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"Links Enhancement"
February 17, 2010 By: Golfdom StaffHalf Moon Bay (Calif.) Golf Links, the 36-hole golf resort set against the dramatic cliffs of the Pacific Ocean and just minutes from San Francisco and San Jose, is getting a “links enhancement” of its Arthur Hills-designed Ocean Course.
Coming off one of the most-watched and memorable British Open Championships in recent history, the club said the links enhancement will position the Ocean Course as one of the premier links golf experiences in the country via a series of agronomic upgrades creating a firmer, faster playing surface with an emphasis on shot values.
"We have the layout and the setting, and the agronomic enhancement to the Ocean Course is the final piece in providing a true links-style playing experience," says General Manager Bill Troyanoski.
As part of the project, rough will be mowed down around the bunkers to bring these traditional links hazards back into play on tee shots. Native fescue heights around tee boxes, between holes and in other non-playing areas will be raised to provide golfers with visual, strategic cues about how to play holes and to enhance the links-style atmosphere.
Green complexes and surrounds will be cut to "just above green" mowing height, enhancing ball movement on the ground, adding multiple shot opportunities and fostering creativity in the short game. Putting surfaces will be firmer and faster, placing a premium on approach-shot placement and ball-striking, as well as reading the speed. not just the break, of putts.
Finally, more than 200 yards will be added to the Ocean Course by relocating tees and through the creation of Scottish-style double-tees, bringing the total length to nearly 6,900 yards.
"We're bringing the contours of the course back into play, and putting the onus on the golfer to factor-in bounces and roll, not just carry," says Troyanoski. "The quality of the shot has more significance than the distance, shifting the premium from length and power to accuracy and creativity. The ground game will come back into play and be a major factor, and the emphasis on the aerial game will be dramatically decreased."
The Ocean Course opened in 1997 after an 11-year design and build process. It was quickly bestowed with numerous awards and accolades, including being named to Golf Digest’s “Top Ten Best New Upscale” list in 1998.
"We designed the Ocean Course holes with the fact in mind that people like to see the ocean,” wrote Hills in his seminal design book, The Works of Art. "The sea at Half Moon Bay is so huge and predominant that players are aware of it no matter what direction they’re going."
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