The Courses: The Ike and Babe at Industry Hills GC The Eisenhower (Ike) Course: President and Secretary Flights “We haven’t and won’t change the layout,” Youpa said in 2006. “We feel the layouts of both courses are masterpieces and that’s not our job to change them. The “Ike” is a new, state-of-the-art golf course as far as its irrigation system is concerned. While making the master plans, we figured, why not remodel the course as well?” Work on the Ike, which hosted the 2007 SCGA Four-Ball Championship, began in February 2006 and the course opened Nov. 6 that year. Hybrid Bermuda Tifway II grass was brought in to re-sod all of the fairways, and 900 sprinkler heads are now marked with yardages (“That could be a record in Southern California,” Youpa said). Due to settling over the past decade, six new green complexes on the back nine — 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 — were rebuilt with poa anna cores of the course’s existing greens. A lot of natural vegetation was cleared from wooded areas, which is expected to lessen time in finding lost balls and increase pace of play. “All 92 bunkers have been reconstructed, reshaped and filled with a combination of 50 percent desert tan sand and 50 percent Augusta white,” Youpa says. “Its angular cut allows it to settle better, which Tour players seem to like.” When former SCGA President and original Industry Hills General Manager Bill Bryant opened the Ike in 1980, his desire was that it could be ready to host a U.S. Open in two weeks. Hosting high-caliber events is an Industry Hills trademark; along with annually hosting qualifying for the Nissan Open and U.S. Open, the club was also the site for the annual Mark and Brian Celebrity Pro-Am. The courses were also the site for the 1999 SCGA Amateur Championship. Fred Couples held the Ike’s course record of 71 (only 1 under par) until James Popoff shot a 68 a few years ago. Some of the highlights include Industry Hills’ famous Austrian funicular, which shuttles players from the par-3 ninth green up the hill to the 10th tee of the Eisenhower course. The golf shop moved into its new home on the first floor of the Pacific Palms, and upgrades were also made to the fitness center, cart staging area and the lower level entrance. Men’s and women’s locker rooms have been modernized and the women’s will tie into the new Spa at Pacific Palms. “Most modern courses don’t have the history we have here, and we’re going to incorporate that into our work out here,” Youpa says. “In the end, we expect to have the finest public facility in California. We want people to be happy and I am confident they will be extremely impressed.” The Zaharias (Babe) Course: Vice President and Treasurer Flights “The ‘Ike’ is the macho course,” said Youpa, “so we've remade the ‘Babe’ into a more resort-friendly course. The ‘Babe’ still has plenty of teeth, especially from the back tees, but Casey did a great job in making it more user-friendly for the average golfer.” The goal, said Youpa (who has headed up the courses for 16 years), wasn't a complete redo of the course. For one thing, the footprint had to remain in place (“The land is what it is,” he said). More importantly, the “Babe” was, and is, a highly regarded layout. “You don't mess with a masterpiece," says Youpa. “Our goal was to make it just a little bit better.” The alterations are most visible in the artfully sculptured bunkers full of what Youpa called “capes and bays.” Although the lips and their thick grass will still test players, the faces have been lowered, especially in the fairway bunkers. Moreover, many of those fairway bunkers have been moved out to create larger landing areas. With a few other subtle changes, golfers can now see the challenges on nearly all holes. “To the average golfers,” said Youpa, “the course looks more wide open than before.” Part of that feel is because many of the hillsides—once filled with trees and thick vegetation that seemed to eat golf balls—have been trimmed back. “That has been good for the grass because more sunlight is now getting in. Moreover, golfers don't feel nearly as claustrophobic as they did before while negotiating the ‘jungle.’” And how did all of this get accomplished? The answer, Youpa said, is surprising: goats. “We brought in a herd of 300 goats and a goatherd and turned them loose,” says Youpa. “You can't believe how much and what goats will eat!” Other changes: rebuilt greens and fairways, making them more consistent; fairway bunkers now provide targets but the average golfer probably won't reach most of them; and all of the bunkers (greenside and fairway) have been filled with an appealing mixture of 50 percent Augusta White sand and 50 percent Desert Tan Angular Cut. Information |
The Eisenhower (Ike) Course at Industry Hills, built ontop of a 600-acre landfill, finished a large renovation in late 2006, and since, its new polished look has only added to the quality experience the club already provides. Following the Pacific Palms Conference Resort remodel, construction moved down to the 26-year-old William F. Bell-designed Eisenhower and Zaharias courses (see below for more on the Babe). The remodel, completed by Casey O’Callaghan, is the first the courses have received. In total, $50 million was spent on the renovation project.
A year after the Eisenhower course underwent a complete refurbishment, O'Callaghan remade the Zaharias (or “The Babe,” as it’s often called) into a even more visually attractive layout, a perfect complement to the more formidable “Ike.”