NEWH - August 2003 - (Page 27)

signature golf course designs – a bi-coastal perspective… by Joanie Neumayer, Director Projects Pacific “The typical design process in a signature course…takes about 9 months for design and another 9 months for construction after the 2 – 3 years in the permitting process.” -Harrison Minchew, ASGCA - Palmer Design, Vice President & Director of Design Golf has found its way into 140 countries worldwide and with this expansion, we take a look at two distant golf resorts with signature golf course designs. The continuous enhancements and amenities these resorts have made along the way maintain their ability to stay fresh in their competitive markets. Four Seasons Resort, Aviara in North San Diego County started its development vision with Arnold Palmer in 1982 and the golf course opened in 1991. As with many new projects in California, the California Coastal Commission played a key role in the opening phase due to the growth moratorium at the time. The developers were Hillan Properties who worked closely with Arnold Palmer and Harrison Minchew who headed the design team on the project. The original owners were Japanese investors and from the very beginning the resort was flagged to be a Four Seasons Hotel. NEWH spoke to the original design team from the Florida office of Palmer Design, headed by Harrison Minchew, ASGCA – Vice President & Director of Design. “The typical design process in a signature course such as Aviara takes about 9 months for design and another 9 months for construction after the 2 – 3 years in the permitting process. In this case of Aviara – that period was tripled mainly to the development being located in the state of California.” The course is one of the finest available in southern California and continues to hosts PGA and LPGA events. The course is sculpted around the nature topography with water hazards that are positioned along side the nature lagoon of Batiquitos. Palmer Design overall has worked on more than 250 courses in 25 countries and 36 states. According to Harrison, typically Arnold is in close touch with all the overall projects and routinely makes a minimum of three site visits for each new course. The first visit is to develop the concept, the second during design and construction and the final time to play in the first opening round for the course. The success of this location included the lush site elevations in proximity to the Pacific Ocean while protecting the overall vision for the landscaping and water features throughout the courses. Aviara is located near the Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Resort, Aviara 27

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - August 2003

NEWH - August 2003
Contents
Letter From the Editor
Hospitality News
On the Road Again
Calling All Entries
Tips on Specs
The Creation of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort
Signature Golf Resorts
Designing a Golf Clubhouse
International Purchasing
Creating a Vision for Clubhouse Renovations
Signage for Today’s Golf Resort
The History of Nightclubs
To See and Be Seen
Appealing to the Senses
Marysol–Real and Magical in the Windy City
The Juggling Act—The “Ooh and Aah” vs. Value Engineering
Cork—Not Just for Wine Bottles Anymore
Lessons Not Learned: Life Safety Issues From the Cocoanut
Small Business Advice...
Things to Consider When Building, Renovating or Expanding
Industry Partner Education
Sources and Credits
Bios

NEWH - August 2003