With golf on the mind of many Palm Coast, Fla., residents as the 2008 Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach quickly approaches, the developers of Sawmill Creek, Palm Coast’s newest master-planned community, will soon be breaking ground on its Jim Furyk Signature course.
Jim Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and area resident, designed the 18-hole course for Sawmill Creek. Furyk, along with co-designer Michael Beebe, drew on years of golfing expertise and design experience in developing the Sawmill Creek course, which will be built according to Audubon International’s Silver Signature Program.
A tribute to the Golden Age of architects like Mackenzie, Ross, Tillinghast, Raynor and McDonald, Sawmill Creek follows a traditional golf course design philosophy with an emphasis on “fitting” the golf course into the land. The course features subtle sculpting rather than heavy-handed shapes and forms.
“The course was designed to take advantage of the unique elevation changes of the existing land,” said Bob DeVore, president of Lowe Destination Development Southeast. “Our goal is to have the course appear as though it has been there for many, many years. It was designed with an emphasis on strategy and shot-making skills, requiring the player to use both the physical and mental aspects of the game, while remaining friendly for all levels of golfers.”
The course measures 5,000 yards from the front tees and 7,200 yards from the back tees with five par threes, eight par fours and five par fives. Most holes are designed with a 400-foot corridor on the fairways, allowing for more space between the homes and the course. Additionally, the course will have homes built along only one side of the holes, with the area between the homes and the manicured fairways remaining mostly natural, providing better privacy for both the residents and the golfers.
Consistent with the natural feel of the community, the course was designed to take advantage of the unique topography as well as the beautiful hardwood canopy of Hulett Branch, a tributary of Pellicer Creek.
“One of our other goals with this course is to minimize its impact on the environment,” said DeVore. “We will do this by preserving much of the natural vegetation and wetlands and establishing a wildlife habitat and corridors within the course. Native plants will be incorporated around the wetlands and in out-of-play areas and drought-tolerant grasses will be used wherever possible. Any necessary golf course irrigation will use reclaimed water.”
Practice facilities include a three-hole pitch and putt area to practice short games and an expansive driving range with waste bunkers to practice long bunker shots. Golfers will also enjoy the 7,800 square-foot clubhouse and pro-shop with a full bar and dining room and tavern/grill with seating for 150 people.
Residents will have the opportunity to purchase a membership for the 18-hole golf course.
The golf course will blend into the natural surroundings of the community, which will include 1,350 residential units, neighborhood retail and office space, a K-8 school and a community park. Phase 1 construction will include 406 home sites, the resident’s club, golf course and 7,800-square-foot clubhouse. The community will offer a variety of homes with prices starting in the $200s. Estate homesites are also available from the mid-$100s. Reservations are currently being accepted.
Jim Furyk is a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, including two wins in 2006. A five-time member of the Ryder Cup team, Furyk also won the Vardon Trophy in 2006, awarded by the PGA of America to the player with the lowest scoring average.
Michael Beebe, ASGCA of Michael Beebe & Associates, Inc., a golf course design, renovation and development consulting company, will assist Furyk in the design of the course. Beebe has been a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects since 1989 and has designed more than 30 golf courses throughout his 25-year career.
For additional information regarding Sawmill Creek stop by the Sawmill Creek tent at the 2008 Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach, visit Palm Coast Real Estate, call 866-868-4089 or visit www.sawmillcreekfla.com. For information about Lowe Destination Development and its projects, visit www.lowedd.com.