Sunnylands Golf Course (Palm Springs)

[Golfingdad]

Just received my latest issue of Fore magazine and they have a writeup of "Sunnylands," which is an uber-exclusive golf course in Palm Springs, that has ZERO members.  In reading the description of the course layout, it reminds me of the Tom Doak reversible course thread (I was going to just post this in there) and is really fascinating to me.

Quote

The course itself is a craft of design genius. There are only eight corridors and eight green complexes, and turf covering a total of 106 acres. Yet there are three different ways to play an 18-hole round, creating three completely different “courses.” The Historic Experience is the traditional play, the one the Annenbergs favored and often played just as a twosome. It measures only 5,869 yards from the back, tees (5,364 from the front), and is just as the Annenbergs wanted it to be: a walk, or cart ride, in the park. Wall-to-wall grass, imported and native trees, and traditional routing.

But as players contemplate their approach shots, the course’s teeth are revealed. The large greens are fraught with false fronts, and edges that refuse to hold shots, surrounded by deep, threatening bunkers with heavy sand. Getting in position for a short approach isn’t that difficult. Executing the approach, including finding and stopping a golf ball in an area that will yield a birdie putt, certainly can be. The Tournament Experience layout measures 6,698 yards from the back tee (6,017 front), while the Championship Experience stretches to 7,228 yards from the back (6,334 front).

THE GROUNDS

How did Wilson do it? Most “nine-hole” courses allow players to get in an 18-hole round by simply constructing two different teeing grounds on each of the nine holes, and players use the alternative teeing ground the second time around. Sunnylands’ layouts are completely different. Players may occasionally recognize a certain green, or a certain corridor, or the famous “First Nations” Totem Pole, when they encounter them for the second time. But the angles have changed, the distances have been altered, even the requirements for par may have changed.

The totem pole, commissioned by the Annenbergs and built by Henry Hunt of the British Columbia-based Kwakiutl First Nation, was installed specifically as an aiming point on the 418-yard, par-5 fifth, and the 308-yard, par-4 16th. Reachable in two, No. 5 wraps around a pond right of the fairway. The tee box for No. 16 sits some 100 yards away to the right, where players are tempted to go for the green by driving over trees and the water hazard. Or, one can play it safe and aim at the Totem Pole — just as they did on No. 5.

Another trick Wilson used: approaching the same green from a different angle or corridor to create a different hole. Holes four, 10 and 13 all play to the same green. However, No. 4 is a 141-yard par-3, No. 10 is a 334-yard par-4, No. 13 is a 183-yard par-3, and all three approach the green from different angles. Therefore, the way the bunkering and the green is presented to the player is completely different on each hole. Players may recognize the green once they’re on it, but are really on the ball if they can tell they’re hitting into the same green for a third time when they contemplate their tee shot on 13.

The totem pole is just another example of the Annenberg’s simultaneous love of golf, culture and folly. Other stately-yet-whimsical attractions on the golf course includes the Delos Bench and the Chinese Pavilion. The bench, made of white marble and added in 1979, is located just right of No. 3 fairway, and was inspired by a trip to the Greek Islands. The pavilion was installed in 1976, and served as the site of many on-course lunches. A mausoleum was added in 2001, where the Annenbergs are interred on property. Now the U.S. flag and Sunnylands’ pennant fly every day.

Here's an overhead of the course from Google Maps:

Sadly, it seems the only way to be able to play it is to be a President.

[mcanadiens]

If someone builds a golf course in the middle of the forest and nobody plays it, is it really a golf course?

[iacas]

Hmm. I don't think I've heard of this before.

Everyone is capable of Googling, of course, but for those who want to save a few clicks:

https://tclf.org/landscapes/annenberg-retreat-sunnylands-golf-course

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/sunnylands-obamas-private-weekend-playground

https://sunnylands.org/about-sunnylands/

[JonMA1]

On 10/26/2017 at 8:31 AM, mcanadiens said:

If someone builds a golf course in the middle of the forest and nobody plays it, is it really a golf course?

Spoiler

 

You've just described my home course. It's in the middle of the Manistee-Huron National Forest and there have been times when I'm the only one on the course.

 

Sorry... that was off-topic.