Pro Golfer Helping Design Tartan
Pines
By Tiffany Nierstheimer
Ledger Staff Writer
With only months left to complete
what they say will be the most ambitious building project in Enterprise
history, the developers of Tartan Pines - a gated golfing community off
College Street in Enterprise - gathered Thursday morning for some expert
input on the building process.
All the vital players necessary to a large
development were on hand; the developers, the architect, the contractor,
the equipment director, and - most importantly - the professional
golfer.
Glen Day, a highly ranked golfer who has been on the
professionally circuit since 1988, stopped in at the project's makeshift
office early Thursday, en route to a quick tour of the roughly outlined
golf course and carefully planned homesites on Tartan Pines' 325 acre
property.
Day recently formed a design team with Tartan Pines'
architect Alan Blalock, and was on his first visit to the course, which
he will help plan.
"He's going to be associated with Alan Blalock,
and do some courses with him," said developed Ben Henderson.
"Golfers are used to getting involved in golf courses at some point
in their career."
According to Henderson and business partner Billy
Cotter, professional golfers provide a useful source of advice and
direction when creating a golf course.
And, with plans underway for an 18-hole lighted
course with a stone clubhouse, bridges, lakes, and scenic landscaping,
the developers want all the expert advice they can get.
Day has played on many golf courses during his 11
year career, and recently completed design work on his first course, an
18-hole property called Salem Glen in North Carolina.
It's a popular sideline for professional golfers,
including Trent Jones and Pete Dye. According to Day, however, he
takes a different approach to design work than most.
"There's a lot of guys designing golf
course," he said. "The secret is, you are only as good
as your last design."
Day plans to remain closely involved in the daily
work of building the Tartan Pine Golf Course, and, although he lives in
Little Rock, Ark., he says he will fly in for frequent visits to
Enterprise.
It's not something many pros take the time to do,
with full schedules of golf tournaments, publicity appearances and other
design work.
"All the big guys have so much work going
on," Day said. "Alan and I have talked about that, and
we don't want to do that. Any project we do, we're going to be
there. We don't want anybody else doing it."
Blalock and Day say they want to make sure the course
is accessible - and fun - for every level player.
"You can build a golf course that is a challenge
for a very good golfer, but the average golfer can still come in and
play," Day said. "That the hard part of it, to design
for both."
When he leaves Enterprise, he plans to head right
back to another golf course.
"I'll go home for a little while, and then I'll
go play golf," he said, explaining that the Bob Hope Tournament
will be his first of the year. "I hope I'm going to do good,
but we'll just have to wait and see. I try not to have any
expectations. I find I play better that way."
Developers plan to finish the Tartan Pines course
this fall, and homesites should be available several months before that.
