Richardson, Landscapes Unlimited begin work outside Sacramento

Golf course architect Forrest Richardson and developer and construction company Landscapes Unlimited are in pre-construction for a golf course and entertainment complex — tentatively named 50 Oaks — in Placerville, California, about 40 miles east of Sacramento.

Richardson is designing the 12-hole, all-par-3 golf course, plus two putting holes across 42 acres of trust land south of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians’ Red Hawk Resort + Casino, serving the tribal community, residents of El Dorado County and travelers along Highway 50 between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento.

Landscapes Unlimited’s Project Development Group is overseeing all aspects of the project’s pre-construction and construction phases, including site planning, design and engineering, permitting, contractor selection, project administration and budget management.

In addition to the short course, the complex will also include a driving range with launch monitors and golf gaming technology, as well as a miniature golf course and events venue.

The project will adhere to best environmental practices, including water-saving technology and sustainable approaches to building and operations. Accordingly, assuming adoption of the name, the 50 Oaks nomenclature honors the preservation of natural oak hillsides and meadowland, continuing Richardson’s commitment to eco-friendly golf for such clients as Disney, Hilton Hotels, The Presidio and California State Parks.

The community’s traditions will be embraced and showcased in the complex’s architecture, landscape design and golf detail. Landscapes Unlimited has managed more than 30 golf projects for Native American tribes, including Turning Stone Resort Verona, New York;, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Fort McDowell, Arizona; and Firekeeper Golf Club in Mayetta, Kansas.

“Golf represents one of the world’s most social recreational activities,” said Dustin Murphy, director of governmental affairs for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. “Adding other family-friendly activities makes this complex a complete gathering place where memories of a lifetime are created.”

“We’re no longer designing only for the game we grew up playing, but for a whole new generation of golfers, many simply wanting to have fun versus keeping score,” Richardson said. “The game’s playing board is changing; today it’s often smaller, technologically connected more interactive than any of us previously envisioned.”

“The complex will be cool and special upon completion,” Landscapes Unlimited SVP Jack Morgan said. “No matter people’s interest levels in the game, there will be something for everyone, outdoors and indoors, to enjoy time with family, friends, business associates and as a solo player.”