Robbins Golf

All of the holes on the Lake and Maple Nines have been shaped and work is progressing on the Forest Nine now. The site seems to become more spectacular each time I make a site visit. The Maple and Forest Nines have holes at the higher elevations on the property at about 550 meters at #5 green of the Maple Nine and about the same at #8 tee on the Forest Nine.

Work is progressing very well with sand capping starting on the Lake Nine. During my most recent visit, the dam for the large reservoir on site was closed and water is now being impounded. By August, there will be enough water to allow for irrigation of the course for grow-in. The clubhouse construction also seems to be progressing at a good pace so that the first 18 holes of the course and club facilities will be able to open together in October.

Construction to begin at Wuhan Yishan International Golf Club

Wuhan Yishan Int'l Golf Club, a Rick Robbins design

Located in the heart of the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province, this course will be part of a new development area of the city that will have many new high-tech and research facilities nearby. The property is ideal for golf with gently rolling terrain over much of the property that had a golf course on it in the past. A mountain ridge forms the entire north boundary of the property providing great south facing views and the opportunity to create a few holes with significant elevation changes. The style of the course will be a classic type, parkland design that will resemble the designs of Dr. Alistair McKenzie.

Plans are complete for the golf course construction. A contractor bid conference was held in June with 5 very experienced bidders present for the conference, attended by the architect and owner' representatives. Final negotiations are now under way to select the contractor and work should be able to begin within the next 2 weeks. We are happy to be working with IMG on this project as they will provide management and agronomic oversight to the owners along with assistance with staging a planned tournament.

Construction Complete at Dong Fang Golf Resort

The grow-in and completion of final details are now under way at this new course on the west coast of Hainan Island. Developed by Hainan Airlines and constructed by Joy Golf Management, this course will be the center-piece for a new resort that will eventually have 54 holes of championship golf.

As fits the climate of the region, the course is a tropical design style with many palm trees and lush, colorful landscaping. The fairways are very wide to allow for the relatively constant wind. The site did not have very much elevation change so the shaping of bunker edges and fairway level changes was made sharper than normal to give good contrast. The course is scheduled to open around September of this year.

The Final Phase of Renovation at Prestonwood CC is Complete

Three years and 54 holes later, the reconstruction of all greens and many bunkers at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC is finished. The Highlands Course was seeded in May and is in the final grow-in process. Each winter for the past 3 years, one of the courses was taken out of play and the greens complexes were rebuilt to USGA standards. The past construction of the golf facilities at Prestonwood had been done in numerous stages over an extended period of time, beginning in the mid 1980's.

The methods and materials used in construction as well as the grass types were not the same for any of the courses and even varied within each course. This created a great deal of difficulty to have any degree of consistency in the quality of maintenance. Now, all greens have the same grass type and same construction materials which will allow the maintenance staff to treat each course alike.

The new Highlands renovation will open sometime around Labor Day for limited member play and will have 9 of its holes used for the SAS Champions Tour event in late September. Members will definitely see several significant changes to the course, including making #8 into a potentially drivable par 4. Hole #11 green, which was subject to frequent flooding, has been moved away from the lake and raised by 4' – 5'. The greens have been reshaped with grass hollows replacing some of the sand bunkers.

New Project Signings

Activity has been very high in China with several new large-scale developments now in the design stages. A 36-hole design in Tai Ning, Fujian Province has been master planned and the routing of the first 18 holes staked and reviewed by the architect. Preparation of construction documents will begin in July.

A 27-hole design has been prepared for the Anxi Nanyi New Town about an hour northwest of Xiamen, also in Fujian Province. The construction plans are complete for the golf course but some additional design remains to be done on some adjacent roadways and development parcels within the project before construction can begin. At this time, golf course construction is set to start in August.

This hilly site will produce an unusual style of golf course that will utilize many of the eroded areas of the site as features of the golf course design. The course has been routed to take advantage of the valleys and hills on the property with parts of each 9 playing on the upper and lower elevations. Several of the greens will be located within the eroded areas and these will add great character to the course by giving it a natural but wild appearance.

Other projects currently being designed are a 36-hole resort in Hunan Province, about an hour south of the city of Changsha, 18 holes at an elevation of 1900 – 2200 meters above the city of Tengchong in western Yunnan Province and a 36-hole resort on the ocean in western Hainan Island. All of these projects are set to be in construction later this year.

China Maple Golf Club Under Construction

In one of the fastest starts for a golf course in my career, we have gone from contract signing in mid-April to having almost ½ of the mass earthworks already finished. China Maple is a 27-hole golf resort located between Dandong and Shenyang, China. It is named for all of the maple trees found on this mountainous site. The site has some of the most beautiful natural scenery to be found anywhere. The elevation changes from just over 300 meters to around 540 meters on top of the peaks. While parts of the property are quite steep, we have been able select the most useable parts of the land for building the golf course. Holes will play along ridge tops and through valleys that have rocky streams with waterfalls flowing in them.

In addition to dramatic elevation changes, a several hundred acre lake is being built by constructing a dam of some 30 meters in height across an actively flowing river. Several golf holes will play along the edge of the lake with hole #3 of the Lake Nine being a par 3 with its green sitting on the edge of the lake. Hole #8 of the Lake Nine will be an island green par 5. Many of the other holes will have great views of the lake from their higher elevations.

The developer of this resort is Mr. Yu Chengbo, a real estate developer from Beijing who was born and grew up in the area. He has a great attachment to the place where he was raised and where his parents still live. He has taken great care of the land he owns and all of the people who live there as well. He has constructed an entire village of modern houses for the residents and employs many of them to work on the development or as staff for the resort.

As the golf course architect, this project is unusual for many reasons. Mr. Yu is building condominium residences as part of the project but all of the real estate development lies on the north shore of the lake looking south, across the lake, toward the golf course. There will be no houses on the golf course at all, so players will definitely be able to enjoy the quiet environment. A grand opening is scheduled for China's National Day on October 1st, 2011.

Renovation of The Fairways Course at Prestonwood Country Club Complete

The second phase of renovation of the 54-hole golf complex at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC is finished. The Fairways Course had all 18 greens completely reshaped and built to strict USGA specifications. Several greens were relocated to take advantage of existing features and to get more sunlight and airflow to the greens. Numerous bunkers that had little effect on strategy of play were replaced with grass hollows. These hollows will completely change the look and play of the Fairways Course and will most likely become the "signature" element of the design.

The work on this phase began in November of 2009 and was completed in mid-July. The severe winter weather of January – March of 2010 followed by the unusually hot and dry summer caused some delays in finishing the project. ShapeMasters, the golf course contractor for both phases of the work, has done an excellent job in difficult conditions. The course is expected to reopen in October and should be in great condition. The final phase of renovation will begin in November when the Highlands Course will have a similar scope of change done to it.

Construction Under Way on 2 more China Golf Courses

Work began in March on the construction of a new 27-hole facility in Chengdu, China known as The Seasons International Golf Club. Plans have been under way for the course since 2008 but land area changes caused a complete redesign of many of the holes to have to be done. The practice facility has already been opened for almost a year and it is a state-of-the-art facility.

The new course will begin with construction of the Lake and Hill Nines as well as 2 holes of the future Valley Nine as these holes will complete the area in front of the golf clubhouse. Flagstick Golf Management is serving as the golf construction coordinator for The Seasons. Joy Golf Construction is the contractor for the work. Both firms are very familiar with doing work in China and they will help insure the quality of the final product.

Just now getting under way is the first phase of construction on the Zhenjiang New Town Golf Resort. Located a little over a 1 hour drive south of Nanjing, on the highway leading to Shanghai, this new resort will be part of the development of an entire new city. The golf resort will be one of the key recreational components of the new town that will contain commercial, industrial, recreational and port areas when developed.

The total resort design is for a 54-hole complex with 3 completely different design styles for each course. The 1st phase will consist of The Hills Course and the first 9 holes of the Mountain Course. The second phase will complete the back nine holes of the Mountain course and build the 18-hole Valley Course. As the names imply, the land for each course is quite different in character and the courses will have themes of design that fit the natural terrain of each area.

Rick Robbins to Join Executive Committee

Rick Robbins, ASGCA has been chosen by the ASGCA Nominating Committee, led by Immediate Past President Bruce Charlton, ASGCA, to join the Executive Committee.

Robbins will take over the position of Secretary in March after the election by the Board of Governors. At that time, Erik Larsen will move to President, Rick Phelps to Vice President, Bob Cupp to Treasurer and Doug Carrick to Immediate Past President.

“Rick is a great choice for the Executive Committee and I’m very happy that he accepted Bruce’s invitation to serve,” notes President Doug Carrick, ASGCA. “Rick’s been an involved member, having served with distinction as the Membership Chairman. He’s known to have great judgment, common sense and a good grasp of what goes on in ASGCA. He’s also well-liked among the members.”

Robbins lists the following representative courses: Millcreek Golf Club, Mebane, N.C.; Palm Garden Golf Club, Kajang Selangor, Malaysia; Crow Creek Golf Club, Calabash, N.C. and Water’s Edge Golf Course, Worth, Ill. Robbins is President of Robbins & Associates International, based in Cary, N.C. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Environmental Design. Robbins began his golf course architecture career with von Hagge and Devlin, Inc., moved on to work in the Nicklaus organization and formed Robbins & Associates in 1991. He served as Membership Chairman from 2007 – 2009. He is currently working primarily in China and lives in North Carolina with his wife Ginger and has two grown daughters.

SAS Champions Tour event held on recently renovated Rick Robbins course

The SAS Championship, an annual Champions Tour event in Cary, NC was held at the Prestonwood Country Club inSeptember. The event is held on portions of the Meadows and Highlands Courses at Prestonwood which has 3, 18-hole courses. The Meadows Course utilizes 9 of its holes to comprise the back 9 for the tournament. Rick Robbins provided design services for a complete renovation of all 18 greens complexes and the SAS Tournament marked the reopening of the course for play.

Tournament players, officials and long-time members of the club have had high praise for the results of the renovation work. “Prestonwood Country Club’s courses were built over a long period of time and in many stages of expansion from the original 27-hole facility to its current 54 holes.” “This resulted in the use of different grasses, different construction methods and different design standards that provided great inconsistencies from one course to another and even within each course”, explained Rick Robbins. “The owner wants to get all 3 courses into a more uniform condition and then be able to provide a maintenance program that works for all the facility”, Robbins continued.

At this time, plans have been prepared and bids received for the next phase of work which is scheduled to begin on the Fairways Course in November. The Highlands Course will then be renovated in 2011, completing the work on all 3 courses. “This is a great opportunity and responsibility for me”, says Robbins. “Since I live on the 14th hole of the Fairways Course and have been a member here since 1993, there is a lot of “suggestion and oversight” from my golfing buddies who are quick to let me know if they like what I am doing or not.”

Robbins signs on for an unique opportunity

Robbins & Associates signs a contract for the master planning of a new resort in Yunnan Province, China. The firm has also been retained to design the golf courses for the resort. The possibility of five to six more courses over the next several years is also in the works. The Yunnan Province resort site is located only 50 kilometers from the border with Myanmar (Burma) and is in a region known for its hot springs.

“The land is one of the most amazing pieces of property I have ever seen in 37 years of golf course design” says Rick Robbins, President of Robbins & Associates. “I never expected to go to south China and be able to find over 4,000 acres of land that looks just like the Highlands of Scotland” he added.

The site sits on top of a mountain with views for miles in all directions and a large portion of the land is open meadows that have great natural contours for golf. The owner of the property wants a world-class resort with golf, horseback riding, walking trails and many other amenities. There is discussion about having the world’s longest escalator leading from the lower elevations of the property to a tourist attraction on the top of the mountain.

Robbins & Associates forms the RSW2 Group

The golf course design and master planning firm Robbins & Associates International has joined with Winstead Wilkinson Architects, Stewart Engineering and Audubon Environmental Services to be in a position to offer a complete array of associated services to golf community developers. “This is an association of firms that have worked together very cooperatively on several projects”, says Rick Robbins, President of Robbins & Associates. “We have found it to be very effective to be able to give our new development clients golf course design, master planning, engineering, architecture and environmental evaluation services all in a single package”, Robbins continued.

Especially for projects in China, where development of golf resorts and housing communities is a relatively new venture, this is a concept that has been embraced by those clients. In addition to the design and consulting firms, another key member has been added to the group. P&K- PR, headed by Nie Xiao Min (July) provides the contact resource for the group’s work in China. The ability to coordinate many of the most essential design services and to be able to do so with someone who can speak the language as well as understand the complex cultural differences is of tremendous importance to doing business in China.

While RSW2 is not an incorporated entity but simply an association of firms that work well together and are located in the same geographic area, it will serve to identify the group to the development community. “We have found that a great deal of time and money can be saved by developers, especially in the early stages of developments, by having the ability to actively coordinate the planning efforts rather than have many disassociated firms working independently” Robbins concluded.

Master Planning & Construction Documents complete for Longmuwan Bay Resort

Robbins & Associates was recently selected to provide the overall master plan for the initial golf course component of 45 holes at this mega-resort on the Gulf of Tonkin, which lies on the west coast of Hainan Island. They were also retained to provide full preparation of construction documents for the first 18 holes as well as construction administration of the first course.

The project site has extensive frontage directly on the water of one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in China. In addition, a river forms the entire northern boundary of the site, providing a good water source as well as a natural amenity. The clubhouse will sit on top of an 18 meter high ridge that runs through the site. This will provide extraordinary views of the sunset over the water which is unusual in China as almost all of its beaches face east.

The golf course design concept will also be unique and is due to the physical nature of the site. Part of the property contains large trees that need to be preserved and other parts are open dune lands. The design will incorporate both a Florida, tropical style look on 27 holes and a more dune-land style on 18 holes. The large ridge running through the property along with constructed high mounds and a rock wall will keep the two very different design concepts from visually clashing. This is the only site in the world where these 2 styles of golf can be played side-by-side on the same day and should prove to be an attraction for the resort guests.

Contract signed for new 27-hole complex in Chengdu, China

During Rick Robbins’ most recent visit to China in May, a contract was signed for the design of a new 27-hole course on the south side of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Negotiations have been under way for some time and it is a project that the firm has been looking forward to for a while. The location is very easy to get to from both the central city and the airport.

The land is ideal golf course topography with wide valleys, low hills and sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. There are several existing ponds and streams on the site that will be used in the design along with areas of nice trees. Final mapping of the topography and existing features is currently being finished and construction should begin in early fall.

Golf, Inc Magazine Features Robbins & Associates - Full Article PDF

By Jim Dunlop

Golf, Inc

http://www.golfincmagazine.com/

As course-building slows, architects around the globe are working closely with developers to reduce costs, ofer additional services.

Compass Pointe golf course will be worth the wait

By Brian Mull
Staff Writer

www.starnewsonline.com

Rick Robbins sees plenty of fun for everyone at new development outside Leland....

There’s a gleam in architect Rick Robbins’ eyes and a lilt in his voice as he describes one aspect of Compass Pointe, a golf course under construction just west of Leland on U.S. 74/76.

He paints a clear picture of multiple tee boxes, a tree-lined fairway giving golfers options and angles of attack. Thing is, he’s only talking about the 27-hole facility’s driving range.

Yet it’s that attention to detail that has brought Robbins worldwide respect as one of golf’s leading architects. And his planning ability, paired with a unique piece of property, should produce a real gem.

There is rolling terrain sprinkled with blackjack oaks, sandy soil, yellow pines and yes, at 82 feet, the highest point in Brunswick County. All together, there is a 70-foot elevation change on the 2,700-acre plot once owned by International Paper that has been the property of Bobby Harrelson since the 1980s.

This land feels more like the Sandhills than the Coastal Plains. The architect thinks the finished product could draw comparisons to Tom Fazio’s renovation of Pinehurst No. 4. Certainly, Robbins’ fair yet challenging layouts bring to mind the man most associated with Sandhills golf, Donald Ross.

Robbins grew up in Western N.C., born to a golfing family that developed both courses and tourist sites such as Tweetsie Railroad.

After graduating from the N.C. State School of Design, he worked under the esteemed team of Bruce Devlin and Robert Van Hagge, and later Jack Nicklaus. He opened his own firm in Cary in 1991.

Robbins has a foothold in Asia, where he spends roughly two weeks each month and expects to have 255 holes under construction by the end of the year.

Closer to home, he’s also handling projects at Prestonwood in Cary, The Coves at Round Mountain in Lenoir and Wilderness Trail in Banner Elk.

He’s excited about the potential of Compass Pointe.

The course is an infant, about a dozen holes have been roughly shaped, the boundary lines drawn. Riding around the property, Robbins dispensed subtle strategic tips while painting a broader picture of what the course will look like when it opens by 2012.

“I want the good player to feel like he can have the driver in his hand and feel comfortable,” he said, while describing the ninth hole on the course’s East nine, a par 5 reachable in two shots by the longest hitters. “I don’t want players to have to fit a shot in. And if they drive it to the end of this fairway they are on an upslope, rewarded, not penalized.”

Of course, Robbins also kept in mind the average player. Compass Pointe plans to open as semi-private: offering memberships but also be open to the public. Robbins built friendly holes such as No. 1 on the West side, a slight dogleg right par 4 that doesn’t levy a severe penalty for golfers slicing their opening drive. Along those lines, each hole will also feature a family tee, roughly 80-120 yards from the green.

Standing on the site of the future clubhouse, Robbins described his plan behind the ninth hole on the North course, a shortish, downhill par 5, with plateaus in the fairway offering flat lies and tempting players to attempt to hit the green in two.

One can almost hear the children laughing, glasses clinking, wagers (and needles) flying as players stand atop the hill behind the green, trying their hand at the 18-hole putting course while watching their buddies try to somehow save par.

Brian Mull: 343-2034

Brian.mull@starnewsonline.com

Meadowbrook Golf Course to realize it's full potenital

By Kiel Christianson

Senior Writer, Golf Publisher Syndications

"Designed by Willie B. Lewis, who learned his craft under George Cobb, Meadowbrook Golf Course was built during the early 1960s. Using all the available land at his disposal, Lewis fashioned a golf course with many classic features. The golf course has matured over its 45 years and become a favorite in this area.

As the community surrounding the golf course took shape in our planning, we realized the chance to improve the course and relieve congested areas restricted by our original size. With the selection of internationally respected designer, Rick Robbins, Meadowbrook will realize its full potential as one of the outstanding public golf courses in this region."

Full Article: http://www.carolinahills.net/golf.php

Robbins chosen to renovate Prestonwood Meadows course greens

Rick Robbins, ASGCA, golf course architect and long-time resident and member of Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina has been named to be the project architect for the complete renovation of the greens complexes on the Meadows Course. Portions of 2 courses at the 54-hole golf complex have been used for the past several years for the SAS Tournament, one of the most popular stops on the Champions Tour circuit each fall. Prestonwood Country Club

“The renovation will be done for a number of reasons”, says Robbins. The most pressing reason is to give some consistency to the 3 courses that were built in pieces over an extended period of time with different designs, specifications and contractors. Another reason is to help cure some issues that create difficult and expensive maintenance problems.

The work has already begun on The Meadows course in December and seeding of the new greens is scheduled to be done in April. Shapemasters of Southport, NC is the contractor for the project. Representatives from the PGA Tour, Design and Agronomy Sections, are involved with the process as is David Dalton, the Director of Golf Maintenance at Prestonwood.

Robbins & Associates continues next phase of master planning of Green Lake in Chengdu, China

Robbins & Associates International, a master planning and golf course design firm located in Cary, NC and Bejing, China, has been retained to provide the second phase of master planning for this 533 hectare resort project (1317 acres) about 20 miles west of Chengdu City, in the Sichuan Province of China. “This is one of the most exciting master planning projects we have ever been involved with” stated Rick Robbins, president of the firm. “It is a very large and complex resort that is almost like creating a new city and it will contain 45 holes of golf, along with extensive lake and open space amenities” Robbins added.

Robbins & Associates had completed the first phase of Concept Master Planning in October with a presentation to The Secretary of the Dujiangyan Municipal Committee and other local officials. The concept plan was well received as being environmentally aware of the natural features of the area and as a project that could help in the economic recovery of the region form the severe earthquake of last May. “The prospect that Green Lake can not only become a wonderful resort design but can also help with the recovery of the western part of Sichuan Province from such a huge disaster makes working on this project much more rewarding” Robbins said.

A presentation of the more detailed master plan will be made to the local government officials in late February. This plan will show the proposed general development plan for each section of the resort, the traffic flow, pedestrian system, open space system and amount of building coverage for each residential and commercial section of the property. If everything goes according to the planned schedule, construction on the first golf course, Hotel Villas and resort housing will begin around May or June.

Shaping work continues at Compass Pointe in Leland, NC

Even with the economic situation being as unsettled as it has been the past year, work continues on the rough shaping of several holes at Compass Pointe. This 2100 acre development in Leland, about 12 miles west of Wilmington, NC will contain 27 holes of championship golf designed by Rick Robbins, ASGCA. It will also have numerous parks, several miles of trails, lakes and many other amenities.

The golf course will be designed in a style that resembles those in Pinehurst. “This is not an attempt to copy Pinehurst so much as being a response to the fact that the topography, soils and vegetation of this property are so similar to what is found in the Sandhills region” says Robbins. The land has almost 70’ of elevation change, has high, sandy soils and is covered in pine, Blackjack Oak, Red Maple and other species found in the Pinehurst area. Robbins added, “We expect the course to be unique in many respects to this area.” “It will have wide fairways, extensive waste bunkers, few forced carries from the tees used by the average player and a set of “Family Tees” that will allow each hole to be played as a par 3 hole” he continued.

The golf courses and entire development are being designed and constructed as Audubon Gold Signature facilities. Robbins & Associates has also been deeply involved with the master planning of Compass Pointe as well as golf course design. They have worked closely with Audubon International on many past projects and understand the complexities of making the golf and development meet the environmental guidelines set out by Audubon.

Tea Hills G.C. in Hangzhou, China is under construction

The initial stages of construction work have begun on the Tea Hills Golf Course near Hangzhou, China. Designed by Rick Robbins, ASGCA of Robbins & Associates International, the course has been through the design and approval stages during the past year. Clearing of the areas of heavy vegetation in the vicinity of the clubhouse site started in November.

“I am very excited to see equipment beginning to clear what I have found on my many visits here to be a wonderful place for golf” said Robbins. “This property has everything I, as a golf course architect for over 35 years, would look for in trying to produce championship quality golf that also fits the land” he added. The property has numerous existing lakes and ponds connected by streams and canals, many of which will be preserved. It also has several hills scattered in strategic locations throughout the property that have tea plants on them, for which the Hangzhou region is world-famous. That is the basis for the name Tea Hills and every effort has been made in the design of the course to preserve as much of the tea planting as possible.

While the course has been designed to accommodate tournament play, stretching to over 7300 yards (6675 meters) at the request of the owner, it is also designed to fully accommodate member and visitor play. Robbins described the course as follows: “It will have wide fairways, interesting elevation changes while not ever being steep and will allow the average player to run the ball onto almost every green without having to carry the shot over a hazard.” “At the same time, the course will definitely offer a strategic challenge to the better player if he wants to score well from the back tees because we have designed a large variety of choices of shots and ways to play each hole.”

The environmental aspects of the site have also been carefully considered. Preservation of ponds, streams and existing trees has been done to a great extent. The golf course will be constructed with the latest techniques for sediment and erosion control. Marshes and wetlands have been designed in key locations that will be planted with nitrogen absorbing vegetation to serve as biological filters for storm and irrigation water before it leaves the site. Care has also been taken to maintain the flow of water to the local farmers who adjoin the site.