“On many golf courses, driving ranges are not the best use of space or resources,” says golf course designer Brian Curley. “In many places, the wisdom of using 12 or more acres of land and lots of water for people to hit balls is debatable.”
Curley had the opportunity to practice his beliefs in a new, state-of-the-art practice facility, 'The Barn' at the River Club in Boise, Idaho. The River Club course opened in 1916 as the Boise Country Club, designed by Chandler Egan. It was renamed the Plantation Country Club in 1930.
In 2018, the private course was acquired by California developer Will Gustafson, who hired architect Curley to reimagine it. Part of the project calls for reducing the value of the land used by the golf course to allow 20 acres for future development along the busy east-west transportation corridor, State Street. Curley's new design involves shortening the course from 6,376 yards, a par 71, to about 5,800 yards, a par 68. He says the changes will essentially be the equivalent of removing the back tees, and won't result in a loss of practical distance for most students. golfers.
Another important aspect of the design is the addition of a well-placed netted area for heating, designed to replace the driving area that was lost to development in the 70s. 'The Barn' is a unique practice area with ten bays designed for year-round use. Four ports are equipped with Trackman to give golfers instant feedback on their swing. In Boise, where summer temperatures often approach 100°F, The Barn allows golfers to stay cool and comfortable, as they practice their swing under fans and fans, while enjoying a full bar and smartphone-ordered food service theirs.
Meanwhile, a robotic golf ball vacuum keeps things tidy by picking up hundreds of golf balls, returning them to a large bin for redistribution to golfers. In the cold winter months, The Barn transitions into a full-service golf course, where golfers turn to high-definition screens of hundreds of different golf courses, while heaters provide protection from the elements. The ability to convert The Barn from a summer to a winter golf course is what makes it a valuable asset to the River Club and its members.
“In many markets with seasonal golf conditions, it's more important to have a good golf course than to sacrifice the quality of the course to meet the practice range,” said architect Curley. “In these circumstances, the fields of driving have become a thing of the past. Golfers, especially young players, are perfectly content to hit balls into a warm net with instant mathematical feedback. Watch Tour pros like Bryson de Chambeau practice these days: they're not actually looking at the flight of the ball. They make a U-turn and head straight for their Trackman to get the information they need. If the training center/simulation center is done right, it can be a great resource that allows members to work throughout the year. The combination of a high-tech, fair-weather warm-up facility that functions as a Simulator facility in inclement weather is a winning combination that provides members with the best golf experience available year-round.”
Curley's new practice facility at the River Club, which officially opened last month for the golf season, occupies only half an acre, and has artificial turf that requires very little maintenance. “It can be a hundred feet deep in the net, a distance that makes it easy to feel the flight of the ball. “When you hit, you look straight down the long fairway of the golf course so it feels like you're hitting the fairway,” he said.
The Barn enabled Curley to satisfy the owner's desired design standards while enhancing the golfer's experience. “The place is moving! This is the future! People are crazy about it!” he concluded enthusiastically.
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