New Ohio design goes back to the future

We get a lot of news releases here at GCM world headquarters about new course construction projects, renovations or restorations to existing courses, etc. Most of the time, I'll skim the first few paragraphs of these releases and them forward them along for inclusion in our Industry News section.

But earlier this week, one release in particular had me reading from start to finish. It featured a new project in Ohio from the respected design firm of Hudrzan/Fry (The "Hurdzan" in the name, Michael Hurdzan, Ph.D., is a longtime friend of superintendents and GCSAA), which is working on a new course attached to Glenlaurel Inn and Cottages in Rockbridge, Ohio.

But this will be no ordinary resort course, no 7,600-yard beast with forced carries and $200 green fees. Instead, in homage to Glenlaurel's overall Scottish theme, this will be a full-bore tip of the cap to the many links-style courses that dot the British Isles.

Expected to open in May of next year, Glenlaurel's new course will feature just eight holes. That's right ... eight holes. And why just eight holes? Because that's all the would fit in the land the resort had set aside for the project. As the release notes, legendary St. Andrews played with just 12 holes for nearly 100 years, so if it's good enough for the birthplace of golf, it should be good enough for south-central Ohio, right?

It doesn't end there. The course will feature sand greens and tees rather than traditional grass-covered ones. Plenty of environmental benefits there — no water or chemical inputs, which fits the environmentally sensitive mission of both the inn and Hurdzan/Fry — but golfers will be raking a lot more sand, one would presume. The fairways will have grass, but will utilize the native pasture grasses as opposed to being grassed with tradition golf course surfaces.

Golfers will have the option of playing with modern clubs or renting hickory shaft clubs, a vintage stovepipe golf bag, a sand tee mold and golf balls designed to travel only half as far as modern balls, all in an effort to better replicate the experience of playing golf "back in the day." Toss in varying teeing options on most holes and the fact that it should only take an hour and a half to loop the course, and you get what should be a truly unique and varied golf experience.

I know that this kind of golfing experience isn't exclusive to this new course — there are several U.S. courses that offer players the opportunity to go old-school, and the pasture-golf movement (check this out if you didn't know there was such a thing) has its converts. But it's tough to argue that this project features some serious outside-the-box thinking when it comes to new course development. Kudos to both Hurdzan/Fry and Glenlaurels for going back to the future with this one.