Build it and they will come: Replica courses can be a big draw if they're designed correctly
By Ron Garl,
Special Contributor
Based in Lakeland, Fla., Ron Garl has won national and international awards, from Golf Digest, the Audubon Society, Golf Magazine, Links Magazine and Southern Living, among others. He was named "Golf Designer of the Year" by the International Network of Golf in 1996.
I've got to admit that I'm one of the luckiest golfers in the world.
By virtue of my profession, I've been able to play most of the great
golf courses in the world. It was during one of those rounds many years
ago that the thought occurred to me that it would be even more enjoyable
and memorable if I could share this experience with my golf buddies
back home.
It wasn't very long afterwards that a prospective client who, like
most developers, wanted a golf course architect to design a truly unique
golf course for him. As we were talking, my mind flashed back to that
day during a round in Scotland when I wanted to share that great experience
with my friends back home.
Maybe I could bring this experience to not just my friends,
but all golfers here in the United States. This was the beginning
of the planning of Golden
Ocala in Florida, the first replica golf course. Golden Ocala
changed to a private club four years ago.
One of the first questions I asked myself was "What holes do golfers
most want to see replicated?" My answers to that:
I quickly realized that there's a lot more to building a replica hole that
making sure it's yardage, shape, green size, and bunkers positioning
are all correct. To have a successful replica hole, you have to recreate
the feel of the hole to allow the golfer to live his dream of playing
the greatest holes in the world.
When a golfer stands on the tee of the hole called "Hogan's Alley,"
the sixth at Carnoustie
in Scotland, he has to feel
that he is experiencing the real McCoy. He has to see the out of bounds
dangerously close to the left side of the fairway and the huge pot bunkers
on the right. He has to be aware of the heavy rough to the left and
feel that the British Open is on the line if he misses the fairway.
You have to recreate the aura of the "Postage
Stamp" at Royal Troon and the "Road Hole" at St.
Andrews where your golfer is tested in the same way as all the great
players through golfing history. The architect has to realize that a
very low percentage of golfers will ever get the chance to play these
holes, but most will have a perception of what they're like.
It's up to the architect to make that perception a reality. We have
to create the great moment for the golfer and allow him to be lost in
it.
Because of these challenges, designing a replica course is perhaps
the greatest challenge an architect can face. It's also the highest
compliment an architect can pay to those great architects of the past
and the great courses of the world.
This was a challenge we were willing to face. The question was: Would
the golf public accept it?
At first, people had to almost stumble upon Golden Ocala. Let's face
it, Ocala isn't exactly a metropolis. I remember one foursome found
the course, played it and went home. They talked to so many people back
at their club about the experience that when they came back, they rented
a bus to accommodate everyone.
This told us two things. Even though Ocala isn't exactly on the beaten
path, golfers will travel farther to play a replica course than any
other type of course and that the key is that golfers really want to
play courses that are, for the most part, inaccessible to them.
Often there's a bit of hesitation on the part of the developer/owner
to build a replica course because of the fear of trademark infringement
and potential legal problems. We had to be very careful when we built
Golden Ocala and we learned many lessons.
The key is in how you advertise the property. Of course there are
many factors that come into play and they're too numerous to mention
here.
Initially, there was a bit of a challenge to overcome. Any developer/owner
who wants to have a replica course must realize that construction costs
run an additional 25 percent. This, of course, is dependent upon having
a desirable site. This would be a site on gently rolling land with varied
tree cover.
Regardless of the extra expense, it's been proven to be a sound investment.
While it seems as if the sound economics of a replica course is a well
kept secret, the truth has leaked out.
Years
after Golden Ocala was constructed, the two Tour 18 facilities in Dallas
and Houston
sold for $52 million. The public's fascination with replica courses
is still spreading. This year, Travel & Leisure Magazine named
Golden Ocala the "Best Replica Course" in the nation.
We have since had the opportunity to create more courses with holes
inspired by some of the great courses in the world that have been quite
successful. Perhaps the most successful has been Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge, Ontario,
Canada. It has been deemed
successful because in 2000, it was voted as the "Best New Course in
Canada" by Score Magazine and this year the Toronto Star
named it the "Best Place to Play in Ontario." Moreover, it's been deemed
successful because the tee sheet is always filled and the green fees
are $200.
We're currently in the preliminary stages of design for a new replica
course in Bangkok, Thailand, which is part of a 63-hole golf course
facility.
The naysayers will tell you that a replica course is no more than
a manufactured illusion. We believe that designed properly, it will
bring dreams to life. After all, who doesn't want to play a course that
is different than all the rest, yet challenging and a truly great golf
experience? It's what golf is supposed to be - it's fun!
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
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