My name is Andy Staples, and I am the golf architect in charge of leading San Vicente Golf Resort through the greens and bunker renovation project. My company, Staples Golf Design, is a golf course design firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that specializes in historic golf course renovations that are built sustainably, are environmentally conscious, and which crucially emphasize cost responsibility.

My approach to the golf course renovation process relies on instilling a sense of place, and creating a unique, interesting and fun golf experience. It also relies on personal involvement and many days spent on site. It’s my honor to spend the time necessary to get to know your community and gain a further understanding of your golf course. My #1 job is to represent you to the best of my ability. I want to make clear that the purpose of our plan is not to make change for the sake of change, but rather to provide a framework and roadmap for how these improvements will set your community up for future success.

Your golf course features have evolved over the years, and the effects of daily play, annual maintenance and weather have had negative long-term effects on their ability to perform as they once did. A typical life cycle for greens is roughly 25 years. Bunkers should last a minimum of 7 years, and upwards of 15 years. Tees can last anywhere from 15 to 25 years. Industry experts agree that investments should be made to keep pace with today’s golf market in order to stay competitive. Less maintenance, better daily conditions and higher customer satisfaction will be achieved with this long overdue project.

Your course sits on incredible property. My vision for this project takes your course to another level in terms of design, strategy and playability. The current routing is sound, and the
overall layout will continue to focus on the “average” player. The design will utilize a theme of an “inland links” that focuses on the ground game, creative approaches and short grass areas.

The greens will have creative slopes and contours that will provide plenty of pin locations and will allow each green to have a range of difficulty in set up. The bunker style will be
inspired by features found on the game’s greatest courses across the country, and will utilize a grass face, with an irregular edge. They will be easily accessible from a playability
standpoint, as well as by a mechanical bunker rake. The new greens and bunkers will capitalize on the latest technology in turfgrass, drainage and construction practices. We’ve also investigated all teeing grounds and are looking for opportunities to increase “equity” for all levels of players.

I’m excited for the potential of this project. Once completed, San Vicente will not only continue to be mentioned as one of the top courses in the area, but will also be raised to new levels, attracting new players from all over the mid-San Diego market and other regions.

Over the coming weeks, additional communication will be provided to you, to give further background into the development of our plan, which we will continue to discuss in detail. We also look forward to hearing from you, as there will be update meetings to enable our collective vision to be realized. It’s been my personal experience that without your continued feedback, this plan will not be a success. I would like to thank you in advance for your support and your enthusiasm, and of course, most importantly, your input!