The members of the Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard, Ma. were so impressed with the work done on a redo of the course’s front nine by Gil Hanse they decided they wanted the architect back to do the same for the back nine.
“The members and board were pleased with Gil Hanse’s work on the front, and that work was so dramatically different from the original (Donald) Steel design on the back that they elected to go forward with the back nine renovation,” said Scott Anderson, General Manager and COO of the club, located in Edgartown on the island just off the mainland of Cape Cod. “We now have new greens, tees, approaches on holes 11,12,13,17 and 18. Totally new holes were constructed on 10,14 and 16. The 15th hole was converted from a short par-four to a brutish, 621-yard par-five.”
Anderson said that the members liked the results of Hanse’s efforts on the course’s front nine so much that his “vision” for the back nine was a “given.” He added, “The comments have been extremely positive. The members love the new look.”
In addition to work on the back nine, there were also some revisions to the green on the second hole that was left untouched in the original 2012 renovation of the front side, and work on the approach area to the hole will be done this fall.
Golfing Magazine Publisher, Tom Landers, had a chance to play the redone back nine and came away duly impressed.
“This is a true links-style golf course. There is a seamless transition from hole to hole and from front nine to back nine. The course layout takes advantage of prevailing wind from the south, and there are a lot of options on how to play each hole. Typically, the fronts of the greens are open areas that allow you to bounce the ball into the green like a links golf course. The course forces you to use every club in your bag, and it is a very easy walking course, as the tee boxes and greens are within close proximity to one another. Several of the holes parallel other holes, so you always feel connected to the course and other groups.” Landers added that the layout finishes strong on holes 13 through 18.
When it opened, the Vineyard Golf Club gained immediate praise as one of the more beautiful and environmentally sensitive new courses built in New England. Hanse initially oversaw the building of seven new greens and the construction of six entirely new holes on the front side four years ago. All the greens now vary in size from 3,000 to 8,000 square feet. He also changed all bunkers on the front nine from a “sod-face revetted” to a rugged “heathland” style. Some trees were removed, and, as on the back, the tees placed much closer to the green complexes to cut down on the commute from hole to hole.
Hanse is known for his `hands on’ approach to course design. He spends his summers on Fishers Island, N.Y. and is said to have a great feel for Northeast/New England golf.
After the work, the course plays 30 minutes or more faster. The highest point of the property is now being used, and the scale of the new bunkering enhances the openness of the site the course sits on. One of the unique factors about The Vineyard Club is that is an all organic course.
Governed by strict local permitting that mandated that the course was built utilizing completely organic methods with minimal impact on the sensitive local environment, the original architects and Hanse in his redo have made Vineyard Golf Club a true example of how the quality of play can be enhanced by respecting and incorporating the beauty of nature.
Visit www.VineyardGolf.com.
