“I’m trying to put golf in the golfer’s hands; give them options to play and how they go about navigating the golf course.” That’s the design philosophy of Art Schaupeter, ASGCA (Art Schaupeter Golf Course Architects), which he shares with Golf Course Industry in their latest “Tartan Talks.”
“I like to give golfers a variety of ways to play, whether from the tees, strategically from green back to the tee, etc.,” Schaupeter said. “That puts the golfer in a positive mindset, instead of the course being overwhelming or beating them down.
“With that mindset, the golfer either walks away happy, or at least thinking, ‘I might have done this or I might have done that.’ It’s the best way to encourage repeat play.”
As for TPC Colorado, starting in 2005 Schaupeter first worked on a master plan for a new property, a process that lasted two-three years. It was not until January 2015 that the final decision was made to go forward.
“It’s been hugely exciting,” he said. “At 5,000-foot elevation, the pros will play as long as 7,900 yards…but we still have forward tees set at 4,100 and 4,800 yards.”
The complete “Tartan Talks” podcast can be heard here.