The Best of 2017: Part 2--The Sights and Sounds / December 28, 2017 by Brett Hochstein

The 6000 year old standing stones of the Machrie Moor were one of the coolest things I encountered this year.  The sheep were fun to hangout with, too. — *The 6000 year old standing stones of the Machrie Moor were one of the coolest things I encountered this year. The sheep were fun to hangout with, too.*

This year I am trying something new and breaking up this annual post into three parts. This first one focused on the work that we did both out in the field and back in the office. The third part will be a commentary and analysis of all the new courses that we studied and played in 2017. This second part though is a bit of fun diversion from just golf. This segment is all about the complementary pieces that help make the year what it was, from the culture of the places we visited to the music listened to while digging a bunker to other non-golf things that we find passion in. Let's begin with a look at our favorite towns we visited this year...

Favorite Cities

1. St Andrews, Scotland The Home of Golf might be my favorite place in the world, and it was amazing to return after being away for 7 years. This was my first time there in summer, so it was fun to mingle and connect with other travelers from around the world, including the caddies from the LPGA tour and some golfers who just happened to be from the area that I grew up in Michigan.

2. Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh is a great old city and also one of my favorite places. In many parts, it feels like stepping into a movie or storybook with its old stone alleyways, church spires, and Castle set up on a giant outcropping. This time around I had the fortune of checking out the Bruntsfield Links, one of the earliest commons where golf was played. Today it is a park as well as a pitch and putt still enjoyed by many people.

3. Saratoga Springs, NY The famous horse racing town north of Albany is full of charm with myriad shops, restaurants, and bars. I'd love to come back and check out a race sometime, as the track and grandstand look as if from a different era.

4. Huntington Beach, CA I usually like to stay in Huntington Beach while working at Santa Ana, as the beach, restaurants, and Tuesday Market Night provide fun options for the evenings.

5. (Tie) Sylva, NC An old mill town 45 minutes west of Asheville, this is a pretty cool enclave in southern Appalachia. The vibe of the place is very much about enjoying the outdoors, and Innovation Brewing, which is set right on top of the river running through town, is a great spot to try a wide variety of experimental beers as well as enjoy live music.

5. (Tie) Lakeland, FL Lakeland has a nice downtown with an older feel not found much around Florida. The lakes and ponds nearby add another element and provide for some nice walks.

Favorite food by Place

Sylva, NC - North Carolina BBQ

Huntington Beach, CA - Barbacoa Street Quesadilla

Cockeysville, MD - House meal with the client

Redlands, CA - Steak Colorado Burrito from El Burrito. Fresh home-made tortillas are the way to be.

Scotland - Haggis! Always haggis...

Favorite Sights Seen

This is a bit lighter this year, as I made the most of my time on the road this year, spending it on the job site, golf course, or meeting place. There was little time for extracurricular sight-seeing, but I managed to squeeze in a few pretty good ones.

1. The Machrie Moor Standing Stones. Shiskine, Arran, Scotland. This was cool beyond words. The trail to get here goes through a few sheep farms and up and over a hill and through the ever-increasing moorland. When I got to a grassy opening, there were some sheep grazing in the middle of some ancient stones embedded into the earth. This was cool in itself, but when I looked a bit further past a couple of trees and into the open moor, I could see the giant stones out there, isolated and sticking straight up in the vast landscape. Just then, the sun dipped beneath the clouds, first lighting up the 6000 year old stones and then forming a rainbow over top of them, as if on cue. Amazing.

2. The Rose Bowl. Pasadena, CA. Go ahead and insert your joke about Michigan football here, but I had never been, so I thought I would make a pit stop on the way to Redlands and check it out. What a cool setting, and a very lively active neighborhood as well with hundreds of people walking, jogging, and biking.

*The color and texture of Bok Tower is much more impressive when viewed up close.*

3. Bok Tower and Gardens. Lake Wales, FL. On my way from Lakeland to Orlando, I checked out some old public courses at Kyle Harris's suggestion and hoped to sneak a peak at Mountain Lake, the Raynor course restored by Brian Silva. I found out it was totally gated, so I decided to go check out the Bok Tower and Gardens instead. That turned out to be a good decision. The gardens are a neat piece of landscape architecture, and the tower, which sits on one of the highest points in Florida, is much more colorful and elegant when viewed up close, especially in the late day golden light.

MUSIC

Anyone in this business who spends a lot of time in a machine out in the field knows how valuable a companion the art of music is. It is easy as well to draw parallels between the two, a great golf course acting as a great album with the component pieces--the holes and songs--standing individually while contributing to the work as a whole.

This year was a return to some really great music discovery. Like favorite courses and holes you will see in Part 3, many of these albums and songs below could be interchangeable, but they give a general idea of what I really loved and had resonate within me. Here are some of my favorites while making it all happen from the dozer seat or, moreso this year, the office chair or car/plane/train seat.

Best Albums

1. Age of the Sun - The Sunshine Fix

2. God Shuffled His Feet - Crash Test Dummies

3. New Magnetic Wonder - The Apples in Stereo

4. Bigfoot - Cayucas

5. Teens of Denial - Car Seat Headrest

6. Whiteout Conditions - The New Pornographers

7. Venus and Mars - Wings

8. Antisocialites - Alvvays

9. Hit the Highway - The Proclaimers

10. Heartworms - The Shins

H.M. Alvvays - Alvvays; Human Ceremony - Sunflower Bean; Lola vs. Powerman - The Kinks; Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons - Dressy Bessy; The Life Pursuit - Belle & Sebastian

Best Songs

1. "God Shuffled His Feet" - Crash Test Dummies

2. "7 Stars" - The Apples in Stereo

3. "Fantasy Island" - The Shins

4. "Digging to China" - The Sunshine Fix

5. "In Undertow" - Alvvays

6. "Magneto and Titanium Man" - Wings

7. "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" - Crash Test Dummies

8. "Age of the Sun" - The Sunshine Fix

9. "Clockwise" - The New Pornographers

10. "Skyway" - The Apples in Stereo

11. "Cayucos" - Cayucas

12. "Fly" - Meadowlark

13. "Destroyed by Hippie Powers" - Car Seat Headrest

14. "Whiteout Conditions" - The New Pornographers

15. "Drugs with Friends" - Car Seat Headrest

16. "Dress up in You" - Belle & Sebastian

17. "Cherry Hearts" - The Shins

18. "Archie, Marry Me" - Alvvays

19. "I Got You" - Split Enz

20. "In a Drawer" - Band of Horses

H.M. "Postcards" - Meadowlark, "The More I Believe" - The Proclaimers, "Lost in a Crowd" - Woods, "Witchi-Tai-To" - Brewer & Shipley, "Holding On" - The War on Drugs, "Creature Comfort" - Arcade Fire, "High School Lover" - Cayucas, "The Agency Group" - Alvvays, "Easier Said" - Sunflower Bean, "Ma Blonde est Partie" - Amadee Breaux

Bonus New Podcasts Section

Since I have participated on one of these, I am refraining from numerical rankings this year and instead an alphabetic listing.

- The Allusionist

- Attack Each Day: The Harbaughs' Podcast

- Criminal

- The Fried Egg

- Ways of Hearing, a Showcase by Radiotopia

And a special shoutout to the "Club Pro Guy" episode on No Laying Up. Anyone who lived through the heart of late 90s/early 00s golf needs to listen to this.

Non-Golf Experiences of the Year

If you can believe it, golf isn't the only important thing in life. Visits to special places, once-in a lifetime events, and time spent with your best people is a huge part of the picture. These moments contribute to personal happiness and indirectly serve as inspiration to what we do out on the golf course site.

1. The Final Game at Joe Louis Arena, spent with my dad. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a die-hard Red Wings fan, even as their level of play slides downward. I was also a die-hard fan of their long-time home, Joe Louis Arena. As a kid who instantly fell in love with the Red Wings once I started watching in 1994, I was fascinated with their arena. The noise of the crowd, the white steel bars that gave it a ware-house-y feel, the endless banners, the blue rafters, the echoing voice of P.A. Budd Lynch, and the seats that went uninterrupted all the way to the top. It was pure hockey and pure sport. As other arenas around the league and other sports changed, ditching their older and more intimate digs for more spacious and expensive places full of "comfort and amenities," I began to love The Joe even more. I recognized it as a dying breed of stadia where going to the game and focusing on the action was the reason for attending. I liken it to golf and the shift away from simple, golf-only courses toward the "country club for a day" experience, which is more costly and often loses sight of the golf at hand. When I go to play golf, I just want to play golf. When I go to a hockey game, I want to focus on the hockey game. Besides the long bathroom and beer lines (which provided an experience unto itself, as it encouraged lively banter among the fans), The Joe was all about the main purpose of the day--watching hockey. Close seats with great sightlines, few frills, hockey-only decor, and a unique acoustic that would grow and wane unlike any other are what made Joe Louis Arena special.

There were many detractors of the place throughout recent years, calling it a "dump" and whatever else. But as the strong attendance and hoopla of the final season came to its climax on the final weekend and final night, the love that people had for this place and what the Red Wings achieved in it was utterly palpable. People spent all day around the arena that Sunday and mingled inside many hours before puck drop. It had the energy of a Stanley Cup Final game. This aspect is maybe what made me most emotional--the connection I had to the collective fanbase and their shared emotions on that day. And spending it all with my dad, whom I attended more games with than anyone, made it that much more special. It's a night I will never forget. Thanks for the memories, Joe.

2. Stopping off in Cupar, the town I lived in while at Elmwood, on my way to St Andrews. Not everything was positive while I lived there, especially as I left it. So it was great to take a long, sunny walk around and through all the streets and alleys, remember all the good things that I loved about this old stone-laden European town, and get a fish supper from Libo's, which is still my favorite chip shop in all of Scotland. Stop off at Libo's next time going through Cupar and get the fish or the haggis. Or both. I'd go with both.

3. Machrie Moor walk (see above)

4. Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time with my wife. Much like golf courses, you really need to see it in person to appreciate this awe-striking space. We caught the last bit of sunset upon arrival, and the colors were unreal. Reds, oranges, purples, blues, and dark greens are all part of the palette in late day light. We awoke before sunrise to see the same thing in reverse direction, and this might have been an even better experience as we saw more elk on our walk out than people.

Just like great golf courses, the Grand Canyon is much more impressive to see in person.  Also more fun when your partner in exploration gets to join you. — *Just like great golf courses, the Grand Canyon is much more impressive to see in person. Also more fun when your partner in exploration gets to join you.*

5. Seeing the Warriors bring home the Title in person with my father-in-law. Yes, I am a Warriors fan, and yes I have no shame about that. As someone who didn't care much about the Pistons or NBA in general when moving west 7 years ago, the "Dubs" were really the only team that had a shot at converting my fandom from Michigan-based teams. They did just that, as I attended a number of games with my father-in-law, who has been a long-time season ticket holder. My two main knocks on the NBA were that the crowds were fake and bandwagon-y and that nobody played a team style of basketball. Well, Oracle Arena has been a rocking atmosphere since well before the arrival of the Splash Brothers, and Steve Kerr has them playing a pass-first style of basketball that is an absolute joy to watch. Even if I hadn't moved to the Bay Area, this team would still be getting my attention and love for the way that they play as a unit.

Seeing it all come together the past couple of years has been a lot of fun, and the battles with Lebron and the Ohio-based Cavaliers have fueled the intensity. After seeing game 7 blown in person the year before and having nightmare flashbacks of Ohio State fans celebrating in Michigan Stadium, watching the clincher over the Cavs and end of maybe the most dominant postseason run ever was incredibly fun and satisfying. It was the first championship of the major sports that I've even seen won live by a team I've supported. I certainly hope to do it again sometime.

Next part will be all about what we really love--golf courses! As I am currently on a family vacation, this may wait until after the new year. Stay tuned...

The Best of 2017--Part 1: The Work, In and Out of the Field / December 23, 2017 by Brett Hochstein

*Hole 3 at Redlands just after sand installation.*

This year I am trying something new and breaking up this annual post into three parts. This first one will focus on the work that we did both out in the field and back in the office. The second part will be all about the complementary pieces that made the year what it was, from the culture of the places we visited to the music listened to while digging a bunker to other non-golf things that we find passion in. The third and final segment will be what may be most interesting to the bulk of you--the golf courses that we studied and played. So let's have some fun and get into it--here's part 1...

The Work

This was a bit of a different year for us at Hochstein Design. Instead of taking on a number of longer term projects helping out shaping, we spent more time working on potential leads to projects of our own, creating practice area schematic designs for a local course, and participating in some fun features on other great golf design sites like American Golfer, The Fried Egg, and Geeked on Golf. We also took our first ever trip to the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, which provided the opportunity to catch up with friends, meet new ones, and put faces to the social media name.

There were still a few fun things that we got to work on in the dirt though, including a spring trip to the Carolina mountains for Thad Layton and APDC, a week trying out artificial greens construction near Baltimore with Back Nine Greens, detailing bunkers and natural areas at Orinda, and return trips to both Redlands and Santa Ana for Todd Eckenrode and Jay Blasi, respectively. Here are some of my favorite things we got to work on, both out in the field and back in the office.

Favorite Features of the Field

*We had the opportunity this summer to go back and touch up this natural area on the 15th at Orinda, which used to be an ivy-covered fence and jungle.*

1. Hole 3 at Redlands It's hard to single out one feature here, as I loved working on every part of this reverse Redan-ish par 3. For one, I love working in a spot that has a beautiful view, and this one does, especially after tree removal restored those views. The hole itself is very cool as well. Based on an aerial that we had, architect Todd Eckenrode and I had the opportunity to restore the very large pair of angled MacKenzie bunkers that sit in ridge below and short of the green. Spoils from that operation and the new left bunker were used to increase the left to right tilt of the landing area as well as extend a helping/hurting ridge from that bunker to the green. If playing your shot on the ground, that contour will be a helping one. If flying it to the green and pulling it well left, it keeps you over that way. Green expansion has also added more holes closer to the rear MacKenzie mounds and the dangerous far right promontory. The hole has a decided angle to shape a shot now and should offer some very fun approach shots, especially for the short and medium-length hitters.

Click the images of hole 3 in construction in the gallery above to enlarge

2. Hole 2 at Redlands Again I am just going to lump together the entirety of the works on this hole. The green is a very cool but very steep MacKenzie green with a dividing hump up in the middle and strong back-right to front-left tilt. There were two small areas where they could place a pin, even in summertime when they roll much more slowly. While I am usually hesitant to tear into Golden Age greens to "soften" them, I was on board with Todd's plan to rebuild it with the same overall ideas but increase both the size and the pinnable areas.

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Now, this is a process that is much more difficult compared to starting from scratch and building a new green. We had to strip the old top layer off while not disturbing too much of the original green. We then made our expansions and alterations carefully, checking grades and preserving general landforms along the way. The excess spoils went out to the front to make the transition smoother as well as the left to help build up the backside of the bunker. The overall result was successful in that the green still largely resembles its previous self while offering a whole lot more area where a hole can be placed, including one tucked behind the restored long skinny left greenside bunker. The green still has its "teeth" but is much more dynamic in how it plays.

A new approach bunker was also added 50 yards short and right and guards the ideal angle into a left hole location for people playing the long par 4 as a 3-shot hole. The right greenside bunker, which didn't seem to originally exist (hard to tell exactly on the aerial. It was very small if anything, which is unlike California MacKenzie) was also removed and replaced with contouring.

3. Extended bunker on 6 at Santa Ana Some key tree removal early this year opened up the left side of the very short par 4 6th at Santa Ana. Architect Jay Blasi's intent was always for a player to think about taking on the left fairway bunker and running one up onto the green. For someone who predominantly hits a fade though, this was very difficult with the trees. That corridor is much more open now though. In doing that, it visually and functionally made sense to extend the bunker left to accommodate the new open-ness. Everything feels a lot better to this hole now, and going for it is much more tempting.

4. Bunker and natural area touch-ups at Orinda The grassing process for the bunkers at Orinda involved rolling the fescue turf all the way over the edge to the floor. In doing this, there is usually some excess as well a little bit of loss for the detailing. Because we were spending a lot more time locally this year, there were some opportunities to go back into a few of the most overgrown bunkers at Orinda and detail the edges. This is hard physical work, but the instant gratification of a fresh new edge greatly outweighs a few blisters and sore muscles.

Above: Before and after touching up the right hand greenside bunker on the 14th at Orinda

5. Santa Ana Large Wash, Take II For various reasons, the drainage in the big restored sandy wash at Santa Ana did not work as well as hoped. A re-engineering project would solve that but also cause a lot of damage to almost everything in the interior. This operation was used as an opportunity to do a few things. One was extend the land bridge to give the shorter hitters a more feasible route to the second half of the par 5 15th hole. Another was to extend a different wash between 15 and 13 and create a new "don't go here" bunker for the long hitters bombing it to the second half of hole 15. Another opportunity yet was to improve the wash crossing path and get carts and players on 16 tee out of harm's way from trailing golfers on 15. The last and final opportunity was to improve the interior aesthetics of the wash itself, reshaping the islands and wash-ways to something with more 3-D definition and natural aesthetic. I've spent way more time in this area than I ever imagined, but I enjoyed the opportunity to work on mimicking a different type of landscape and enjoy the SoCal climate while doing so.

Favorite Features off the Field

1. American Golfer Interview Rob Thomas is a prolific golf blogger and has had a number of great design interviews on his site. I was very excited to be one of them early this year. I enjoyed tackling questions about negative design trends, approaches to design, dream sites, and growing the game, among others. Read the full interview at American Golfer.

2. Leven Hole writeup for Geeked on Golf After getting back from Scotland, Jason Way of Geeked on Golf asked if I would be interested in contributing to a post about Charles Blair MacDonald's "Leven" template, which, of course I was interested. My task would be for covering the "inspiration" side, which is the current 16th hole at Lundin Links in southern Fife. Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) and his amazing photos and travels would cover the Macdonald and Raynor templates. It was a fun exercise and turned out pretty well. Go ahead and read it here.

*This diagram above was a part of my description for the original "Leven" hole in Jason Way's "My Favorite Template" piece on geekedongolf.com*

3. Fried Egg Architecture Roundtable After reading these over the last year or so, it was exciting when Andy asked me to finally contribute. His questions were great, too, including thoughts on pro venues, rules, favorite holes, and what we wished the common golfer understood more about golf architecture. Check out the responses Parts 1 and 2 both here and here.

4. Fried Egg Podcast I had never done a podcast or live interview, but doing one with both Andy and Jay Blasi was a great way to get the feet wet. We discuss the "Dark Ages" of design as well as answer reader questions and participate in the infamous "overrated/underrated." Check it on The Fried Egg or iTunes (episode 56).

5. Design Opportunities They have come and gone in different forms, but the process has been great to build upon. Plus, we still have some potential opportunities in the works, which is very exciting.

Best Experiences

1. The smoggy haze clearing one Saturday while working on the 3rd at Redlands, which sits high on a ridge with a beautiful view across to the San Bernardino Mountains. After a week or so of thick haze, all the details were visible this day, and somehow my music sounded better.

The haze cleared, and all felt good...as long as I kept the door shut and the AC going.  The clear air also brought 100+ degree temperatures — *The haze cleared, and all felt good...as long as I kept the door shut and the AC going. The clear air also brought 100+ degree temperatures*

2. Evenings with open windows at Redlands, pick one.

3. Working in the peaceful mountain valley at Balsam Mountain with warm spring weather and the trees just starting to bud and flower.

*Mornings at Balsam Mountain were pleasant indeed.*

4. Pleasant December weather in The O.C. working at Santa Ana.

5. Finishing early enough on my last day at Santa Ana to catch the very last rays of the day on Huntington Beach

Accolades (!?)

*Surprised and flattered to see the last name on there*

I had the surprising distinction of being named one of Matt Ginella's (Golf Channel's Architecture Correspondent) "Top Architects Under 40." I didn't realize it until getting a few texts and seeing others post it on instagram and twitter. It is very flattering and exciting to be mentioned among such talent, and I full-heartedly believe that we can do top quality work that can compare with some of the best. However, I have to take this time to acknowledge all those architects who I have worked with and learned from. Tom Doak, Todd Eckenrode, Jay Blasi, Frank Pont, Patrice Boissonnas, Mike McCartin, Forrest Richardson, and Mike DeVries have all been great in opportunities to contribute to their work as well as teach me about the business.

I'd also like to shout out and acknowledge all the other talented young people who could have just as easily been on that list. It doesn't feel fair to name them, but there is a large crew of talented and motivated young designers and shapers out there that are doing very good work. I fully believe we are stronger together than individually, and I wish everyone success both now and in the future.

*Hole 3 approach at Redlands after grassing and sand*

Drone Footage and Stills of Sallandsche Bunkering / March 30, 2017 by Brett Hochstein

*The 9th hole bunkering at Sallandsche looks much different from above.*

If you are like me at all, you like to check out the view of things above. For me, this is especially true of any golf course work I have done--bunkers in particular.

The golf club at Sallandsche, located in the east of the Netherlands and where local architect Frank Pont and I completed a bunker renovation 2 years ago, has added drone flyovers in its hole-by-hole section on its website (which you can find here, and, if you can read Dutch, navigate around for more). The direct youtube links can be found here, where other holes should automatically load or be found on the sidebar. They aren't HD quality, but they still give a good idea of the edge styling and overall form of the bunkers.

Below is a series of some of my favorite holes and bunkering as seen from above. Click on the youtube videos to play the loop and the galleries to see larger still images.

Hole 5

This medium-short par 3 has a visually pleasing set of imbalanced bunkering, but it also features the removal of "hold-up" mounding surrounding the back half section of the green, which is narrower, crowned and raised. It is a tough but fun hole location to take on, and it can be seen profiled against the dark shadowing in the earlier part of the video.

Overzicht van hole 5 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

Hole 7

The 7th hole, seen in the images below, really gives a good idea of the offset of the bunkers. The hole is a short par 5, and the left bunker nicely guards the ideal angle into the right-to-left-sloped green.

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Hole 8

The 8th hole features one of my favorite bunkers from the project--the long greenside bunker guarding the right side. The true length and size of the bunker is not necessarily that apparent on the ground, but as the drone gets closer to it, that length starts to show itself.

Overzicht van hole 8 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

Hole 9

The 9th hole is a medium long par 3 and one of the nicer settings on the property after Frank and the club took on heather restoration and tree removal. We needed bunkering that fit the scale and scene of the hole, and decided on a big one. An irrigation line, however, ran through the area that was laid out. Instead of using time and resources to move the line, we decided just to split the bunker in two, which turned out to be a blessing in making the arrangement look much more dynamic. After visiting the Melbourne Sand Belt a year prior and studying Alex Russell's brilliant bunkering, I learned how to better profile capes, bays, and separate bunkers against each other and create a unique 3-dimensional feel. In this case, the pair below actually looks like 3 bunkers of varying sizes instead of 2. The video from above though shows that they certainly are not a set of 3. Take a look:

The 9th hole from the ground.  Note the flag you see is a winter hole in the approach area; the green is behind and left of the bunkers. — *The 9th hole from the ground. Note the flag you see is a winter hole in the approach area; the green is behind and left of the bunkers.*

Overzicht van hole 9 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

Hole 11

The 11th hole is similar to the 7th in that they are both par 5s and both have an angled bunker arrangement up near the green. The 11th is different though in that the pair of bunkers is out at in the approach instead of at the green. The pair looks like it is very close together (which is intentional and achieved in the field), but in actuality there is some spacing between them, which the drone footage shows.

Overzicht van hole 11 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

*The first two bunkers near the 11th green relate strongly to each other and appear to be "stacked."*

*Here you can actually see there is a decent amount of space between the two bunkers as well as see how the overall set is placed on an angle.*

Hole 12

The 12th hole has two outside bunkers guarding the ideal angle into the green, which is guarded by a greenside bunker on the right. These were created on perhaps the flattest hole on the course, but they turned out nicely, especially the one at the green.

Overzicht van hole 12 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

Hole 13

The greenside bunker on 13 is another favorite. On the ground it has many different looks as you move around it. From the air, is has a sort of reverse 'S' shape, which is what helps it look different from opposing angles on the ground.

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Hole 17

The 17th is one of the original holes on the golf course and the place where we started the project. The cross bunkers in the fairway are profiled low against the subtle ground, keeping view of the green and the greenside bunker. From the air, they take on a bit of a different look.

Overzicht van hole 17 op de Sallandsche Golfclub

The Best of the Rest...

Here are a few other ground level/drone comparison images that I liked. It's amazing how simple something can look in the air (see the first bunker on the 4th hole fairway, which looks like a potato from above) but look much more interesting on the ground, or vice-versa. This is why you can't just design in plan view--you have to shape and figure it out in the field.

Click on the gallery below to check out some different comparisons. The ground level photos precede the drone captures.

Hole 1 Ground Level

Hole 1 Drone

Hole 2 Ground

Hole 2 Drone

Hole 4 Ground Fairway

Hole 4 Ground Green

Hole 4 Drone Fairway

Hole 4 Drone Green

Hole 13 Ground Fairway

Hole 13 Drone Fairway

Hole 14 Ground

Hole 14 Drone

Hole 16 Ground

Hole 16 Drone

Hole 18 Ground

Hole 18 Drone

Orinda Country Club Renovation: Before and After Images / March 9, 2017 by Brett Hochstein

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This is a two part series reviewing Hochstein Design's involvement with the restoration/renovation project at Orinda Country Club. Part I is a review of the construction and creative process during the project, while this part focuses more on just the visual changes.

PROJECT FAST FACTS

Architect: Todd Eckenrode (William Watson original, 1924)

Shapers: Brett Hochstein and George Waters

Superintendent: Josh Smith

Project Type: Bunker and selected greens renovation/restoration

Location: Orinda, CA (San Francisco East Bay Area)

With simple design moves and an agronomic shift of philosophy (firmer, faster surfaces + more short grass everywhere), the golf course at Orinda Country Club has really transformed from a difficult, one-dimensional target test to a fun, dynamic round filled with different shot options and types. The construction and design processes were discussed in Part I. This second part though is all about comparing and contrasting the pre-construction state of the course to the new post-2016 version. These are a selection of favorite transformations shown in a series of before/after images. Enjoy!

The first hole to highlight is the 2nd, a medium-short par 4 playing up a hill to a green that drops off on the right side and back. That dramatic effect was hidden though by containment mounding and a forest of trees behind the green. The trees were removed before starting "Project Watson," and the mounding was removed during it. As the dirt disappeared, wonderful views opened up, including a direct shot to the 4th hole green and bunkers across the deep bowl that separates the 2nd, 4th, and 11th. With the extra space, the green was expanded back and right to engage both the dropoffs and the front right greenside bunker. The overall space at the green has been transformed from that of an enclosed room to one with commanding views to the surrounding holes and a stronger connection to the gnarly old oaks nearby the green. It may be my favorite spot on the whole course.

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*Tree and mound removal have not only cleaned up the nice view lines, they've made the green more interesting and opened up views to the 4th green and bunkers.*

Click the above gallery to see larger images of the 2nd hole before and after. The first three "before" images are courtesy of architect Todd Eckenrode.

The 3rd hole is a long downhill par 3 where most everyone will be hitting a running shot into the green and trying to judge the speed correctly to get the ball to stop on the putting surface. Before, the strategy was simple: hit it straight between the two flanking bunkers. During the renovation though, the right bunker was removed, and two approach bunkers were added by Todd and George and set at an angle short of the hole. The best play now is either a draw around the set or a higher shot that just clears the first bunker, where the ball should bound and roll its way onto the putting surface. An enhanced bump on the right will either help or hurt you, depending how on-line your shot is.

Also of note is the removal of trees on the right between the 3rd and 4th holes and the joining of the two fairways with mowed shortgrass. The look is pleasantly open and more in line with the original landscape of the course.

Above is a sampling of before-afters of the 3rd hole. Click to enlarge the images.

The 4th hole has one of the more striking visual changes as the previous bunkers were the most out of character with the new style we were building. This was due to a more recent rebuild of them to reduce the amount of washouts that were frequent with the previous arrangement. A better aesthetic alternative could be had though while still reducing the amount of washouts:

*Superintendent Josh Smith referred to these as "disoriented Pac Man bunkers."*

*The new bunker style is much more complementary to the course and Northern California golf in general.*

This was a rare case where I knew what I wanted the bunkers to look like well before the project even started. I called "shotgun" on getting to work on this hole, and thankfully my request was granted.

Above: some more images of the changes on the 4th. In addition to the bunkers, the left side green tie-in was reworked, and the left landing area for layups in the fairway was reshaped to be more receptive. Before, everything kicked down into the deep right bowl.

The 7th hole had one of the more penal and "80s-looking" bunker arrangements before, with a stack of 3 similarly sized traps guarding the right side of the fairway. The slope of the hole is strong from left to right, and many shots would kick into one of these bunkers. What we did to add some space and variety is pinch the first two closer together and push the first one further out right, then move the 3rd one up to the next ridge and keep it smaller. There is now some more space for the tee shot, and the overall arrangement is much less repetitious in appearance.

Above: The bunkers at the tough short 7th were reworked to open up more room in the steep left to right fairway. The first was rotated 90 degrees, gaining about 8 yards of width, and the third was shrunken and shifted about 30 yards forward to the next ridge.

The 8th hole is one of the most worthy of highlighting. This short drop shot par 3 is a terrifying menace and one of my favorites anywhere. It is also an example showing that subtle changes can have a big impact on the quality of a hole, even when it is already great.

*Watson's excellent short 8th was still excellent, but there were no doubts restoration and redwood removal would make it that much better.*

*The 8th following tree removal, bunker restoration, short grass addition, and a rebuilding and expansion of the green.*

*A look at the 8th hole historically, pre-restoration, and post-restoration.*

Looking above, one can see how the hole had evolved over time. The bunkers changed character, new ones popped up in the left and back, the green shrunk and changed size, and redwoods were planted, blocking airflow, sunlight, and the view to the hills across the way. The first task was amending these items to get it back to how Watson had first designed it. The second task was reworking the green, as sand buildup on the right had made it too steep and fast for recovery shots from the bunkers on the right. We were very careful to not lose the character of the green and only enhance what was there. In doing so, we refined the wings on the left and right, added slight internal contour, and expanded the size out to the limits of the pad on which it sits. The results are a green that is now playable from the right bunkers, but it also requires a more exacting tee shot placing a premium not just on accuracy but also on distance control, even if you miss to the left or the right, due to the flanking internal bumps that can be seen in the gallery below.

The 9th hole is a great, long roller coaster ride of a hole with a spectacular backdrop of the distant hills. The changes here were simply adding sand cap to the left and front, expanding the green in the back left bowl, and reworking the right side bunkers, which was the most visual of the changes. We grew to love the funky, suspension bridge-like horizon mounding at the back of the green and made sure to protect it during reconstruction.

The 9th hole bunkers, which were added in later years, were previously stacked on each other in a linear fashion.  Note at the time of taking this photo the left and back horizon of the green was already mowed short by Josh Smith.  Pr… — The 9th hole bunkers, which were added in later years, were previously stacked on each other in a linear fashion. Note at the time of taking this photo the left and back horizon of the green was already mowed short by Josh Smith. Previously, it was mowed rough all the way around the green.

*The new arrangement wraps around the green a bit more, has a sense of motion, and is more visually appropriate with the overall scale.*

The 10th hole is a cool short par 4 with a tiny green jammed next to the creek at its terminus. I've always enjoyed the juxtaposition of the small greensite with the giant redwoods adjacent to it. The previous version green was problematic though, partly due to its size causing higher traffic wear, especially with the lower sunlight received due to the redwoods. It also didn't really surface drain, and the right hand bunker, in conjunction with overhanging branches, made approach shots from the right side of the fairway just about impossible.

George Waters did a nice job reshaping this green, bringing its overall elevation up to the fence level to create surface drainage and making the size much larger, which creates more day to day variety while helping out agronomically. By bringing the green further forward and right, expanding the front left bunker, and keeping the right/backside pot bunker, a shot from the left of the fairway has gotten a lot more demanding as you have to get the ball to land softly between the two hazards. The right front bunker has also been removed, and a shot from the far right can now find the green even if the old oaks are playing a factor.

Above: before and after images of the 10th hole

The 12th hole was another of the total greens rebuilds. The proximity of the old green to the 3rd was bothersome as long shots from both holes often ended up on the other one. Shifting the green forward changed this hole from a short par 5 to a testing par 4. We didn't know exactly what we would build when starting, but we came up with something that involved a lot of interesting contouring, which worked well with Todd emphasizing keeping the hole as long as possible. In the end there was no need for a bunker as the shaping and length made for a strong and fun enough challenge.

The 12th was once a short par 5 playing over a dip to a fill pad.  This green was constructed in more modern times. — *The 12th was once a short par 5 playing over a dip to a fill pad. This green was constructed in more modern times.*

Now a long par 4, attacking the bunkerless green complex with a running shot is a fun exercise.  Play it off the left kicker but don't veer too far to the big dropoff. A safe bailout right leaves a tricky up and down over the right side contour… — Now a long par 4, attacking the bunkerless green complex with a running shot is a fun exercise. Play it off the left kicker but don't veer too far to the big dropoff. A safe bailout right leaves a tricky up and down over the right side contours, which, if you are on line with your approach, will help you stay on the green. They are both "helping" and "hurting" contours.

Click the gallery above for a closer look of the contouring surrounding the 12th green.

Let's also take a look at the transformation that took place at the 12th tees, which were joined with the 2nd tees and the 11th greenside area to create one big communal space of short grass. The hedge seen in the before pictures was a "protective barrier" at the back of the 2nd tees.

The 13th hole didn't involve any greens changes outside of a small expansion on the back right, but it is one of the biggest strategic transformations from the project. The previous bunker arrangement was visually attractive, but it and the small sloped front opening made it necessary to fly the ball on the green, which isn't a shot that everyone has in their game for a longer par 3. Our thought was to try and get back closer to a version of the hole from an old aerial that showed the green with a back and fronting bunker but an open left side, which is strongly sloped and would presumably allow a running shot to curl onto the putting surface. After observing shots being played by all skill levels and strengths this past fall while working on the 14th hole alternate tee, I am happy to say that anyone can now reach this green, whether they fly it on and stick it or scoot it along the ground high on the left side until the ball tumbles down to the green.

*Even if you tried slotting a shot through the opening, it was likely to kick right and into the bunker.*

*Not only is the right side open for an indirect path to the hole, the opening on the right has been made friendlier to reduce shots that kick into the bunker.*

A lot of work also took place at the tees, as one can see in the two top images.  Clutter in the form of trees, fences, retaining walls, and excess cart path was all removed as the tees from 13 and 4 were joined together in the same complex. &n… — A lot of work also took place at the tees, as one can see in the two top images. Clutter in the form of trees, fences, retaining walls, and excess cart path was all removed as the tees from 13 and 4 were joined together in the same complex. Reshaping also added visibility to the green, which was mostly blind before from the back tees. This is fantastic work overall by Eckenrode and the contracting team at Earth Sculptures.

Above: the new 13th hole, the inspiration aerial, and a field sketch of what we decided on building.

The 14th hole wasn't a major change. The old bunkers all stayed in the same place but were visually enhanced; a small bunker on the corner of the canyon was also added to boost visual interest. The green also experienced a little tweak, with sand splash getting reduced on the lower left side of the green. Doing this in conjunction with raising the back part of the left bunker created an effect of having that corner of the green look like it was sticking out into the bunker. That is an effect one can find on a lot of Golden Age designs, and we were happy to introduce it here at this 1924 course.

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Click above for closer looks at the renewed 14th

The 15th at Orinda is somewhat famous for its appearance in Robert Hunter's excellent golf architecture book The Links. Over the years though, it's true character had been lost with the introduction and expansion of a bunker on the creek side, which greatly reduced the size of the green and put a buffer of sorts in place of a "do-or-die" edge where green meets the steep creek bank. It became a big priority to restore this hole to it's original rustic and dramatic glory. The bunker was filled in, the green massively expanded, the creek bank restored, the bump on the right side enhanced, and the left side naturalized with fence removal and vegetation clearing.

*The pre-project version of the 15th is seen above.*

The after result of the 15th hole restoration.  Extra work and time was spent to really get the creek bank the proper form and location.  Also, the flag in this location would have been right about on the bunker edge. — The after result of the 15th hole restoration. Extra work and time was spent to really get the creek bank the proper form and location. Also, the flag in this location would have been right about on the bunker edge.

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Click above for a mix of before and after images of the 15th's transformation back to its original William Watson form.

The 16th hole was very symmetrical in its previous version. Bunkers sat across from each other at both the green and the fairway. George Waters and Todd Eckenrode came up with a great idea in the field though to flip the right fairway bunker over to the left and create a visual string of bunkers over on that side while leaving the right open. The new aesthetic feels much better, especially with the tree removal between the 16th and 17th fairways. The left greenside bunker was also shifted to about 10 yards short of the green, allowing a chance for a run up shot it you can clear the top edge.

There were once even more trees separating the 16th and 17th fairways.  Originally, there was one big treeless playing surface joining the two holes. — *There were once even more trees separating the 16th and 17th fairways. Originally, there was one big treeless playing surface joining the two holes.*

*The string of bunkers on the left is actually quite spaced out; it was a fun challenge to get them to all visually line up.*

Above: the 16th hole before and after

At the 17th, the back and left bunkers were reworked, with the back one disappearing to the right and giving the impression that it is much smaller than it actually is. The right bunker was removed, and the middle one was shifted left. This allowed for the creation of an open kicker slope on the right, which helps the shorter hitter and was present in the original design. A little expansion area to the green was added back middle and brings the hidden part of the back bunker very much into play. Check out the changes in the gallery below:

The 18th hole rivals the 12th hole for most extensive change and amount of construction work. It was also the place where we started the whole project.

The issue was the green; it was way too consistently steep with slopes of about 6-7% all the way from back to front. It was also artificially built up as a pad on top of what was actually a very nice natural landform. The first move would be to push that pad out to the left side, where the spoils could be used to soften that slope and help stop balls from rolling all the way down to the cartpath there.

With the severe overall slope that still existed even after lowering the back of the green and shifting it forward to the dropoff edge, there was a need to break up the green into shelves or tiers if there were to be locations flat enough to put holes. We tend to despise formal tiers and prefer something that looks more natural, so an effort was made to create something more flowing and varied while still working functionally. The result is something different from most of the other greens at Orinda, which are flatter internally, and one that would certainly get some attention and perhaps be a bit controversial. Very careful detail was made though to make the 3 main pin-able zones receptive, all of them having multiple ways of access if willing to play well off line. Getting to the proper zone on the approach can be done by flying it into that area or taking your chances on the right and/or rear kicker slopes, which requires more control as one can end up on any spot on the green, including the front left section (which is really neat because a shorter hitter who couldn't otherwise get it to this area now has a chance to do so by curling it around the outside of the green).

A pair of bunkers were also added and made to have the appearance of tumbling down the hill. The left one tends to be more of a shot saver, but the right one well short of the green really messes with layups and long shots into the green. It is located right where you would want to leave a layup shot, and the best landing spot for a long shot is just right and beyond it. As a tradeoff for this additional challenge, the drainage ditch on the right was covered over, the out of bounds line shifted further out, and short grass added. The overall result is a fun finishing hole worthy of its dramatic setting.

*Mowed rough used to surround the steep, bunkerless green.*

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*The top images here are before, and the bottom are after.*

The above gallery shows some before images mixed in with the after images. Images 1 and 9 are courtesy of Todd Eckenrode.

We hope you enjoyed this photo tour of Orinda Country Club's recent transformation. Thank you for reading and checking out the site!

-Brett

The Best Of: 2016 / December 23, 2016 by Brett Hochstein

*As story after story broke in 2016, there was a good chance I was working somewhere in and about this large restored wash at Santa Ana CC.*

For society, 2016 will likely go down in infamy. We all felt the impact of horrible and senseless acts of terror, a growing distrust toward our law enforcement, the most controversial and polarizing election of our time, and an incredible loss of talent and influence, including Muhammed Ali, Prince, Gordie Howe, and our Game's own chief ambassador, Arnold Palmer. It is an important time to reflect and realize that no matter how frustrating certain things can be out on a project or while searching for new work, we as golf architects and builders are incredibly lucky to be safe and do what we do for a living. With that said, let's take a look and celebrate the highlights of 2016 as experienced by Hochstein Design.

THE WORK

This is what it's really all about--building and working on golf courses to make them more fun and interesting for all who play them. This year involved 4 locations/projects, two of which are familiar to last year, Hardelot (Les Pins) and Orinda. Hardelot was a continuation of the winter work program, which for us involved tweaking greens tie-ins and bunker edges. Orinda was simply some bonus work this fall, building a new alternate tee on 14 that straightens out the dogleg and gives a teasing view of the flagstick.

The big project of the year though was down in Southern California at Santa Ana CC, where fellow Bay Area architect Jay Blasi set about completely re-envisioning the golf course with an entirely new routing, new greens and bunkers, new practice facility, and new feel. With an incredibly tight project schedule for the scope of work, my job was largely to keep the excavator moving and work in the bunkers and dry washes. In the effort to return the course to a more dry look that typifies the natural state of Southern California, there were plenty of bunkers and washes in which to keep busy. It was a fun experience to do something new like the washes, and I am looking forward to seeing how the "natural" elements of the course evolve.

The fourth project was the beginning of a long term restoration/renovation at the Alister MacKenzie designed Redlands CC led by architect Todd Eckenrode. We began with a first phase consisting of work to the greens and bunkers on the adjoining 1st and 4th holes. Bunkers were rebuilt, moved, or added, and the greens were extended and reworked in critical spots, adding more hole locations and interest. It was a nice beginning to some pretty fun work. How could it not be fun when you get to try and emulate Dr. MacKenzie?

Here are some of the year's highlights from doing what I love:

Favorite features worked on

*The bunker-like ridge in the foreground was entirely fabricated.*

1. The sandy waste on the par 3 17th at Hardelot (Les Pins) I've always loved playing in the sand, and Hardelot has it absolutely everywhere when you scrape away the organic layer. This area between the tee and green was exposed by architects Frank Pont and Patrice Boissonnas in their recent restoration work a few years ago. With it was left a big sort of eroded face at the edge where the turf for the approach area meets the sand. This edge and look would be lost in our work though as we expanded and softened the approach area. So, why not kill two birds with one stone and use the chunked-out scrap turf from the approach to build up something new in the foreground that may reclaim that look? That's just what happened, and now a pseudo-bunker sits well in view in the foreground, ready to evolve, grow, and erode over time.

2. The created dry washes on the 2nd/7th/8th Holes at Santa Ana CC This was my first time building a feature like this, and it seemed like a fun challenge despite only having limited observations of the Southwestern landscape. Kye Goalby did a great job setting up the first parts of both washes, using the bulldozer to make hard smooth cuts that mimicked rushing water blasting through the landforms. I too used the dozer to set up the unworked parts on hole 8, but most of the work was excavator detailing. Edges were left deep and steep to mimic a big water cut, and loose material was used to mimic the walls crumbling and collapsing over time. With plant growth and sporadic rain water events, these features should evolve nicely and look like something that was naturally created.

3. The bunker arrangement on the 1st Hole at Redlands CC The arrangement architect Todd Eckenrode and I decided upon focused on the green's angle that runs right to left. The front left bunker was the first one to be re-worked. A back bunker was then added to profile against the front one, and it was built up in the back to shed away water and help stop any trickling balls from the 4th hole. A fairway bunker out on the right was added to guard the ideal approach angle into the green, and a smaller bunker further down and left in the fairway was put in to make longer hitters a little more careful with their tee shots. Best of all, this is a MacKenzie course, so we were free to emulate his artistic California style of bunkering.

The ideal angle into the 1st green at Redlands is from over here.  Image courtesy of Todd Eckenrode, Origins Golf Design — *The ideal angle into the 1st green at Redlands is from over here. Image courtesy of Todd Eckenrode, Origins Golf Design*

4. Hole 17 bunkers, Santa Ana CC The shortest hole on the course is a sideways, slightly angled double plateau. With a propped up right plateau angling slightly at the tee, this seemed like an opportunity to create a wraparound bunker and really set off the plateau. A center bunker to the left of it rises up and obscures a part of the trough and further adds discomfort to the tee shot. A back bunker makes going long a bad idea while rising up to connect to a screening berm. And finally, a left bunker trails out to the left to both hide 18 tees and balance out the whole composition.

5. Hole 11 bunkers and dry wash, Santa Ana CC Sometimes, bunkers just come together and interact with each other nicely. That was the case on the second half of the par 5 11th at Santa Ana, which finishes alongside the large restored sandy wash on the east side of the property. The bunkers all seem to zig-zag off of each other when looked at down the fairway. That view is not the only one that mattered, though, because with tree removal, all eyes tend to funnel down to this part of the property and the distant Saddleback Mountain in the backdrop. Making sure the bunkers looked right was important from distances and angles as far away as the clubhouse. One way to do this and get the scale right was to add an extra little bunker next to the right fairway bunker that wasn't visible on 11 but was from everywhere else. To tie the bunkers into the wash better and stand less alone as bunkers, I chose this one (and another on 15) to have a missing bottom lip and bleed sand out into the wash. Hopefully the effect works as the wash matures and evolves.

*Bunkering on the short 6th hole at Santa Ana*

6. Hole 6 bunkers, Santa Ana CC This short par 4 to an uphill green called for heavy fortification with a big rear bunker, a left bunker, a front right bunker, and two diagonal bunkers shorter in the approach. Following a grade set by the next tee and the overall arrangement of the bunkers, the idea became to lead the eye from left to right by making the whole arrangement seem to come to a point at the shallow right side of the green, which is blind from the right landing area. The set works nicely together while also messing with a golfer's depth perception and comfort level.

7. Green surrounds and approach area, Hole 17 Hardelot (Les Pins) The 17th hole is one of my favorite spots on the course. With the aforementioned sand-scape, vista across the back nine, and isolation from surrounding housing, it is a most pleasant spot to play and work. The work we did to the right side and front approach area was all meant to add turf and playability both for recovery shots and running tee shots onto the green, which is still very hard to do but is now much more doable and forgiving.

8. Green Extension on the 4th Hole at Redlands This green sits at the terminus of a long spine with big fall-offs to both sides. It was already terrifying for the approach shot, but with tree removal and green extension, it is more exposed and frightening. Really though, it is more playable as a kicker slope on the left has been reduced, the green has gotten bigger, and bunkers right and left have been expanded to help catch shots just off line.

9. Bunker doctoring, Hardelot (Les Pins) With some bonus time I had left during my stint at Hardelot, my assignment shifted to editing a few bunkers that seemed like outliers to the rest of the course's style, particularly the ones where edges were revetted with sods as opposed to cut out of native ground. A couple like the 1st hole approach bunker and the set of foreground bunkers on 12 required some excavator cutting, but a majority of the edits required a good ole rake and shovel. I would be pretty sore doing this type of work full time, but I love to do it every so often, especially on a great piece of ground with Tom Simpson bunkers.

10. New alternate tee, Hole 14 Orinda CC It's always nice to work close to home, and it is even nicer to work at a place with familiar friendly faces. It is even nicer yet to work on a spot where you can also look out over a hole you helped redesign and rebuild the previous year and see if people are playing it the intended way. The new alternate tee on the 14th at Orinda sits higher up the hill and way left of the original tee. It is now an enticing, nearly-straight shot to the green with the left fairway bunker much more in vision and in play. I would imagine more people will try going for the narrow little green now, but I personally wouldn't recommend it myself!

*Roughing up the smooth revetting at Hardelot to match Simpson's style.*

Best Transformations

1. Everything, Santa Ana CC This whole list could be the changes that happened at Santa Ana, since it is an entirely different course in a number of ways. The routing is better with more variety, O.B. shifted to the left side, and space enough for a full driving range. Tree removal has opened up a lot of views, including the iconic view of Saddleback Mountain in the distance. The greens and bunkers are entirely new and offer a lot more strategic and visual interest in comparison to the previous Ted Robinson versions. The amount of artificial water has been reduced and replaced with dry washes, including a part of one that once dominated the middle of the property. It's hard to pin down a favorite transformation that Hochstein Design worked on since so much happened among many different moving parts. If I had to choose a favorite though, it would probably be the elimination of a raised concrete pond in the southern corner of the property (holes 2, 7, 8) and the creation of a long, large dry wash in its place.

2. Hole 1, Redlands CC See above

3. Hole 4, Redlands CC See above

4. Reworked approach and green surrounds, Hole 17 Hardelot (Les Pins) See above

5. De-cluttered horizon, 9th hole at Hardelot (Les Pins) This one was simple. Get rid of a berm built behind the saddled 9th green that was meant to block light traffic on a neighborhood street. Now that it is gone, the landforms around Simpson's wonderfully placed green really show.

The treacherous 4th green at Redlands is bigger and more exposed as it should be.  Care was made to make the horizon line irregular and fitting of the Golden Age.  Image courtesy of Todd Eckenrode, Origins Golf Design. — The treacherous 4th green at Redlands is bigger and more exposed as it should be. Care was made to make the horizon line irregular and fitting of the Golden Age. Image courtesy of Todd Eckenrode, Origins Golf Design.

Best Experiences

1. Opening the front window of the cab as the heat dies down at the end of the day at Redlands and working in peace with the golden hour sun glowing over the back nine and distant San Bernardino Valley and Mountains.

2. Finishing the project-long sprint at Santa Ana, taking a nap, then spending the next day out on Huntington Beach.

3. Discovering the 99% Invisible podcast after a Twitter recommendation from superintendent/historian/architecture fan Sean Tully and promptly binge-ing through most of the episodes while working in France at Hardelot.

4. Building a new tee on the 14th hole at Orinda and being able to watch how golfers play the newly redesigned 13th green down below.

5. The peaceful walks over the beautiful inland linksland to and from my daily work zone at Hardelot.

*The end of the day was the best time of day to work at Redlands*

GOLF

It was a great year for visiting new courses in a number of different regions. A solo work trip to France afforded the ability to visit some of the best courses around Paris as well as Le Touquet and a few English links' across the Channel. A planned trip to see family in Michigan was built in with some time to get around to a few Detroit area tracks I had neglected to visit in my earlier years. It also allowed for time to play a belated Father's Day round up at Black Forest as well as squeak in a round with Mr. Doak at Crystal Downs. As things finished up in Santa Ana, I got in victory rounds at Valley Club and Rustic Canyon, and thanks to a few generous dual-members, we were able to get in a round at elusive LACC, which did not disappoint at all but due to a few great other courses seen, was actually not the runaway top new course seen this year. Like I said, it was a pretty great year for architectural study.

Best New-to-me Golf Courses Seen in 2016

This year I am adding my own "Doak Scale" rating, which can be seen at the end in brackets [ ]. Let the debating begin...

This rear view of the spectacular and dangerous 5th at Rye shows one of the key ridges of the property and how the routing works with it.  Down to the left are the opening 3 holes, the 4th and 5th play back on top of the ridge, and the 6th to t… — This rear view of the spectacular and dangerous 5th at Rye shows one of the key ridges of the property and how the routing works with it. Down to the left are the opening 3 holes, the 4th and 5th play back on top of the ridge, and the 6th to the right plays up and over it.

1a. Rye GC, Rye, England. Various architects, incl. H.S. Colt, Douglas Rolland, Tom Simpson, Sir Guy Campbell, and Major H.C. Tippet* [9]

Valliere provides a set of greens worthy of its whimsical setting.  This is the par 3 4th. — *Valliere provides a set of greens worthy of its whimsical setting. This is the par 3 4th.*

1b. Los Angeles CC (North). George Thomas, recently restored by Gil Hanse. [9]

1c. Morfontaine, Morfontaine, France. Tom Simpson [9]

4. Chantilly, Vineuil-Saint-Firmin, France. Tom Simpson; 3 new holes by Donald Steele [8]

5. Saint Germain, Saint Germain-en-Laye, France. Harry Colt [8]

6. Le Touquet, Le Touquet, France. Harry Colt, recent restoration work by Frank Pont and Patrice Boissonnas [7.5]

7. Forest Dunes (The Loop), Roscommon, MI. Tom Doak [7]

8. Valley Club of Montecito, Montecito, CA. Alister MacKenzie [7]

9. Morfontaine (Valliere), Morfontaine, France. Tom Simpson [7]

10. Stoatin Brae, Augusta, MI. Eric Iverson, Don Placek, Brian Schnieder, Brian Slawnik [7]

H.M. Bloomfield Hills CC, Harry Colt; Black Forest, Tom Doak; Littlestone, W. Laidlaw Purves with later revisions by James Braid and Alister MacKenzie*; Orchard Lake CC, C.H. Alison; Birmingham CC, Wilfred Reid from William Connellan and Tom Bendelow nines, with Recent Restoration by Bruce Hepner*; CC of Detroit, Colt and Alison; Santa Ana CC, Jay Blasi

*Architects cited from The Confidential Guide: Volumes 1 + 3; Tom Doak, Ran Morrissett, Masa Nishijima, and Darius Oliver.

Saint Germain was an eye opening experience to creative possibilities.  The second green here is really wide/long, angled, interestingly shaped, and rising toward the back.  The result is a hole that will play very differently every day fo… — Saint Germain was an eye opening experience to creative possibilities. The second green here is really wide/long, angled, interestingly shaped, and rising toward the back. The result is a hole that will play very differently every day for the membership.

Best New Holes Seen

One of the coolest and most unique holes I've ever seen is the 4th on the Black direction at The Loop.  It is a medium short par 4 with a wide fairway, but there is a premium on placing a shot on the left side.  The reason is a set of ridg… — One of the coolest and most unique holes I've ever seen is the 4th on the Black direction at The Loop. It is a medium short par 4 with a wide fairway, but there is a premium on placing a shot on the left side. The reason is a set of ridges acting as a halfpipe leading into the fallaway green. Unless you are aligned down the shoot, the contours are very difficult to negotiate. This is highly original and thoughtful design on the part of Doak and Brian Schneider, especially in a pretty flat area. The view above is from the rear looking back up the green and through the halfpipe.

The 13th green at Le Touquet is shallow with fall-offs off the front and back and has a big kicker slope off the left.  Keeping the ball on the green in the air is very difficult; the better and more crafty play is a runner off the left that wi… — The 13th green at Le Touquet is shallow with fall-offs off the front and back and has a big kicker slope off the left. Keeping the ball on the green in the air is very difficult; the better and more crafty play is a runner off the left that will feed more down the longer section of the green.

1. The Loop (Black) 4th

2. Rye 4th

3. Morfontaine Valliere 5th

4. Rye 5th

5. Rye 13th

6. LACC North 6th

7. Saint Germain 15th

8. LACC North 15th

9. Saint Germain 5th

10. Le Touquet 13th

H.M. Littlestone 8th, LACC North 8th, Morfontaine Valliere 4th, Morfontaine 8th, Saint Germain 17th

Best Greens: Design, Interest, and Sensibility

1. Morfontaine (Valliere)

2. Chantilly

The greens at Chantilly are understated brilliance.  They adhere to the broad movements of the site, and they are full of simple and subtle moves that make a big impact upon play.  Look here at the two balls.  The one on the right was… — The greens at Chantilly are understated brilliance. They adhere to the broad movements of the site, and they are full of simple and subtle moves that make a big impact upon play. Look here at the two balls. The one on the right was rolled right at the flag. The one on the far left edge was rolled about 10 feet (3 meters) left of the flag.

3. Black Forest

4. Morfontaine

5. LACC

6. St Germain

7. Le Touquet

8. The Loop

9. Birmingham CC

10. Stoatin Brae

H.M. Rye, Littlestone, Valley Club

A number of the greens complexes at Birmingham have these wings and rolls not quite like anything I've ever seen, and Bruce Hepner brought the putting surface right out to the very edges in his recent restoration.

Best Bunkers: Playing Importance, Aesthetics, and Context

1. LACC

2. Morfontaine

3. Chantilly

4. Saint Germain

5. Santa Ana

H.M. Orchard Lake, Stoatin Brae, CC of Detroit

Saint Germain's bunkering is varied, elegant, and capable of creating all sorts of spatial confusion in the brain, such as these and others found just off of tee sites--a perfect example of the capabilities of golf architecture on indifferent sites.

Champions of Fast and Firm--Best Turf + Conditions

1. Rye Playing at the end of a wet weekend in the middle of a wet winter, the course still had good bounce and roll. Ran Morrissett of golfclubatlas.com argues the course is a better winter course with the ground a bit softer and slower, and with some of the convex slopes present throughout the routing, I could see that point. As it was on this day, it worked very well.

2. Le Touquet Frank Pont and Patrice Boissonnas have done a nice job rebuilding greens and surrounds, creating natural and interesting, linksy contours on the old Colt course. What they have also done a nice job of is replacing the turf with all fine fescue sods, restoring the sandiness in the soil profile, and eliminating tree overgrowth to restore links playing conditions. I did not play the course, but I brought a ball while on my walk and had a great time tossing it around.

3. Valley Club Want to see the ideal future of golf course maintenance in California? Look to the Valley Club, who replaced their energy intensive turf a few years ago with bent greens+surrounds and Santa Ana bermuda through the green. The result of this change in combination with sensible management from superintendent Roger Robarge is the bounce and roll that would compete with Cal Club and Rustic Canyon for the best in the State, and all at a maintenance meld as 1/4th or 1/5th as energy, water, and nutrient intense as the other top clubs in Southern California. That is a win-win that golf in the West can go forward with.

The turf at the Valley Club is pure, firm, and fast.  It is also environmentally friendly requiring much less water and nutrient input than comparable courses. — *The turf at the Valley Club is pure, firm, and fast. It is also environmentally friendly requiring much less water and nutrient input than comparable courses.*

4. Chantilly A caveat has to apply here I think. I saw the course in the winter, when the rough was low and playable and the fairways fast but not overwhelmingly so. That said though, Chantilly's subtle architectural design is reliant upon a maintenance meld that maximizes the impact of said subtlety. I consistently came up to holes and greens wondering if there was all that much going on, and there would always be a little ridge or a gentle falloff or surprise back bunker that, with fast conditions, are very impactful upon play. Rolling balls on the quick surfaces (in the middle of a wet winter) showed that there was much more architectural interest than first meets the eye. Serious credit to Directeur Remy Dorbeau and staff for recognizing those qualities and emphasizing them through maintenance.

5. Morfontaine and Valliere As mentioned before, the course is in very good shape with Jonathan White, a younger Englishman who spent his youth on the great heathland courses of London. He is doing a great job of keeping the turf lean, expanding greens, and keeping up the course's unique natural aesthetic.

6. LACC North The new bermuda surfaces are great with a good amount of bounce and roll, and the firm and fast greens enhance Thomas's incredibly strategic design. Furthermore, the natural aesthetic found in the natives and washes is outstanding; hopefully Santa Ana will end up looking close to something like that.

7. Saint Germain This was tough to judge as it was a soaking wet day, but the fairways and greens had the look of a course that plays firm and lean. The fact that I could even play at all with the heavy rain is another indicator.

8. The Loop This should really get an incomplete, as I believe the fairways and approaches are going to be able to be leaned out more and soon match up better with the slick rock hard greens. Brian Moore has all the right ideas and attitude, and if he can continue to push forward, this ranking could jump right up around the top.

9. Littlestone The wet theme continues with the Europe courses. Littlestone is a lower lying course with slightly heavier soil than most links, and when I played the water table was actually above the surface in a few places. Nonetheless it is still a links, and there were fun, bouncing shots to be had here and there despite a downpour that morning.

10. Santa Ana Get it while it's hard! The seeded kikuyu is just growing in, and without any thatch buildup, is playing far better than any kikuyu I've ever experienced. Hopefully our friend Matt Marsh can keep it that way with sand and a low-input maintenance program. The bentgrass greens and surrounds are also off to a good start.

Best Playing Experiences

1. The Renaissance Cup at The Loop--making it to the semifinals with Jay Blasi, interacting with many great old friends in design and construction, and meeting some new ones. Personal bonus points for irrational Michigan pride and having a new course(s) and concept worthy of said pride.

2. Having Rye all to myself on a Sunday afternoon after a damp morning kept away the membership from afternoon play. It might have been the slowest round ever played at the historically quick-playing club, as I took my time to soak in the course and look at things from all angles.

3. Playing Crystal Downs with my former boss Tom Doak. I almost forgot just how great that course is. Almost.

4. Playing Valley Club on a quiet Monday evening on my way back up North after finishing at Santa Ana. There is nothing quite like the golden hour on those last four holes set between the mountains and ocean.

5. First rounds out on the new work at Orinda. There's nothing much more fun than seeing field concepts come to life and function as intended. Big credit goes to Josh Smith for encouraging more short grass, firmer surfaces, and a more natural aesthetic.

6. LACC. A true architectural treat and exceptional example of the capabilities of a proper restoration. Too bad my golf game and stiff 'shaper's swing' had to get in the way ;)

7. Playing the back nine of Morfontaine with course manager (superintendent) Jonathan White after walking the front nine and Valliere with him. It was inspiring to see the energy and care he is putting into the property to maximize the course's architecture and aesthetics.

8. Belated Father's Day round with my dad and brother on Black Forest. The course has been struggling in a number of ways, but there are still great holes and greens out there.

9. Grand re-opening round at Santa Ana CC with the new turf playing fun and bouncy.

10. A peaceful nine hole round at my favorite little public course in Southeast Michigan, Hickory Hill.

The Renaissance Cup playing a few holes with the Renaissance team.  Get off your phone, Kye! — *The Renaissance Cup playing a few holes with the Renaissance team. Get off your phone, Kye!*

Cool Curiosities, Awesome Oddities: The Most Enjoyable Unusual Features

This is a new feature where I have the freedom to highlight the wonderfully strange, almost humorous things you sometimes find in golf and just about never find in anything built over the last 40 years.

*This rock is cool on its own; it's even cooler being in the middle of the fairway of a world top 100 course.*

Small wooden ledges, nicknamed "Rye-brows," found on some of the holes at Rye force a pitch shot over them.  A unique and effective feature, it is well-timed throughout the round and not overdone, which it well could be. — Small wooden ledges, nicknamed "Rye-brows," found on some of the holes at Rye force a pitch shot over them. A unique and effective feature, it is well-timed throughout the round and not overdone, which it well could be.

1. Amphibious rock in 14th fairway at Morfontaine

2. 'Rye-brows'

3. Most Greens on Valliere Course

4. The bonus old 17th postage stamp green at LACC North.

5. Blind shots over the dune ridges at Rye

6. The closeness of the clubhouse to the outside of the dogleg on the 18th at Rye

7. Cross bunkering just off the tee on the 6th at Saint Germain that creates a ton of visual interest to an otherwise benign tee shot

8. The "clamshell" greens at Birmingham CC.

9. Crooked Scotch Pine in middle of par 3 13th at Morfontaine

10. The crazy sharp and large drop off to the road behind the 2nd green at Chantilly

Best Restoration Opportunities

Because I can never just relax and play golf...

1. Re-assign the original Simpson holes of the Longeres course at Chantilly back to the main Vineuil course, or at least rebuild the 3 new holes to something more closely matching the other original Simpson Holes. Also, restore 14th green.

2. Re-do the 10th and 11th holes at Rye and make them fit better with the high quality of the rest of the course. Because of the flatter ground and a manmade lake that, if I recall being told correctly, cannot be altered, this work is probably easier said than done.

3. Bring Black Forest's conditioning back up to a reasonable standard, which does not necessarily mean green grass. Also, thin back encroaching trees and restore green edges.

4. Expand the green surface all the way to the front of the pad on the 14th hole at Saint Germain. I haven't gotten confirmation that it was originally out that far, but why else would that little ledge and pad exist?

5. A number of the bunkers at St Germain could use a little more lip depth or slight changes to their lines to match the better bunkers on the course. Overall, it is a very cool and unique set of bunkers, but there is a little room to make them that much better.

*Colt's original green pad on the 14th at Saint Germain appears to be much larger than what is currently maintained.*

CULTURE

Travel is a side benefit of this business, especially if you don't overdo it. Seeing the world opens you up to new things in all senses--sights, sounds, tastes--and the people you get to meet make it even more worthwhile. Here are some of our favorite things experienced in 2016.

Favorite Cities

*Rye is a fantastically charming little town.*

1. Rye, England

2. Senlis, France

3. Chantilly, France

4. Huntington Beach, CA

5. Redlands, CA

Favorite food by Place

France - Rognons de Veau (Veal Kidney)

Huntington Beach - Normita's Fish Tacos

Redlands - Southwest Chicken Wrap from the club snackshop. Hard not to order it every day for lunch.

Favorite Sites Seen

*A treat to visit a site studied in college landscape architecture history class--Chateau Chantilly*

1. All of the old 'Cinque Port' town of Rye, England

2. All of small, medieval Senlis, France

3. Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave and Colorado Deserts, CA

4. Chantilly Chateau, Landscape Gardens, Stables and Race Course, France

5. Crystal Cove State Beach, CA

*Cholla cacti in Joshua Tree National Park, a landscape unlike any this Midwestern native has ever seen.*

MUSIC

Anyone in this business who spends a lot of time in a machine out in the field knows how valuable a companion the art of music is. It is easy as well to draw parallels between the two, a great golf course acting as a great album with the component pieces, the holes and songs, standing individually while contributing to the work as a whole. Here are some of my favorites while making it all happen from in the seat or behind a rake.

Best Albums

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco

2. Being There - Wilco

3. 1999 - Prince

4. Delusions of Grand Fur - Rogue Wave

5. Anthology - The Beatles

6. I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler - YACHT

7. Junk - M83

8. Pennied Days - Night Moves

9. Shangri-La - YACHT

10. Creatures of an Hour - Still Corners

H.M. Truckdriver Gladiator Mule - Neko Case, Summer Teeth - Wilco, Light Upon the Lake - Whitney, Every Now & Then - Jagwar Ma

Best Songs

1. "Real Love" - The Beatles

2. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" - Wilco

3. "Nobody's Empire" - Belle and Sebastian

4. "Lucky Numbers" - Generationals

5. "Cuckoo" - Still Corners

6. "Shangri-La" - YACHT

7. "Misunderstood" - Wilco

8. "Endless Supply" - Rogue Wave

9. "Do It, Try It" - M83

10. "Wednesday Night Melody" - Bleached

11. "Red Eyed and Blue" - Wilco

12. "Hung Upside Down" - Buffalo Springfield

13. "FloriDada" - Animal Collective

14. "Miles and Miles" - YACHT

15. "Controversy" - Prince

H.M. "Eyes of the Muse" - King Tuff, "Choices (Yup) - Golden State Warriors Remix" - E-40, "Detroit" - Spring King, , "Pistol Made of Bones" - The Arcs

Bonus Newly Discovered Podcasts Section

1. 99% Invisible

2. Drew and Mike Podcast

3. Love and Radio

4. The Michigan Insider

5. Song Exploder

A Word of Thanks, and On to 2017...

The road is always easier when your best friend comes along.  It is also harder when she has a female bike frame design that doesn't fit well on the rack and almost comes flying off in the hot Central Valley winds. — The road is always easier when your best friend comes along. It is also harder when she has a female bike frame design that doesn't fit well on the rack and almost comes flying off in the hot Central Valley winds.

Thanks to all the great architects that have brought me in to work with them and subsequently trusted me not to mess it all up, including Frank Pont, Patrice Boissonnas, Jay Blasi, and Todd Eckenrode. Thanks also goes to the hard working people who maintain our work, including G.M. Ken Strachan and team at Hardelot, Matt Marsh at Santa Ana, Rich Ray at Redlands, and Josh Smith at Orinda. And finally, the biggest thanks go out to everyone who supports me in this unusual career, especially my wife, who works a remote job (and is very good at it, I might add) and comes along on the adventures whenever the opportunity is right.

Our plans for 2017 are not set, but there are some exciting possibilities on the horizon. I'm also looking to attend the Golf Industry Show for the first time and hope to meet more great new people from all across the golf business. Be sure to follow me on twitter and instagram (@hochsteindesign for both) for the latest news and project progress, and always feel free to reach out if ever in the Bay Area or near one of our projects.

Cheers,

Brett

Orinda Country Club Re-Opens, Part I: How did we get here? / March 29, 2016 by Brett Hochstein

This is a two part series reviewing Hochstein Design's involvement with Todd Eckenrode's restoration/renovation project at Orinda Country Club. Part I is a review of the construction and creative process during the project, while Part II focuses more on the visual changes.

PROJECT FAST FACTS

Architect: Todd Eckenrode (William Watson original, 1924)

Shapers: Brett Hochstein and George Waters

Superintendent: Josh Smith

Project Type: Bunker and selected greens renovation/restoration

Location: Orinda, CA (San Francisco East Bay Area)

*Sunrise while putting on the finishing touches to the redesigned 13th green surrounds at Orinda Country Club*

Early this March before the El Niño rains returned, Hochstein Design had the pleasure of finally playing golf over the newest version of the Orinda Country Club, where last summer I worked many hot and dusty hours alongside fellow shaper/architect George Waters, superintendent/artist Josh Smith, and architect of the project Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design. The project was personally unique for me as it was located 15 minutes (or sometimes 35 in Bay Area commuter traffic. argh.) from my home in Walnut Creek; this was the first time being able to shape a full day and go home to my own bed every night. Needless to say, that was a nice perk to have.

The course at Orinda, or "O.C.C." as it is known locally in the Lamorinda area, is a 1924 design by William Watson. As is typical with many courses of that "Golden Age" era, it evolved over time with the typical issues of green shrinkage, tree removal, and roving bunkers. The routing and "bones" of the course were still intact, though, and with a properly implemented plan, the spirit of Watson and Golden Age golf could be recaptured.

This is where Southern California-based architect Todd Eckenrode came in, consulting with the club and putting together a plan titled "Project Watson" to restore/renovate the course during a necessary replacement of the aging irrigation system. Like other successful architects of the present day, Todd realizes the importance of having golf-design-oriented people out in the field implementing the work, and that is why he brought in local shaper/architects like myself and George Waters to lead the shaping for the project.

The early 2015 version of the course was a challenging one despite its relatively short length (6,368 yds.) compared to other courses. The small greens were tightly guarded by bunkers and had thick, mowed rough up to the very edge. A high flying iron shot was usually the only way to get the ball on the green. If you missed the green, which is easy to do when they only average about 3,500 square feet, you were hitting a lofted wedge out of sand or the rough every time. Trees choked tee shots, and poor shaping and forcing longer tees backward led to many awkward, semi-blind shots from the back tees. The property is also very hilly, which makes for a difficult walk and some tough uphill shots. The course was challenging, yes, but it was one-dimensional and not necessarily one that I would describe as "fun."

Now, in the first week of March 2016, there is no doubt that Orinda is a fun golf course to play. Bunkers have been shifted and short grass has been added to encourage ground game approach shots and recovery shots that don't find the green. Josh Smith is doing an excellent job getting the heights down, introducing finer grasses that aid ball roll, and continually expanding these short grass areas outward from the greens. There are short game options galore, and William Watson's quirky mounding around many greens really come into play now as balls carom off and over them. Tree removal has opened up views and corridors of play, connecting holes and offering more safety with increased visibility. Newly rethought teeing areas are aesthetically and functionally improved, and visibility from the back markers is much better. To top it off, Josh has worked to replace the artificial accessories (flags, tee markers, posts, etc.) of the course with items that have both a classic and natural feel. The flags and flagsticks themselves are absolute perfection, tastefully incorporating the colors of the club, green and gold).

So, this change didn't just happen overnight. Lots of planning, thinking, and mud-slinging (the literal kind) had to happen, a majority of it concentrated within the project start time of May 2015 until final grassing in early November. Being a local and having a relatively slow winter/spring, Hochstein Design was able to drop in on a number of different pre-project meetings, chiming in occasionally but mostly taking in the process while eyeing the course and thinking about what kinds of shaping and design would be best for the different work zones. By late May, the final grading permit was in place, and it was time to get in the dirt and get after it.

And get after it we did, choosing to work on one of the biggest and most important tasks of the project: totally rebuilding the 18th green, surrounds, and approach 50 yards out. The green as it was had too much slope and was disconnected from the bunker-less landform on which it sat. It was also too severe on the front and left, with many missed shots being fed back down to the cart path way below the green. The solution seemed to be simple: lower the back part of the green a few feet, steepen the back tie-in slope, build a green that has multiple pinnable areas, and throw all of the excess material out to the left side and front to prop those areas up.

After waiting for the project to finally start, hopping on a bulldozer to shove away on a green I had been eyeing to fix for months was the perfect task to begin with. In just a day and a half following demolition work by project contractor Earth Sculptures, the majority of the landforms were in place with just the bunker shaping and detailing to do. A field decision was then made to shift the short right approach bunker even shorter and a bit left to encourage more play over and to the right of it. It would also complement the left anchoring bunker better, making for a neat cascade effect running down the hill. On top of that, a decision was also made off a suggestion by Josh to eliminate a drainage ditch to the right that had signified out of bounds. The ditch and the out of bounds are both gone, further encouraging play to the right, where a long running shot can be fed onto the green.

Above gallery: Construction images of the 18th at Orinda

Following the shaping, Earth Sculptures would come in to do the drainage, greens mix installation (greens mix is a specified sand brought in for drainage and the health of the grass), finish work and grass prep with the exception of one major area--the green finish work and green tie-ins. This task was the department of myself and George Waters, which is typical for the type of hands-on designer/shapers that we are. With a small three wheeled machine with manual pushing blades, commonly called a "sandpro," the final grade and contour of the putting surface is worked to exact detail. A rake through of the edges and tie-ins usually follows, and then after painting out a final line for the green edge, it is handed over to be grassed and grown-in. On 18, Todd worked closely with me to make some adjustments and slope-softening in the greens mix, which was important to do and get right given the aggressively sloping nature of the green. Since the construction of the greens was modified-California style instead of USGA spec, which involves a gravel layer and exact layering, there was a bit more leeway to move things around and get them how we wanted. Furthermore, the sand cap mix on the outside of the greens was the same as the greens themselves, meaning there was no concern for mixing the two. It made for much more easy and enjoyable finishing, and it ensured the tie-ins would be great.

Finish work at the 18th green

In all, we ended up reworking 6 of the greens (7 including the putting green), but only the 12th hole was as significant of a change as 18 in needing to use the larger bulldozer to get things in place. Timed toward the end of the project, the 12th was the most substantial change on the course with a huge shove to shift the landform of the old green forward 40-50 yards across a valley and connect it with the other side. The reason for this move was to get the green away from the adjacent 3rd green and reduce the amount of mixed play between the two holes.

It was known that that the green needed to move, but the question of how it was to be designed lingered until actually moving material around. Utilizing the old built up landform on the left provided a starting point. If the green could be anchored to the corner of that form, it would provide immediate interest as something to be encountered on what would be a long approach shot into the new long par 4 (the old hole was a short par 5). A lot of material from this flanking landform was needed still to build up the green to a height that would make it visible from the tee shot landing area, but enough dirt was saved to maintain the playing nature of this corner feature that kicks balls to the right. To maintain playability, counter slopes in the back and the right were then built up to help any ball played on line within the green width end up on the putting surface. A dip was placed on the right toward the back to allow surface water to exit, but it wasn't placed all the way back, which allowed a raised shelf of a back right hole location that was made even larger at the last minute during a visit from Todd Eckenrode. It is certainly a difficult hole, even without bunkers (another field decision after watching how the shaping shook out), but it is a fun 2nd shot to try and pull off, especially now that the roll and result can be seen. For those who don't pull off the running shot, recoveries from the short grass area on the right provide interesting options as to how to play up and over the small greenside bumps. I am personally liking this hole more and more as I see it come into form.

Above: chronology of the 12th green construction, with the distant old green in the first photo

The 15th was the only other green to require bulldozer work, and it was an important one. Instead of coming up with a new solution, this green was all about returning to Watson's original bunkerless, bluffside design, which Robert Hunter thought worthy enough to include in his famous golf architecture book The Links. George Waters gets the credit for the green shape here, though I was lucky enough to come in and do brush clearing on the now fence-less right side as well as make some last minute edits to the creekside landforms with Todd during a visit. The hole is now much more natural, interesting, and true to it's original design.

Hole 15 in construction. The bunker was filled in, creek edge restored, and right side opened up and naturalized

*The 15th hole during grow-in, as seen from the 12th hole tees.*

The other greens did not involve as big of changes as the three already discussed, though some were intense in their own way. The 6th hole was only meant to be worked on the right half with some excavator re-contouring and expansion into the bowl on the right, but after doing that work, it made sense to just go ahead and re-sod the whole thing with the bent grass/poa sod from the on-site nursery and make it uniform. As this green was probably next on the list of those to be re-done, no one was worried about doing a little extra work to make the whole thing right.

The work at the 8th green complex involved some major changes to get back to its original nature, including removing the superfluous left and back bunkers, restoring the other three bunkers, and eliminating the giant redwoods in back. The green itself, however, involved much smaller moves with perhaps equal importance. Ironically, making such smaller changes can be much more mentally intense compared to the bigger type of earth-moving changes. This is especially true when you have a historically great hole like the 8th at Orinda where preservation of it's special qualities is paramount. Every machine stroke and move is critical as you don't want to undo any feature that has worked successfully for many years. With that said, exposing the green for work to be done still opens up opportunities to examine the situation and make improvements. This situation said that things could indeed be improved, even if subtly.

Above: the "new" 8th hole comes together

In using an excavator and then a sand-pro, the core of the green was expanded out to the edge of the fill pad on which it sits. The right side tie-in with the bunkers, where years of sand splash had built up, was lowered to something close to original level (this is detectable as a change between the bunker sand buildup layer and that below is evident). Internal contours were then very carefully adjusted with the main goal of lessening the right to left slope that made recoveries from the right bunkers almost impossible. Whereas before it was something of a steady 4-5% slope falling off, we were aiming for something more in the 2% range, with it faster only on the very right side where the bunkers met the green. Being this exact requires a lot of getting out of the machine and checking the grade, making sure it still maintains the desired slope while also not becoming too fast or steep. Between the bunkers and on the left middle part of the green, there were two broad sorts of bumps. This is where the opportunity part comes in. By taking a bulk out of the sides of the bumps and adding a little to the peaks, you were all the sudden left with sharper, more prominent little features that would greater emphasize positioning, club selection, and distance control on this narrow little drop-shot hole. Hit the green but miss to the wrong half, a birdie is difficult and par not guaranteed. Miss to the wrong bunker on the right, and now you have to contend with going over the bump in your recovery shot. It is not all evil though; the sharper new bump flanking the left of the green helps balls landing in that spot stay on.

It is a great, tricky short hole and one of my favorites anywhere for the different types of defenses found on all sides of the green. George Waters even went as far to say he "prefers this 'Duel' hole" to the famous 7th at San Francisco Golf Club, and I find it hard not to agree with him there. Great work, Mr. Watson.

*The enhanced middle wings of the green are evident here in this grow-in picture of the 8th.*

The 10th green was a tricky one. A small green with no surface drainage located below giant redwoods and cantilevered out over a creek, it shouldn't be surprising that it has always struggled to grow grass. It was also guarded by two bunkers in front. While that is not necessarily a problem on a short par 4, an old overhanging oak short right of the green made any sort of approach shot from the far right side of the fairway effectively impossible. That bunker also helped trap in surface drainage, making the shady area even wetter.

So here was the solution by Eckenrode and George Waters, who did all of the shaping on the 10th: make the green as large as it can be, raise it up above the retaining wall on the right, and eliminate the front right bunker to open that side up for playability and drainage off the front of the green. To make the best effort in getting the green to perform agronomically, this was the only one built to USGA specifications with a 4" gravel layer below the greens mix. The green is now about double in size and surface drains in multiple places, which should greatly help its future turf performance. Add to that an imbalanced bunker scheme, and the already cool short hole is now that much more interesting and enjoyable to play.

In addition to rebuilding 6 of the greens, almost every other one was expanded in some way. Some, where we knew we wanted to extend where a hole could be cut, were done more formally with a full 8" coring of the soil and replacement with greens mix. Others cases were more informal, instead just making the 4" approach/surround sand cap smooth and gentle enough to be mowed and played as green. These could only be on the very edges though because you can not cut a cup, which is deeper than 4", into the hard native soil.

The complex expansion for the 2nd hole green: extra work that was well worth it.

Some expansions, such as the one on the back right of the 2nd green, were more complicated yet. In this case, it was decided among Josh, myself, and Todd that it would be beneficial to have sand cap working around the outside of this expansion. What this meant was that the shaping was effectively done three times, or once for each layer--the finished outside grade, the 4" sand cap cored out, and the 8" green expansion cored out. Thankfully though, the greens mix and sand cap is the same type of sand, which allowed for a little leeway on matching the depths and made the finish work many times easier. With all formal expansions like this, George and I would come in to do the final touches with the sand pro and rake.

*The wonderfully open 2nd hole green expansion all finished off, painted, and ready for grassing.*

One expansion/edit I would like to highlight is the reworking of the front left quadrant of the excellent narrow 14th green, an angled surface built after suggestions made by famous architect A.W. Tillinghast. The goal was to reduce sandsplash and lower the green at the edge to reduce the amount of tilt on the green and expand it slightly. In doing so, it changed the horizon line of the green and opened visibility to the left side bunker. From this came an opportunity. By lowering the green and subsequently raising the back of the left bunker, you gained visibility of the bunker and created a unique effect of the green looking like it is hanging out into the bunker. It is one of my favorite changes from the project, and all it took to make were two simple moves.

The 14th green and bunkering becoming more dynamic in its appearance

I've talked about greens a lot, and that's because greens are the most important part of golf course design besides maybe the routing. "Project Watson" was an intense bunker project though, and when we weren't busy working on greens and sand cap coring/shaping, we spent our time on the job relocating and rebuilding all of the course's bunkers.

I had been pretty spoiled to this point with bunker building, having worked on a giant, mostly sandy island in China and a sandy site in Holland that had the perfect amount of organic matter mixed into it. Orinda sits upon locally typical adobe clay though, with roughly 4-6" of decent topsoil and much heavier stuff below it. Now, there can be some benefits to working in this type of soil, such as it being easy to mold with a big machine and holding together better after shaping. For that to be the case, though, it needs to have proper moisture, and if you hadn't already heard, California was/is in the middle of an epic long-term drought. With the exception of a few natural springs and the light effect of residual irrigation, the soil at Orinda was absolutely bone dry as deep as you could go. This is not ideal for building, as dust doesn't usually hold together very well.

With that, we were typically in need of a hose guy, which was helpfully provided by Earth Sculptures, to spray the soil while we used the machine to mix in the moisture. If this sounds like it took extra time, it did. It was also complicated in that the soil could easily become too wet and unworkable. It was a very fine line that had to be straddled between too wet and too dry, and figuring out that balance was a sense-skill that increased as the project progressed.

When the conditions and timing are right, Hochstein Design likes to do bunker finish work ourselves. In this case though, the difficult heavy soil and the tight time frame of the project meant it was best to focus on the machine work and leave the finishing for Earth Sculptures to do. With that, we spent a little bit more time and care in the machine getting the details exact, including the floor and edge depth, which in sand is usually really easy to just rake out. Earth Sculptures then did a great job with the finishing, following the simple command of "only do what you need." It sounds simple and easy, but I've seen other contractors ignore that and change lines and details to what they personally think looks good. With the type of rugged edged, highly detailed bunkers we were doing at Orinda, ignoring the rules set by us and making their own would have been disastrous to the final look of the bunkering. Thankfully, this was never an issue, and that's a credit to the bunker team at Earth Sculptures.

I won't talk about all of the bunkers like I did the greens, but I will pick a few to discuss that I like and were interesting and/or difficult to build. The first that comes to mind is the bunkering at the long, cliffside 4th green.

Many times when going to build a new golf hole or feature, you don't know what the best move or design is right away. Sometimes, you don't even know until you hop in the machine and start moving things around. The 4th hole greenside bunkers at Orinda were an exception to this. From the moment I first laid eyes on the strange triplet of bunkers, once called "disoriented pac-men" by Josh, I knew what it ought to look like instead. Inspired a bit by MacKenzie's Northern California style without as many capes and bays, they should be split into two traps instead of three, imbalanced at the split point but still working together, and work from a broad rear edge toward an extended narrow point in front that would emphasize the angle of the green and shape of the best shot into it. This is what it had to be, and after examining the surface drainage coming off the green, I knew it was doable.

Because of drainage issues and washouts in the past,* it was critical to make sure these bunkers were well built to withstand any future issues. The first step is making sure surface water will not flow directly over the edge and into the sand. There was a runoff point near where the old back and middle bunkers were broken up; this could be conveniently used as the break point between the new back and long front bunkers. The next runoff point was not until the front right of the green, and it was broad in nature. by creating a slight swale at the beginning of the break and continuing it well out the front, the bunker could be extended forward, with the slope naturally giving it that nice angle and pointedness I was looking for.

Getting the surface drainage right was good, but making sure the bunker edge would actually hold together on this steep slope was also important. With the old edges facing the afternoon sun, it meant there was a lot of bermuda grass growth, and thus unbuildable thatch, present in the soil. Much of it had to be taken out and away, resulting in a loss of building material. Thankfully though, the bunkers were getting bigger overall, which meant there was extra material to use in replacement. Using a water guy and building in thin layers one by one, compacting with the bucket along the way, a stable form was established to cut an edge into. That is how you typically build a bunker--overbuild the landform and then cut the edge into it later, a principal that even applies when doing a small feature with a shovel. The process of edge cutting is the best, fastest, and most satisfying one of bunker building, for it is when the bunker starts to truly take on its final look. This is the point where we can send the water guy away and just get down to the important business of making cool looking bunkers.

*This is why these bunkers were so different; they were rebuilt due to washouts.

Above: building the new bunkers on the 4th hole, "Meteor"

Another hole where the bunkers were particularly challenging but very rewarding was at the 8th. The reason for this was the big range of soil type present, with heavy saturated blue clay at the base of the old front bunker and sand build-up at the top. Furthermore, there was a void of material at the top, which meant that spot needed to be built up. This was complicated because, due to sand splash and the old construction of the green, we had to construct into sand while having mostly only the heavier material to do so.

Sand is generally good for golf construction, but when mixed with thick clay, it can complicate things. If we were to just build up the top edge with clay, it would build a water dam while not marrying with the sand, and it would likely collapse. Part of realizing this is common sense/trial-by-error, but it also helps having a soils and drainage educational background. So what was the solution? Scrounge as much of the sand up as possible and lightly work some heavier soil into it, preferring dust over chunks and keeping the water going the whole time while mixing. With proper work and patience, a consistency was eventually built up that would marry into the greenside sand, drain enough, and stick together after drying. After that, it was back onto that fun process of cutting edges, which was extra fun on this hole as we had historic photos for inspiration.

The back right bunker was done first by George Waters, using the historical picture to work the visible back and right lines. The other part about this picture that George really noticed and pointed out was how much the two bunkers ate into the middle of the green, leaving a back right portion of green hiding behind sand. The basic forms of this feature were still there, and with a little extra cutting of the bunker at the pinch point and aggressive green expansion to the edge, we were able to achieve this effect once again.

I would take over the front right bunker and large front bunker as George went on to make some edits elsewhere and move onto the next hole. These two bunkers were where the sand/clay tie-in was the biggest issue, especially the front one. A part of the right bunker had enough sand to just construct and grass over it, and this was one of the few areas where I jumped in to do some shovel work because it was easy and quick enough to do so. I would also do some shovel and pick work on the front bunker, but that was largely because of the visual and photographic importance of the hole. This hole needed to be the best it could absolutely be.

Those looking closely between the finished result and the old picture may notice some differences, but there are reasons for those difference. The most obvious one is that the new bunkers aren't as big as the old ones. This is purely for drainage and maintenance. The right side bunkers flashed up incredibly high with a big steep slope draining right into them. Bringing them back up that high would likely result in many repeated washouts. The front bunker used to extend toward the tee more than it is now; you can actually see where the outline likely once was. Extending it there would have meant nearly all of the watershed from the steep bowl extending up to the tees would end up inside the bunker, resulting in ponding, washouts, and possibly permanent saturation of the bunker base. Diverting the water away from the bunker is the logical choice.

Other details not quite the same are the details themselves. The edges have a different roughness and movement to them. This was an effort to make the bunkers consistent with the ones we had already built around the course and improve upon a few things that were odd and unlikely to be truly original, such as the the symmetrical, toothed front nose. The most important part of the process was capturing the general idea, scale, and feel of the original bunkers, which with restoring unique features like the right arm of the front bunker, we feel we have done a good job of.

*The 8th hole bunkers freshly shaped in the dirt*

With the case of some bunkers, it was the relocation or placement that was the most satisfying and interesting aspect of their construction. Nowhere was this more true than on the medium-long drop shot par 3 13th hole. The previous bunker arrangement lent itself to target golf, which is very limiting given the length of the hole and ability of most players. One day while looking at the 1940s aerial of the course, I noticed the 13th used to have small bunkers in front and back with the steep left side wide open and bunkerless. Surely, a shot could be played to that side to bounce a ball around the bunkers and onto the green. If we could bring this feature back, it seemed like a solution to make the hole both more friendly and interesting. I put together a couple of quick field sketches working around this concept, and Todd was on board to try the first one, which was most similar to the 1940s aerial, except we wanted to keep the big right bunker in place.

Above: The design and construction process of the new 13th hole, which keyed on the elimination of the left hillside bunkers

With a bulldozer still on site from doing the 12th hole, it was quick work to cave in the left bunkers and restore a broad and gentler slope. The small middle bunker was roughed in with the big machine and is actually a tiny part of the old front left bunker; we were able to tie the new drainage right into the old system there. The left side of this bunker was built up to divert drainage around the front. Slopes well short and left of the green were softened to make them more friendly for running shots and short grass mowing. To the right of the new central bunker, the gap between it and the large right bunker was reworked. Extra spoils were used to build up the leading edge of the right bunker so that running shots have a chance of stopping short or even kicking away from the bunker. Before, everything would just kick right into it. The right bunker is mostly the same besides that change just mentioned and flaring out the right most part of it for aesthetic/composition purposes.

In addition to the bunkers, the back right of the green got an informal expansion using an excess of old approach area sand, and the left and front of the hole received the 4" sand cap treatment. The back was reshaped and raised to make look more natural and increase visibility of the creek for those who go too long. The end result is a fun hole in which the shorter hitter now has a chance of working it onto the green, whether it is by kicking it in off the left or by scooting a draw through the right side opening.

There are plenty more stories of how all of the other bunkers were built, like roughing in the shape of the big fairway bunker on 14 with a D6 bulldozer, the general difficulties of stripping and storing topsoil, building a half-hidden trap at the 17th, or saving the most difficult (and unique) bunker on the project for last (the corner bunker on 14).

It is time though to get to the good stuff in the next post to come: a comparative look of before and after photos from "Project Watson." Look out for it soon; updates will be posted on twitter, instagram, and linkedin.

The Best Of: 2015 / January 10, 2016 by Brett Hochstein

*Hole 18 at Orinda Country Club, only 15 minutes drive from my front door*

It was another good year for myself and Hochstein Design, if a little less hectic and travelled compared to 2014. The year started at home with some administrative things, the most exciting of which was finally executing the "HD green complex" logo concept I had in my mind since first forming Hochstein Design a year prior. I continued to re-sharpen my drawing skills after being commissioned to create a scorecard plan drawing of the bunker changes Frank Pont and I had made at Sallandsche. Speaking of Sallandsche, fieldwork for the year kicked off with a trip back to Holland to hand edge the bunkers, which had been sodded and growing in over the winter. In seven quick work days, the 22 remaining bunkers were finalized, and 7 bunkers on the practice area were reworked with a mini-excavator and shovel. It was incredibly satisfying to see the finished results of the project, especially after having done all of the shaping, finish work, and edge cutting for each bunker. Due to time and soil types, there aren't that many opportunities to be that hands-on in a project, but we were lucky to have that at Sallandsche.

Sallandsche plan drawing and logo in progress

For the summer and biggest project of the year, I had the rare and pleasurable opportunity to work a home gig when Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design (http://www.originsgolfdesign.com) asked if I would be interested in shaping on his upcoming project at Orinda Country Club, which was at the time the nearest course to where I lived. It is still just a 15 minute drive (in non-commuter Bay Area traffic) from my new location, and for four and a half months, I got to experience a taste of "regular" life (including being in that commuter traffic) where I worked long hours in the dirt but was able to come home every night to my own house and bed. Needless to say, it was nice. What was also nice was working alongside fellow shaper/architect George Waters (http://georgewatersgolf.com), a San Francisco resident and someone I had worked with briefly at Cal Club, and new superintendent Josh Smith, a Lafayette neighbor also formerly of Cal Club and famous for his excellent golf paintings (http://www.joshsmithart.com). With Todd, George, Josh, and myself, we had four unique creative minds to carry forth the plan for the restoration/renovation of the 1924 William Watson design. The course has now transformed from a strict test of aerial accuracy to one with many options and some of the more fun shots to be had in Bay Area golf.

The year concluded with a trip to Tom Simpson's Hardelot Les Pins in the far north of France. Patrice Boissonnas and Frank Pont recently completed a major restoration of the Golden Age course, which sits only a mile from sea, but there are still some areas where they would like to improve things further. They decided to bring in Hochstein Design to help implement these improvements, which consisted of a few greens expansions, greens surrounds work, approach expansions, and a number of bunker edits. The greens work has been completed, and the rest will follow in January 2016.

The following lists and anecdotes are Hochstein Design's best moments of the year both on and off the machine, including favorite features built, courses seen, tourist spots, and tunes (gotta have tunes!). Thanks as always for reading and taking interest in this crazy and wonderful field of golf design and construction. Cheers!

WORK

This is what it's really all about--building and working on golf courses to make them more fun and interesting for all who play them. These are some of the year's highlights from doing what I love.

Favorite features worked on

1. 18th green and approach, Orinda CC. We lowered the sharply pitched hillside green of the medium length par 5 a good 3 or 4 feet to make it sit naturally on a nice existing landform. Bunkers were added front left and 40 yards short right center to challenge layups and run on shots, which are now more encouraged with a more open right side and increased short grass. The overall grade is a big steep slope, and the bunkers were made to look like the were tumbling down the hillside. The green itself is more wild but more playable at the same time. While the old version was a steep pad at a constant 6%+ grade, the new one has three sections at different levels, which allow for a variety of hole locations and changing day to day strategy. Material cut from the old green was used to build up the massive left falloff to get balls to stay there as opposed to running all the way down to the cart path and back down the hole. In the end, the drama of the uphill shot remains, but there are now a lot more playing options and short game variety for wherever your ball may end up.

2. Hole 13 green and surrounds, Orinda CC. The former par 3 green had an attractive bunker arrangement off the hill and to the right, but with the length of the hole and the narrow sloped entry, there was no way to fly and hold the green unless you were a single digit handicapper with high ball flight. After caving in the left bunkers, a nice little sloped corridor for bouncing in a ball emerged. A tiny part of the front left bunker was retained and made into a small centering bunker, and the leading edge of the large right side bunker was built up to help keep some shots from rolling into it. A back right corner pin was added, and the backside runoff area was built up to make the creek more visible and in play for those who go long. On top of these improved playability changes, Todd's plan had the entire tee box area blown up with a divisive fence and trees removed, a cart path moved away, and a blinding slope lowered to make the green and bunkers visible. I personally can't wait to go out there and hit some shots down the left corridor and try to hold the green.

Before (top) and after (bottom) comparisons of the 13th at Orinda — *Before (top) and after (bottom) comparisons of the 13th at Orinda*

3. Hole 14 green expansion and edit, Hardelot Les Pins. This medium length par 3 was a combination of fun and frustration, as it was a real challenge to fit in a pinnable transition slope with a meter-plus fall from the back shelf to the front edge. The bigger the challenge, though, the bigger the reward, and this green turned out to be pretty special and certainly the wildest I've been a part of, which despite a still young career building greens says a lot. We expanded and lowered the back right section to have a pin behind the right-hand bunker. We also expanded and slightly widened the narrow front section of the long (45 yard) green and eliminated half of the bunker to the right so that shots missing the front section now have short game options for trying to get up and down. The most difficult part was trying to shelf in a middle pin in the transition slope without making the green appear too 'tiered' or artificial. After a number of attempts with Frank Pont and Patrice Boissonnas looking on, we got something that everyone was happy with. Hardelot now has its own version of the 16th at Pasatiempo, though this one is more dynamic and offers an even greater variety of golf shots.

*The front and back view of the freshly grassed 14th green at Hardelot Les Pins*

4. Final bunker edging, Sallandsche. The ugliest phase of bunker construction is when sod is laid over the finished edge and left to take root. The edge detail is almost totally gone during that time. That is why it is so satisfying, if a little back-breaking, to take a spade and shovel and hack out that final edge and immediately see the final product you had been envisioning for weeks or months. I am very proud and happy with how the bunkers came out at Sallandsche and look forward to seeing them mature.

*The edge cutting process is instantly satisfying, as shown here at the 8th hole at Sallandsche.*

5. Hole 14 green edit and bunkers, Orinda CC This was a slight and subtle change, but it had a big impact and is the kind of opportunistic detail work Hochstein Design loves to maximize. The skinny angled green on the short par 4 is unique among the greens at Orinda, and it turns out this was an alteration suggested by A.W. Tillinghast, which is not surprising. The key change here was lowering the front left part of the green while flashing up the back of the left greenside bunker to create an effect where that front part of the green is hanging out over the bunker, a very "Golden Age" type of feature. In lowering the green edge, a hole location could also be scooted closer to the edge, hopefully allowing for a flag profiled against the sand.

*Hole 14 at Orinda before this year's work, where there was a missed opportunity on the left for a neat interaction between green and bunker*

*The retouched left corner of the 14th green at Orinda, which is now profiled against the sand, is the kind of detail work Hochstein Design prides itself upon.*

Best Transformations

1. Hole 13 Orinda CC Visibility from the tees, a playing corridor down the left, a more tenable central approach, a shifted cart path, and elimination of a fence and trees at the tee have this par 3 remarkably improved both from a playability standpoint and an aesthetic one.

2. Hole 18 Green and Approach, Orinda CC The previous green was high, over-tilted, disconnected from the land, and surrounded in rough. The new one is lower, pinnable, connected to the landform, and surrounded in the front, right, and back in short grass and helping contours. New bunkers add to the aesthetic of the unique amphitheater setting, and the short right one poses all sorts of questions for how one will play their second, third, or fourth shots.

*The revamped 18th at Orinda: more contour, more playable, more fun*

3. Hole 14 Green, Hardelot Les Pins The whole front tongue of the green was reworked to increase hole locations, a bunker was half filled-in to open up short game possibilities, and a new pin was created behind the right side bunker. The difference in the type of shot between the front hole location and the back right one is immense, but the challenge level for both is still high.

4. Hole 4 greenside bunkers, Orinda CC. I had been eyeing these bunkers since the winter, basically calling "shotgun" on getting to work on them. The previous set was the most out of place on the course and apparently rebuilt because of washing from the rocky hillside. That outcrop of a hillside, which gives the hole its name "Meteor," and the long narrow green were screaming for something that fits more in the context of Northern California golf, and I feel we were able to pull that off while also diverting away surface water to reduce washouts.

*Hole 4 at Orinda, before and after new bunker scheme*

5. Hole 2 green surrounds, Orinda CC. This is one of the more unique green locations on the golf course, but before removing the clutter of artificial mounding around it, one would hardly know it. The connection to the beautiful surrounding oaks is now stronger, the bunkers on 4 are now visible from the fairway, the green is expanded back and right toward a dramatic falloff, and the golfer, when standing near the back, enjoys a nice 270 degree view of a deep native-covered bowl, the 4th hole, the 11th hole, and the fairway of the 2nd itself, which aligns with the famed 15th green.

Best Restored holes

These holes could easily be on the "Best Transformations" list, but they stand out on their own while also being the best representative of restoration type work.

1. Hole 15, Orinda CC This mid-to-long par 3 was featured in Robert Hunter's famous Golden Age book The Links, showing "a fine natural diagonal hazard," a rugged natural creek with the green sitting hard against its edge. Somewhere along the line though, a bunker was added between the green and the creek, the latest iteration cutting into about a third of what we believed was the original green pad. With ample pictures and Hunter's endorsement of the hole's merits, it was a no brainer to try and restore this hole. George Waters gets credit for shaping the green here, while I jumped in later to naturalize the right side O.B. line (previously an ivy covered fence) and to work on some of the creekside landforms. The result is one we are happy with and continues to look more like the original as the native matures along the creek.

*Before, original, and after of the 15th hole at Orinda*

2. Hole 8, Orinda CC The challenge and bones of this short little drop shot par 3 had not been lost, but it was certainly in need of a restorative facelift. Going off of early photos from the 20s, we began with eliminating small bunkers at the left and back areas of the green and making those short grass runoffs (we also built those up a little to reduce the severity of them). Non-native redwoods at the back were eliminated to restore the view of the hills, enhance sunlight, and open up the wind, which will seriously mess with club selection. The bunkers were made to generally resemble their 20s form while being more practical for drainage/maintenance and having the edge texture more like the bunkers we had already completed around the course. The green itself was reworked slightly, with the two main goals being expansion to the edges of the pad and reduction of the strong right to left tilt in order to make shots from the right hand bunkers more playable. Flanking bumps at the middle pinch of the green were also enhanced, increasing the reward for being on the proper half of the green, an effect somewhat like that at the famous "Duel Hole" at the San Francisco Golf Club.

*Original, before, and after of the 8th hole at Orinda*

Best Experiences

1. Working a full day in the dirt and getting to go home after it

2. Victory Laps around Sallandsche and Orinda

3. Knocking around some putts for the first time on the 18th at Orinda

4. Completing my first ever interview with Jason Way of the 'Geeked on Golf' blog (http://geekedongolf.com/2015/12/03/multimedia-multitalented-an-interview-with-architect-brett-hochstein/)

5. Watching the soft, changing December lowlight from the seat on the 16th at Hardelot

H.M. Walking from the train station to Houtrak on a pleasant spring day in the west of Holland

*Some of the best experiences of the year, shown through Instagram*

GOLF

*Rustic Canyon during a pre-flight whirlwind tour*

Best New-to-me Golf Courses Seen in 2015

There were two main areas I was able to sneak in some golf course visits--Holland after finishing my work there early, and Los Angeles during a break between projects. This list is dominated by courses from those two regions. I was not able to see L.A.C.C. on that trip, but it is at the top of my list to see as soon as I can.

1. Riviera (George Thomas and Billy Bell)

2. Kennemer (Harry Colt Holes)

3. Rustic Canyon (Gil Hanse, Geoff Shackelford, and Jim Wagner)

4. Hardelot Les Pins (Tom Simpson)

5 (tie). Claremont (Alister MacKenzie)

5 (tie). Wilshire (Norman Macbeth)

H.M. Eindhovensche (Harry Colt)

Best Holes

1. Riviera #10 I don't need to say much about the template for strategic golf, but seeing this green up close in person and rolling balls on it was one of the more valuable things I have done in my study of golf architecture. It is the perfect example for pushing the limit without going too far, which is a successful ingredient of good design that very few architects are able to get right.

2. Riviera #4 The true "Hogan's Alley" is much more prominent in person. The kikuyu does seem to hold running shots down the right more than you would like, but you can clearly see what Thomas was doing here with the design. I've always been a fan of the ideal line being off center or counterintuitive, and this hole is a great example of that.

3. Wilshire #10 This is an unusual par 3 with a rather simple concept--a really long (40 or so yards) and really narrow (as narrow as 7 yards at the middle) green set at a 45 degree angle from the tee and falling slightly away from the player. What's more is that it is guarded by bunkers on both sides except for a very sharp dropoff at the deepest back section. It doesn't fit the eye at all, and that is one of its great attributes as you try and figure out just what club to hit.

*The wonderfully uncomfortable tee shot to the skinny, angled 10th green at Wilshire*

4. Wilshire #2 Fun par 5 with an angled green guarded by a bunkered nob on the left, which encourages players to interact with the bunkers down the right of the hole. Furthering the challenge at the green, there is a little trench of short grass that runs along the back right of the green. Surely it gets a lot of play (including from the author), which is a great way to get that short game tested early in the round.

5. Riviera #5 I just really like this green complex that falls away and right to left. There are short grass falloffs to the right and back, which connects with the tee of the famous par 3 6th. For the weaker player, approaching the green involves flirting with a giant knob short right of the green that was said to be built by Thomas and Bell to divert major storm water coming off the cliff. The hole is a thoughtful test for both the everyman trying to make par and the professional trying to make birdie.

6. Wilshire #4 Another hole where the green is the star. Norman Macbeth originally designed the par 3s at Wilshire with two greens a piece in order to offer more day to day variety. In the case of the 4th hole, Kyle Phillips went ahead and connected the two pads to make one green, which is over 60 yards long and joined by a really neat looking roll that screams 1920s construction.

7. Orinda #8 Great before the restoration, and even better now. Pick your poison for missing the small narrow green: big bunker short, bunkers right with a fallaway shot, deep left with the green above your head but short game options, or long with the same problem if your ball doesn't make it all the way to the long native grass (I really don't recommend long). It's only 120 yards, but with those listed hazards and a commonly swirling wind, it is a brute of a hole. For those really dialed in with the wedge and seeking a birdie or sure par, you are better off being on the proper half of the green due to the anchoring slopes at the middle pinch.

8. Eindhoven #3 Of the many very good holes at Colt's Eindhoven, this is probably my favorite. It is a medium-long par 3 playing slightly uphill with a couple of mossy natural landforms guarding the front. In addition to messing with depth perception, the unpredictable nature of the bumps could kick a low shot in any direction. You don't always need bunkers to form an effective defense of a hole.

*The 3rd hole at Eindhoven is cleverly tucked behind some natural landforms*

9. Claremont #5 Two simple land movements make this hole what it is: a hog back fairway that is hard to find off the tee, and a fallaway green that is met with a bunker tight to the rear. A lot more effective and interesting than, say, building giant pond and over-bunkering. A lot cheaper too.

10. Riviera #6 Ok, I will bite and include the famous "bunker in the green" hole. What I was most keen to see was if you could putt from one side of the green to the other around the bunker. You can, but in general, you can't really get the ball too close. I like that. It punishes you for being on the wrong side of the bunker but doesn't do it to an extreme. It's probably a 0.5-1 shot penalty, which seems about right to me.

Best Greens

1. Riviera

2. Eindhoven

3. Claremont

4. Wilshire

5. Hardelot Les Pins

*The massively long 4th green at Wilshire is pure Golden Age quirk*

Best Bunkers--Playing Importance and Aesthetics

1. Rustic Canyon

2. Claremont

3. Riviera

4. Hardelot Les Pins

5. Wilshire

*The outstanding bunkering at Rustic Canyon brings the desert right into the golf course, leaving nary a trace where man's influence begins and ends*

Champions of Fast and Firm--Best Turf + Conditions

1. Swinkelsche The only Frank Pont solo design I've seen has a perfect maintenance meld. It's tight and fast fescue through the green with minimal mow lines and a beautiful natural look, while the greens are kept at speeds appropriate for the wild contours. If only it could always be that way.

2. Kennemer I'm a sucker for links golf and will not deny it; there's just nothing that makes architecture better and more fun than links-type turf. It was early spring at Kennemer, but I could still use a putter most anywhere. As an added bonus, the early season moss and rabbit scrapes in the rough made for a beautiful natural aesthetic.

3. Rustic Canyon The switch to Bermuda seems to me like only a good thing, as balls looked like they were bouncing all over the place in the high winds. Superintendent Jeff Hicks also has the bent grass approach and surround areas so tight, they might as well be putting green. Amazing stuff in a hot dry climate.

4. Wilshire Doug Martin is doing a great job with the bermuda after their recent renovation a few years ago. A lot of bounce and roll for a warm season course.

5. Riviera Yes, Kikuyu and all. Superintendent Matt Morton is doing an incredible job managing the thick and pesky grass--better than I thought possible. He also has the greens at a speed and firmness that maximize the outstanding architecture, and he is taking great care to maintain green size and introduce proper looking native areas.

*The maintenance meld at Swinkelsche is perfection: fast and natural*

Best Playing Experiences

1. Golf with my dad and brother before his wedding. Hickory Hill, Wixom, MI

2. Getting a history lesson and knocking it around Kennemer with longtime member Dolf Cox. Kennemer, Zandvoort, Netherlands

3. Playing my first ever SoCal round with Todd Eckenrode post-Orinda project. Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA

4. Reuniting and playing a round at Cal Club with fellow shaper/architect and Scotsman Ben Warren. California Golf Club, South San Francisco, CA

5. Getting in a round at Claremont on a quiet Monday before beginning the Orinda Project. Claremont CC, Oakland, CA

*It doesn't get much better than teeing it up with my dad and brother*

CULTURE

*The Gros Horloge, a Renaissance-era astronomical clock, and Cathedral Notre Dame du Rouen in Rouen, France*

Favorite Cities

1. Rouen, France

2. Deventer, Netherlands

3. Honfleur, France

4. Amsterdam, Netherlands

5. Paris, France.

H.M. Le Touquet, France

*Honfleur Harbor, a place inhabited by many Impressionist painters for its ever changing light*

Favorite food by Place

Netherlands - Bitterballen, obviously

Home (Orinda CC) - Grilling spicy porkchops in the backyard with a cold Grapefruit Sculpin

France - Tie between St. Jacques (scallops) and Magret de Canard (grilled duck breast)

Favorite Sites Seen

This is a clean sweep this year, as I never saw anything new in my short time in Holland. These sites were all incredible though, the top two rivaling any place I've ever been.

*Mont St. Michel, quite possibly the most amazing place I have ever been*

1. Mont St. Michel and Bay, France

2. Rue de Gros Horloge, Rouen, France

3. Honfleur Harbor, France

4. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

5. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, France

*The Eiffel Tower exceeded expectations*

MUSIC

Anyone in this business who works in this style out in the field knows how valuable a companion the art of music is. It is easy as well to draw parallels between the two, a great golf course acting as a great album with the component pieces, the holes and songs, standing individually while contributing to the work as a whole. Here are some of my favorites while making it all happen from in the seat or behind a rake.

Best Albums

1. Visions - Grimes

2. Trouble Will Find Me - The National

3. The Flying Club Cup - Beirut

4. Kathryn Calder - Kathryn Calder

5. Born Under Saturn - Django Django

6. Carrie & Lowell - Sufjan Stevens

7. Currents - Tame Impala

8. American Water - Silver Jews

9. Alix - Generationals

10. California Nights - Best Coast

H.M. Strange Pleasures - Still Corners

Best Songs

1. "Genesis" - Grimes

2. "I Should Live in Salt" - The National

3. "A Sunday Smile" - Beirut

3. "Huarache Lights" - Hot Chip

4. "Black Lemon" - The Generationals

5. "To Die in L.A." - Lower Dens

6. "10,000 Emerald Pools" - BØRNS

8. "No No No" - Beirut

9. "Highway Patrol Stun Gun" - Youth Lagoon

10. "Day of the Locusts" Bob Dylan

H.M. "Dreams" - Beck; "Gotta Go Home" - Boney M

And on To 2016...

Only one thing is certain at this point, and that is returning to France to continue making improvements at the excellent Hardelot Les Pins. The next project is almost finalized and would be much closer to home. The second half of the year is wide open though, and who knows what is in store (how about some Hochstein Design solo work? Spread the word--I'm ready!). Be sure to follow me on twitter and instagram (@hochsteindesign for both) for the latest news and project progress.

*To start the year, it will be back to France to finish a winter architectural program at Hardelot Les Pins*