post-opening redo. Wonder if the Commissioner listened? Wait, what was I thinking. I'm sorry for wasting that last 15 seconds of your time.