Gunpowder Bay by Bryce [Contest Course]

[Indy Anna Jones]

Jack, Gary and I played 18 here today and had a good time. We're reviewing all the courses on a/n/b, so conditions aren't having too much of an effect. We all shot underpar for both 9s. I came within 10 stinking inches of a double-eagle on #9!!

I liked the design. I like the Amaroo textures and the planting was nicely done and looked good, but I felt that it was decoration and framing and needed to have more strategic affect. There was no long grass, trees or other objects to affect the shot so basically the course felt like a links course with the jungle cut back. The greens were nicely done, had fairly good movement but again, nothing too difficult. Traps were also well done. I felt that there were a few too many uphill vs downhill shots. Someone has already mentioned the minor sloping on the tees; well, I've never figured out how to get them all perfectly flat either, and except for #2 they were no more than a 1-click correction.

Overall, Gunpowder is a nice course, but mainly because of the planting and lack of strategic effect from the same, it doesn't really stand out as special. Bryce does good work though, and I look forward to more courses from him.
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[LinksLegend]

I loved the lush tropical look of Gunpowder Bay and it was a differnt style to all the other contest courses which I appreciated.

The course features a lot of great elevation work, the 4th is a stand and stare job from the tee, and the greens offer up a level of difficulty by their relatively small size, which mean that the bunkering didn't need to be overdone. Overall its a really subtle accomplished layout.

The course really kicks off for me at the par 3 7th which is stunning - I saw Doron took inspiration from Yannick's Muerill Links so I'm going to have to fire that course back up again, because this hole is jaw-dropping. The 8th is another beautiful par 5 sitting in a valley and meandering up to an elevated green. The 15th offers a twist on a Biarritz-style green turned 90 degrees leaving a tough putt if you find the wrong side of the green. The 16th is a brilliant drivable par4 - just don't miss right! The approach on 17 reintroduces the beach nicely from an elevated spot, and the 18th is a cracking finishing hole running parallel to the beach - the green site here is also speactacular and a fittind end to the round.

As mentioned I loved the lush tropical look, but we probably need a new Tropical-style library update, which would really have done this course justice. Great effort Doron - I really enjoy playing here.

[SteveHorn]

Gunpowder Bay was my choice to host the WGC-CA Championship. This course has a totally different look and feel then the others. It still amazes me that we all came up with totally different courses for this plot then one in other. I really like the choice of tropicals selected as your forest/jungle which for the most part doesn't come into play. The green textures choosen make the greens a little hard to read but helps in a way because alot of the greens have fairly straight putts with only a little movement and you need to take extra time moving your golfer around to read them correctly.
I agree that the course definitly has a resort & secluded feel to it. The first 6 holes are ok but its the 7th that really starts the round. This is my favorite hole in the contest so far. With the pin tucked near the front cliff edge and the huge second tier with the big breaking slope make this the perfect par 3 type challenge. I would have liked to have seen a few more bunkers on some of the holes and some additional planting but they are still solid designs.
Also this course provides my favorite closing 3 some. Number 16, 17, & 18 really finish this course with its best designs not including # 7.
Sixteen is the short par 4 risk reward hole over the cliff to the green. I must admit since I have a fairly good start to the tourny and the wind hasn't been a help I wimped out and played it safe the first 2 rounds getting a birdie and par. I feel I've left a few strokes on the course but I'm still only 2 off the leader.
Number 17 offers a standard tee shot but the second shot is downhill about 85 feet to the green with the best look of the beautiful water on the whole course. Club selection is tricky for hitting the narrow green. If your long you have a difficult up and down to save par since your chip is uphill some 6' with little room to spare to stop it close. Birdie, bogey for me.
Number 18 is a long dogleg right following the coastline with the 2nd shot uphill to a fairly narrow green that slopes mostly towards the water. It also has a little false front with the fairway and some of the green on the far right. Par, Par for me. This is a very good over all design and an A list course. My only negatives are I would have liked to have seen some more creative planting in some areas that weren't part of the forrest/jungle and a few more bunkers in some areas exspeically in front of # 17 green. GREAT WORK DORON

[bryce]

Thank you all for your kind words and constructive advice. I hope that I have learned a little more from this course and will do my best to make my next design better.

Thanks,
Doron