| Hole of the Month |
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Richard Jacobson, ASGCA
Designer Notes:
The first hole at Augustine Golf Club exemplifies several key philosophies of Jacobson Golf Course Design. A medium-length par 4, the hole features a 50-foot downhill tee shot to a landing area bisected by a natural wetlands corridor that was preserved and enhanced during the construction process. The wetlands area is reachable from the tee and extends the length of the double fairway to the right side of the green, which is framed by the majestic woodlands of Northern Virginia. The wetlands provided an opportunity to create a risk-reward hole that requires the golfer to make a conscious decision about how to attack the hole while standing on the tee. The decision about which side of the wetlands to play to is dictated by the pin placement, which is visible from the elevated tee. When the pin is on the right side of the green, the best access is from the left side of the fairway. A natural ridge in the approach area slopes left to right, enabling the ball to run up onto the green and feed down to the hole. When the pin is back left, it is difficult to access from the left side of the fairway but is unimpeded from the right side, and the contours of the green are more receptive to an approach from that angle. From the right side of the fairway, the golfer must carry the ball over the wetlands to the putting surface. The hole features only one bunker located on the right side of the green primarily to catch errant shots. No. 1 at Augustine fits our philosophy of being environmentally sensitive and ecologically responsible while designing aesthetically pleasing holes that give golfers different options every time they play, depending on weather conditions, course set up and a variety of other factors. Giving golfers options enables them to think strategically on the golf course. We think this gives the game greater dimension and more challenge, and, ultimately, makes golf more of what it was meant to be: fun. |
