Portfolio Naples December 2022 | Page 20

Riverside Course
teresting , which on this site meant getting the ground to flow with and embrace the overall landscape . With the great trees , the rolling land , distinct ridge lines , and the river , it is such a majestic site , and we wanted the golf course to look and feel like it is just a part of that ,” stated Davis . “ Rerouting the holes was a vital part of this .”
To make the course more interesting and enjoyable to play , Davis employed a highly strategic approach to the placement and shape of tees ,
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PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE
bunkers , fairways , and greens . Players can choose how aggressive or conservative they want to be , not being forced to play in a limited or prescribed manner . The design allows course setup to vary the level of challenge , from regular member play to national championships .
“ Riverside can be setup to be a very enjoyable course for the membership
Stewart Maiden , originally from Scotland , was the head professional at AAC when Bobby Jones first took up the game at age 6 . Despite not having any formal lessons , Jones learned golf by imitating Maiden ’ s golf swing .
on a daily basis , but we instilled design elements that will allow high-level events to test the best players in the game . We can grow the rough a little , speed up the greens , and use a variety of tougher hole locations to present a complete test ,” said Davis .
Because match play is a prevalent part of regular member play and is often a part of the highlevel events that come to AAC , Davis paid specific attention to how the course would flow strategically . The rerouting was in part done to have the course fit better on the land , but Davis also had in mind the ability to make match play more interesting . The first few holes now can set the tone for a match , while the new stretch of holes from 12 through 14 can flip a match , noting that most matches will not go past 15 . Changes to 18 were