ASGCA members Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley Design have begun construction on the back nine of Mexico’s Amanali Country Club.
The par-72, 7,150-yard course is set on the shores of Lake Tepeji, about one hour north of Mexico City. Like the front nine, which has been open since 2010, the back meanders through picturesque, high-desert terrain. Construction is expected to finish by summer 2012, and all 18 holes will be open for play beginning January 2013.
Lake vistas are pervasive, as are cactus, mesquite, rolling topography and rugged bunkering. Firm Co-Founder Brian Curley and Lead Designer Grant Haserot incorporated generous landing areas with strong angles of play to make the layout enjoyable for novice golfers, yet still challenging for mid- and low-handicap players. All tees, fairways, and roughs will be turfed with Hybrid-Bermuda grass while putting surfaces will feature bentgrass.
“Amanali has all the ingredients to make it one of Mexico’s best courses,” says Curley. “Our firm’s design acumen, combined with an excellent, lakeside site and fantastic climate for golf, will help make the development one of the country’s most desirable addresses.”
While the existing front nine climbs to the property’s higher elevations providing commanding views, the back nine sweeps across the lower terrain and features holes playing along deep ravines and at the shores of Lake Tepeji. The round features a strong finish with both the par-3 17th and par-4 18th hugging the lake’s shoreline.
The luxury, master-planned community also includes an operational golf practice facility, tennis center, and a planned clubhouse and boutique hotel. Residential sales are strong and around 500 golf memberships have been sold.