Firm, Fast Surfaces Highlight Upgrades to Bay Area’s Premier Seaside Layout
(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) — Half Moon Bay Golf Links, the world-class, 36-hole golf resort set against the dramatic cliffs of the Pacific Ocean and just minutes from San Francisco and San Jose, today announces the “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 Links Enhancement will position the Ocean Course as one of the premier links golf experiences in the U.S. 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 are 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.”
Hills laid-out and routed the (then) 6,649-yard track on a 125-acre site, taking advantage of the natural contours, prevailing winds and Pacific Ocean view corridors. The final three holes, a par 4-3-5 closing, play hard along the ocean and exemplify the Ocean Course’s links experience. In 2008, the Ocean Course hosted the LPGA Samsung World Championship, cementing its status as a championship-caliber facility.
For more information about Half Moon Bay Golf Links: www.hmbgolflinks.com; 650.726.1800.
About Half Moon Bay Golf Links
Set against the dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Half Moon Bay Golf Links is located just minutes from San Francisco and San Jose, and only 20 miles from San Francisco International Airport. The golf resort features thirty-six holes of championship golf; a clubhouse with a full-service pro shop offering the latest equipment and fashionable apparel; and the popular ocean-view restaurant, Mullins Bar & Grill, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual fireside dining setting.
For nearly 40 years, avid golfers have been returning to this incomparable setting, enjoying the variety of play offered by two award-winning courses: Arnold Palmer’s classic American parkland-styled The Old Course and the Scottish-links-styled Ocean Course designed by Arthur Hills.
The Old Course is a classic American design, with a series of strategically-demanding holes linked through the property’s interior. The famous, par-5 18th emerges along the Pacific Ocean, boasting one of the most stunning tee-to-green views in the U.S. It plays up to The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay’s oceanfront courtyard and fire pit.
The Ocean Course provides a true links golf experience: the salt air of the Pacific a constant as it is transported via the constant breeze from the Ocean just yards away. Fairways are separated by coastal mounding and native grasses, and open green fronts and creatively designed green surrounds support a variety of different playing options. The Ocean Course hosted the 2008 LPGA Samsung World Championship, featuring the world’s best women golfers and won by Paula Creamer.
Accolades for Half Moon Bay Golf Links Include:
* “The Pebble Beach Experience Just Up The Coast” –New York Times
* “One of the 18 Great Country Clubs for a day” –Business Week
* “One of the Best 18 Holes in the Country” –Golf Digest
* “Silver Medal Award” –Golf Magazine
* “Four Stars: A San Francisco Treat” –Golf Digest
* “No. 1 in the West” –Business Week/Golf Digest
* 2008 Host Site: LPGA/Samsung World Championship
* 2006 & 2008 U.S. Open Women’s Qualifier
* 2007 & 2009 U.S. Open Men’s Qualifier
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
http://www.twitter.com/buffalocomm
