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The Cliffs at High Carolina Where field work is concerned, theres no time like the present for the games No. 1 player, who wont have nearly as much availability once he returns to competition. Woods has emphasized that his architectural aspirations are about quality more than quantity. Im not going to design a bunch of golf courses, says Woods, 33, who will own a home on the new Cliffs property. I can still play golf a little bit and still want to focus on that. I want to build a small collection of courses and make sure I do it right. Can I bring my family here and can they enjoy it? The answer is yes, and were going to be here a lot. To that end, all three properties Woods has chosen for his inaugural work are distinct and dramatically different from each other. At High Carolina, where pine trees will be plentiful and elevations will reach 4,000 feet, there will be 50-mile panoramic vistas. The course will embrace the contours, streams and natural wildlife of the Carolina Preserve. The par-71 layout will play anywhere from 5,000 to 7,500 yards, divided in portions by six sets of tees. Carts will be available, but Woods is planning the routing from the greens to tees to encourage and compliment walking. There are no forced carries; you can run the ball up to every green, he says. It will have the feel of an old parkland course on a mountaintop. You just dont see that anywhere else. According to the Tiger Woods Design website, the estimated completion date is mid-2010. The 18-hole private course near the Mexican resort town of Ensenada, some 65 miles south of San Diego, is named Punta Brava, or Wild Point. The course, which will be 6,835 yards and par 70 from the tips, is at the tip of a jagged peninsula that extends seven miles out into the Pacific Ocean. From a peak of 1,200 feet, the 264acre tract descends a steep mountainside and tightropes the rocky terrain along the coast. Eight shots will require a carry over the water, while 17 tees or greens butt up against the crashing ocean. Woods says his team worked through more than 20 different routing concepts before finding a blueprint that made the most of the stunning setting. We tried to incorporate the viewscapes and rock formations to make sure you felt like
shot over an ocean inlet. Punta Brava is slated for completion in late 2010 or early 2011. The first glimpse the golf world will get of Woods protracting skills will come at Dubai, where he has won the Dubai Classic twice. His work at Al Ruwaya, which means Serenity, is scheduled for completion in late 2009. The property is completely unlike Woods other two builds, a virtual golf oasis in the middle of otherwise barren desert. The par-72 course will play anywhere from 5,100 yards to 7,800 yards through six sets of tees. There will be lakes, streams, lush fairways, dense vegetation and 100 feet of elevation changes over 55 million square feet of otherwise sandy blank canvas. More than 11,000 trees are being planted, including 350 mature trees. Certainly, the property will be novel.
In addition to the Carolina property, Woods is designing Mexicos Punta Brava layout (above) and Dubais Al Ruwaya track. you were part of this amazing peninsula the entire time you play, Woods says. That was a challenge ... to finally get it right. But I think we got it right. Although new to the industry, Woods has not been shy about asserting his clout when dealing with developers. At Punta Brava, Woods talked his associates out of framing the 12th hole, a 402yard par 4, with houses prime oceanfront real estate be damned. The hole is similar to No. 8 at Pebble Beach, where a tight tee shot is followed by a second And the name alone will sell. But since winning the 1997 Masters in unprecedented fashion, Woods has never settled for novelty. His application to his playing career, his commitment physically and mentally to achieving his goals has been beyond reproach. That isnt likely to change as he takes on the challenge of putting his name on golf courses. But will that same level of talent that he shows with a club in his hand be evident? The golf world anxiously awaits an answer.
Woods: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images The Cliffs: Steven McBride Photography, Inc.
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