Golf Course Architecture - Issue 62: October 2020

80 F or 20 years, golf course architect Nathan Crace has dreamt of the opportunity to create a bunkerless golf course. “I’ve been trying to put this concept into practice for more than 20 years to show how a creative bunkerless design can still be fun and aesthetically appealing, but it’s surprisingly difficult to get a client to sign off on a course with no bunkers,” said Crace. When a chance slipped through his fingers 10 years ago, for a client in New Mexico, he wondered whether it would ever happen. But when pitching for the redesign and extension of the municipal Jackson Parish golf course in Jonesboro, Louisiana, Crace couldn’t resist giving the concept another try. His proposal for extending their existing nine into 80 acres of newly- acquired land south of the layout to create the 18-hole ‘Smuggler’s Run’ layout included that key differentiator – there wasn’t a single bunker on the entire design. “When I presented the idea to the committee, they loved it,” says Crace. “They know you have to do something unique to attract golfers,” he says. But there’s another clear benefit too: “The reduced construction and maintenance costs were just icing on the cake.” But Crace still had to convince the committee that he could make a stimulating and attractive course even without bunkers. “The idea is to have a lot of rolling and rollicking shaping throughout the fairways and around greens – but not necessarily crazy contours on the greens themselves – with collection areas, run-offs, rolls, mounds, banks and slopes to give each hole a unique look and be fun to play,” says Crace. “It is key to have unique shaping with movement to provide an aesthetic without looking like a sea of green grass – especially at noon when there are no shadows.” The new portion of property has significant elevation change, crucial for Crace to be able to execute this plan. He’s making changes to the existing holes too. A large lake on the property doesn’t currently come into play, but his new design will see the water incorporated into the strategy of five of the redesigned holes. There will also be a new driving range, a ‘bandit’ junior course, putting green and space for future development. Tentative plans are for the new Smuggler’s Run course to receive final approvals in 2021 and hopefully have phase one (the new nine) open in 2022. In terms of bunkers, Crace will perhaps be hoping for a twist on Kevin Costner’s famous words in Field of Dreams : “If you don’t build any, they will come”. GCA Photo: Nathan Crace Without a trap Nathan Crace has developed a master plan to transform a nine-hole Louisiana muni into an 18-hole bunker-free layout HOL ING OUT