Golf course architect Forrest Richardson has completed the first of several master plans that are aimed to help define priorities and improvements for Salt Lake City’s eight municipal golf courses.
PRLog - Oct. 9, 2014 - SALT LAKE CITY -- Beginning with the 9-hole Nibley Park Golf Course, originally built in 1921, the work is expected to continue into 2016.
“Salt Lake has a diverse group of courses,” notes Richardson. “The city has a remarkable asset in terms of public golf, offering nearly every type of course and terrain one might imagine.” Among its courses, Salt Lake operates two 9-hole layouts and six regulation 18-hole courses. The 9-hole courses include Nibley Park and Forest Dale. The 18-hole courses are Bonneville, Glendale, Rose Park, Wingpointe and the Canyon and Lake Courses, both at Mountain Dell.
The Nibley Park Master Plan expands the popular practice range and adjusts four holes of the routing. The resulting course is 2,400 yards, par-33. New additions proposed are a 3-hole chipping and learning course; a golf-exercise center; new short game development greens; and what has been coined “The Little Green Golf House,” a golf academy specifically designed for kids. In developing the academy concept, Richardson brought in architectural designer Brian Curtis, who has worked in association with Richardson for several years.
“Brian understands golf from more than an architect’s point of view,” says Richardson. “At Nibley Park we needed to capture more new golfers and our research proved that the focus should be on youth. Brian has created a simple building that can be used for multiple purposes, and it will help define the golf course.” Indeed, “The Little Green Golf House” will be set at the entry to the golf course. On top of the gable roofed building will be a large metal golf tee with a 15-foot diameter inflatable golf ball. Part of the plan is to allow participants in the youth program to inflate the ball each day, in essence “raising the flag” over what will be rebranded as the Nibley Park Golf Course & Academy.
Preliminary planning work has also been completed at Rose Park Golf Course, Glendale Golf Course and Bonneville Golf Course. This work was begun under a consulting arrangement with National Golf Foundation Consulting, the feasibility and consulting arm of the National Golf Foundation. NGF Consulting completed an extensive study on each of the City’s golf operations, including forecasts and recommendations for improvements, consolidation and efficiency.
Richardson is currently focusing on the Bonneville Golf Course, a circa 1929 design by William Tucker, later expanded by William Park Bell and finally completed by Bell’s son, William Francis Bell. Richardson is no stranger to Bell designs having consulted, restored or renovated more than 30 of the layouts of the elder and younger Bells. Richardson’s take on Bonneville makes the work there especially crucial, as he points out, “Bonneville is the crown jewel of Salt Lake public golf. Like so many historic courses in municipalities, it has the potential to become a destination 'must-play' course that will attract visitors as well as the core golfer in Salt Lake.”
No timetable or specifics have been set for completion of a master plan for Bonneville. Present work is targeting turf reduction and irrigation efficiencies, a mandate brought forth by the city to address all of its golf and parks being irrigated with drinking water.
Forrest Richardson is the principal of Forrest Richardson & Associates, a golf course design and planning firm based in Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California. The firm was established in 1988.
For more information: http://www.golfgroupltd.com
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Richardson Begins Multi-Golf Course Work in Salt Lake City
October 09, 2014 at 18:06 PM EDT
