Current Headlines
Robbins & Associates has formed the RSW2 Group
Master Planning & Construction Documents complete for Longmuwan Bay Resort, Hainan Island, China
Contract signed for new 27-hole complex in Chengdu, China
Compass Pointe golf course will be worth the wait
Meadowbrook Golf Course to realize it's full potenital
Robbins chosen to renovate Prestonwood Meadows course greens
Robbins & Associates continues next phase of master planning of Green Lake in Chengdu, China
Shaping work continues at Compass Pointe in Leland, NC.
Tea Hills G.C. in Hangzhou, China is under construction
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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
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. 
“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.
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