The age of our firm has permitted us first hand, unfettered access to an assembly of classic designs in their native state, well before the concept of "restoration". Below is a listing of clubs and their original designer with which we've consulted in various capacities.
The age of our firm has permitted us first hand, unfettered access to an assembly of classic designs in their native state, well before the concept of "restoration". Below is a listing of clubs and their original designer with which we've consulted in various capacities.
EST.
1957
HURDZAN GOLF
3 Generations of Timeless Course Design
Silverthorne, CO
The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks awaits in the heart of the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains. Designed in a collaborative Hurdzan/Fry and former British Open Champion Tom Lehman, the course compliments the stunning beauty of the Rockies. At every turn Mother Nature will stimulate your senses and fire your imagination with awe-inspiring vistas of snow-capped peaks, towering pines, mountain streams and wildflower meadows exploding in color. Our design goal was not to compete with this beauty, but rather to produce a comfortable, safe, friendly way to be immersed in it.
The Raven at Three Peaks offers an appealing blend of traditional and modern architectural design styles. From the Alister MacKenzie-style bunkers to the rolling contours of the emerald greens, each shot requires strategy. Ranging in yardage from 5,235 to 7,413, Raven presents a truly fair challenge for players of all skill levels. Because the golf course is at 9,000 feet above sea level, the growing season is short, so the entire golf course was sodded (even greens), using 110 acres of sod trucked in from as far away as Arizona.
In addition to a world-class golf course blessed with magnificent panoramas of alpine splendor, The Raven offers a multitude of amenities and services along with this pledge: “To provide members and guests with the finest golf experience possible through a memorable and playable golf course, course maintenance standards that are tournament ready everyday, and sincere, animated and innovative guest service that anticipates every golfer's needs. Experience the ultimate. The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks awaits your challenge.”
Golfers read and sense the golf landscape with their eyes. The more interesting the collage of color, texture and height we can design into the landscape the more memorable that visual stimulation will be. The Raven is one of the most sensual golf courses we’ve ever done, and we attribute that to the awesome majesty of the high country, punctuated by vibrant green patches of perfectly manicured golf course turf. It is like playing golf in a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.
Mountain golf is an exhilarating experience of fresh cool air, thinned by altitude so shots go at least 10% further. Surprisingly, only about 4 or 5 inches of rain fall in the summer, so almost every day is a great golf day. However, some mornings you’ll need to wait for the frost to give way to 80-degree daytime temperatures.
The routing yields to the mountain terrain and lies on natural plateaus formed by ancient landslides and weathering. The total contour interval change is 380 feet, and the maximum on one hole, (number 9) is a 200 foot drop from the tee to the landing area.
Where off-site views were less dramatic, we shifted the golfers’ focus inward towards golf features. To maintain the level of visual excitement, we decided on a bunker style found at the MacKenzie courses at Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne, and Kingston Heath. These bunkers, with their organic shapes, seem to move in response to unseen forces, so that the landscape appears alive and vibrant. Less articulate shapes would be easier to maintain, but would appear lifeless. Clients made the final decision to accept higher maintenance cost in order to achieve a higher "wow" factor.