LINCOLN, Nebraska – Golf course architect Forrest Richardson, in collaboration with developer and construction company Landscapes Unlimited, are in pre-construction for a golf course and entertainment complex – tentatively named 50 Oaks – in Placerville, Calif, 30 minutes east of Sacramento.
Richardson is designing the 12-hole, all-par three golf course, plus two putting holes across 42 acres of trust land south of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians’ Red Hawk Resort + Casino, serving the tribal community, residents of El Dorado County and travelers along Highway 50 between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento.
Landscapes Unlimited’s Project Development Group is overseeing all aspects of the project’s pre-construction and constriction phases, including site planning, design and engineering, permitting, contractor selection, project administration and budget management.
The adjacent entertainment pavilion with indoor / outdoor recreation activities and food-and-beverage options is directed by Swaback Architects + Planners.
In addition to the short course, a driving range with launch monitors and golf gaming technology, as well as a miniature golf course and events venue, add to the entertainment complex’s appeal.
The project will adhere to best environmental practices, including water-saving technology and sustainable approaches to building and operations.
Accordingly, assuming adoption of the name, the 50 Oaks nomenclature honors the preservation of natural oak hillsides and meadowland, continuing Richardson’s commitment to eco-friendly golf for such clients as Disney, Hilton Hotels, The Presidio and California State Parks.
The community’s traditions will be embraced and showcased in the complex’s architecture, landscape design and golf detail. Landscapes Unlimited has managed more than 30 golf projects for Native American tribes, including award-winning Turning Stone Resort (Verona, N.Y.), We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Fort McDowell, Ariz.) and Firekeeper Golf Club (Mayetta, Kan.).
“Golf represents one of the world’s most social recreational activities,” said Dustin Murphy, Director of Governmental Affairs for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. “Adding other family-friendly activities make this complex a complete gathering place where memories of a lifetime are created.”
“We’re no longer designing only for the game we grew up playing, but for a whole new generation of golfers, many simply wanting to have fun versus keeping score,” said Richardson. “The game’s playing board is changing; today it’s often smaller, technologically connected more interactive than any of us previously envisioned.”
“The complex will be cool and special upon completion,” said Jack Morgan, Senior Vice President of Landscapes Unlimited. “No matter people’s interest levels in the game, there will be something for everyone, outdoors and indoors, to enjoy time with family, friends, business associates and as a solo player.”