Three decades ago, golf fans would enjoy a pre-Masters televised treat when The Tradition at Desert Mountain was beamed into their living rooms. A major championship on the Senior Tour, the tournament invariably delivered compelling competition, with Jack Nicklaus dueling with Lee Trevino, or Gary Player or Raymond Floyd. Yet, it was the venue itself, the Cochise course at Desert Mountain that proved equally captivating. Eye candy included pristine green fairways ribboning through a tawny-hued desert that was sprinkled with stately saguaro cacti, giant boulders and mountain backdrops. Opened in 1988 as a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, the layout sported elevated greens, vast transitional bunkers, vintage ‘80s mounds and innovations such as a double island green that housed the putting surfaces for the par-3 seventh and par-5 15th holes, the split-fairway fifth, with landing areas divided by a sprawling bunker and the spectacular 13th, a drop shot par 3 that featured two separate greens. It was bold and beautiful desert target golf.
Thirty-five years later, when the course infrastructure needed updating, the membership green-lit the below-ground fixes and the modernized maintenance practices. As for major design changes? No, thank you. They wanted Cochise restored to its late 80s glory. Chad Goetz, of Nicklaus Design complied. No hole corridors, strategies or major design elements were altered. Goetz, with assistance from Desert Mountain superintendent Todd Bohn and director of golf John Lyberger, tread very lightly on the hallowed turf. A modern irrigation system and Tahoma 31 fairways grass restored the firmness, roll and color to the fairways. Access points to tee boxes and greens were enhanced to allow for the additional play, and more walkers, that the course sees in 2024. By rebuilding and re-turfing every green to the original specs, long-lost contours reappeared, notably at the par-3 second hole.
“When we dug down to the original core, we saw this beautiful bowl in there,” said Bohn. “We put it right back.”
With vegetation trimmed back, sightlines from tee boxes and into greens now resembled their 1988 versions. Approaches, collection and chipping areas also assumed the form they had in Cochise’s early years. Many clubs from the go-go 80s have elected to modify their courses to reflect whatever is trending currently. At Desert Mountain’s Cochise course, members wanted back the modern classic Jack Nicklaus had crafted in the final year of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. With Chad Goetz drawing on Nicklaus’ original plans, mission accomplished.
Learn more: https://www.si.com/golf/2024-golf-course-awards-best-renovations-restorations-new-courses
