Latest news with #NationalCourse
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Open appeal: Reynolds Lake Oconee adds some spice with Tom Fazio's new Richland course
AI-assisted summary Reynolds Lake Oconee opens its seventh golf course, Richland, designed by Tom Fazio. The course features nine new holes with rolling terrain and long views across multiple holes. Fazio aimed to create a challenging course with a unique character, featuring dramatic elevation changes and strategic bunkering. Variety is said to be the spice of life. The same can be said of golf courses, and the members of Reynolds Lake Oconee have a new flavor on their already vast menu of golf options at the waterfront resort and residential property. Famed course designer Tom Fazio has taken the basic ingredients that make Reynolds Lake Oconee such a treat, added a few surprises and developed a completely fresh dish in introducing Richland, the new 18-hole private course that features nine new holes to complement an already existing nine. The new layout stretches to 7,090 yards with a par of 72. 'My goal is always to create distinctive, one-of-a-kind golf courses,' Fazio said on Richland's opening day. 'There's a lot of terrain variation – lots of ups and downs, ins and outs, twists and turns – which is great for golf. That's what makes this such a fine natural setting. . . . Members will enjoy this golf course because it has character and will never play the same. This new course will provide a challenge and have endless possibilities for a fun and captivating golf experience.' Fazio and his team started with the existing Bluff nine of Reynolds' 27-hole National Course and added the new nine, splitting the Bluff into Nos. 1-5 and 15-18 of the new Richland layout. The new holes are Nos. 6-14, playing across what is now rolling open land southeast of what was the Bluff nine. And these new holes are unlike anything else at the expansive resort community, which now features seven 18-hole courses. Most of the prior six courses – Great Waters, The Preserve, The National, The Oconee, The Landing and Creek Club – play through tree-lined corridors or along the lake's shoreline, typically offering only limited or no views of neighboring holes. By contrast, the new nine at Richland offers long views over multiple holes as they rise and fall across hilly terrain. Instead of tall pines separating holes, at Richland there are hearty grasses and exposed hillocks. Also different: There are no homes within the confines of the new nine at Richland. You have to cross a residential street while climbing uphill to the newest nine holes, but from that point on, the only interruption is a unique food truck serving as a halfway house. Not that the project began on open land. Veteran Fazio design associate Bryan Bowers said the site of the new nine holes was heavily wooded when the team began, and those trees hid much of the 75-acre parcel's character. 'We came in and moved a significant amount of earth to shape the golf holes,' Bowers said on opening day. 'When you move the dirt, you have to clear the trees. So the solution was to come back in and plant the native grasses. When we got out there and were looking at the holes, the conclusion we came back with was that this is really neat, it's open, it's unlike anything at Reynolds. Vistas of holes, different perspectives, seeing golf holes from different vantage points – we thought that was really attractive.' Fazio said it's all part of delivering three key ingredients that he always reaches for: drama, quality and variety. The rolling meadow-like environment his team created certainly stands out. By removing most of the trees, players can see the terrain and the holes they are about to play – only No. 9 at the far edge of the parcel, a 451-yard par 4, plays its entire length through its own corridor of pines. The rest of the new nine feature fewer and thinner stands of trees in play, opening sight lines and building a satisfying level of anticipation as players move across the landscape. 'At Richland, we love the idea that we're going to have this new nine holes that we will blend with an existing nine that has a lot of single golf holes (in corridors), and we will blend them together to create this open space,' he said. But while the newly introduced landscape is easy on the eyes, the holes sitting upon it are far from pushovers. Fazio said the most difficult holes of the combined 18 fall in the middle, with No. 10 – the fifth hole of the newly constructed nine – possibly being the most difficult. After loading up on snacks at the food truck, players face an uphill, 436-yard par 4 that plays about 40 yards longer. The plateaued, multi-section green is guarded by just one bunker on the front right, but the putting surface features a false front and roll-offs to the sides. An aggressive approach that flies too deep can bounce over and onto a hill, leaving a delicate downhill pitch. Make par here and you will have proved yourself deserving of those snacks. 'The strength of this golf course . . . is in the middle,' Fazio said. 'Those are the hard golf holes. That adds to the level of uniqueness as well as individual character.' The greens show many features often found on Fazio courses, severe in spots and more accepting toward their centers. Fazio said these newest nine greens feature less slope than many greens he has built over the years, a result of improved agronomics that allow for greater green speeds. If the contours were too great, putting and short-game shots would be too difficult. 'In the old days, pitch and slope were part of the design process to make the game challenging,' Fazio said. 'But now, you have to be very careful that the pitch and slope isn't too severe.' Fazio and his team also renovated the existing Bluff nine, which he designed and opened in 1997. Those nine holes saw a full bunker renovation with several new traps added, and capillary bunker liners were added throughout the full 18 to improve drainage and conditioning. Several of the greens on the Bluff nine also were reshaped or moved, areas of fescue grass were added in spots and several low-mow chipping areas were introduced. 'It's part of human nature to believe you can always do something better,' Fazio said of the renovation to his own work on the Bluff and the introduction of the new nine holes. Members were lined up on that October opening day, eager to hear Fazio describe their new playground. The Richland course, positioned within the 500-acre Richland Pointe community, will be the second private course at Reynolds Lake Oconee, joining the Jim Engh-designed Creek Club as such. That leaves five public-access courses open to guests of the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee or the resort's luxurious condominiums and cottages. Great Waters, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 2 public-access course in Georgia and is tied for No. 72 on the list of top resort courses in the United States. The Oconee, The Preserve and the now-18-hole The National also rank among the top 15 public-access courses in the state and appear on multiple other Golfweek's Best rankings. The options are dizzying with so many solid golf holes at one resort and real estate community. 'Richland adds a seventh distinct playing experience for Reynolds Lake Oconee members, highlighting the talents of Tom Fazio's design and the topography of the site,' said John Gunderson, president of Reynolds developer Daniel Communities and the managing partner for Reynolds Lake Oconee. 'It's tough to imagine a finer collection of golf courses in any community in the country.'
Fox Sports
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Christopher Bell makes late charge in thrilling finish at Circuit of the Americas
Christopher Bell passed Kyle Busch with five laps to go, then held off Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win NASCAR's first road course race of the season at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday. Bell raced to his second consecutive victory after an overtime win in Atlanta a week ago. "I'll give Christopher credit where credit's due," Busch told the FOX Sports broadcast following the race. "He ran me really hard, and I was a complete butthead. He did a great job of working me over and doing it the right way, being able to get by." Once Bell cleared Busch, the Oklahoma driver had to make a desperate bid to keep his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in front of hard-charging Byron in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and 2023 race winner Tyler Reddick of 23X1 Racing's Toyota. Bell is a multiple race winner for the fourth consecutive season. Busch, who led 43 of 95 laps in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, faded to fifth as his winless streak stretched to 60 races dating to 2023. "These road courses races are just so much fun," Bell said. "(Busch) was doing such a good job running his race He bobbled and allowed me to get out front. When he did, I just said don't beat yourself." Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott, started third and quickly dropped to the back when he spun by Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain in the first turn, but fought his way back through the field to fourth. Cup Series debutante Connor Zilisch had a wild day in his debut. The 18-year-old started 14th, quickly dropped back with contact in the first lap, but fought back to the top 15 by the start of the third stage. But that's when his day ended. Zilisch couldn't avoid a spin by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez and smashed into the wall in lap 50 and his car caught fire. Series future at COTA NASCAR has to decide if it will return to Austin in 2026. The track has proven popular over the years with drivers, and has hosted F1 since 2012 and MotoGP since 2013. Speedway Motorsports rents the facility for race week, and track President Bobby Epstein has said he'd like to continue the partnership. "We'll take a look at ticket renewals, feedback from the fans who attended the race and the overall results before we talk with NASCAR about next year's schedule," said Mike Burch, chief operating officer for Speedway Motorsports. "One of the biggest factors will be how the drivers compete on the new National Course, a move we made to put more action and laps in front of the fans." Up next The Cup Series returns to ovals next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Los Angeles Times
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Christopher Bell wins at Circuit of the Americas for second straight victory
AUSTIN, Texas — Christopher Bell passed Kyle Busch with five laps to go, then held off Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win NASCAR's first road course race of the season at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday. Bell raced to his second consecutive victory after an overtime win in Atlanta a week ago. Once Bell cleared Busch, the Oklahoma drover had to make a desperate bid to keep his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in front of hard-charging Byron in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and 2023 race winner Tyler Reddick of 23X1 Racing's Toyota. Bell is a multiple race winner for the fourth consecutive season. Busch, who led 43 of 95 laps in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, faded to fifth as his winless streak stretched to 60 races dating to 2023. 'These road courses races are just so much fun,' Bell said. '(Busch) was doing such a good job running his race He bobbled and allowed me to get out front. When he did, I just said don't beat yourself.' Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott, started third and quickly dropped to the back when he spun by Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain in the first turn, but fought his way back through the field to fourth. Cup Series debutante Connor Zilisch had a wild day in his debut. The 18-year-old started 14th, quickly dropped back with contact in the first lap, but fought back to the top 15 by the start of the third stage. But that's when his day ended. Zilisch couldn't avoid a spin by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez and smashed into the wall in lap 50 and his car caught fire. NASCAR has to decide if it will return to Austin in 2026. The track has proven popular over the years with drivers, and has hosted F1 since 2012 and MotoGP since 2013. Speedway Motorsports rents the facility for race week, and track President Bobby Epstein has said he'd like to continue the partnership. 'We'll take a look at ticket renewals, feedback from the fans who attended the race and the overall results before we talk with NASCAR about next year's schedule,' said Mike Burch, chief operating officer for Speedway Motorsports. 'One of the biggest factors will be how the drivers compete on the new National Course, a move we made to put more action and laps in front of the fans.' Up next: The Cup Series returns to ovals next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Roads, New Challenges: NASCAR battles on COTA National Course for the first time
NASCAR is making its way to Texas and will have a different challenge a Circuit of the Americas this season. The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR COTA race weekend will feature the National Course, instead of the Grand Prix Circuit, which Formula 1 races on for the United States Grand Prix in October. It's a new challenge, but the best stock car drivers in the world will be ready for it. Here's what to know about the different layout for the NASCAR COTA race. Shop COTA NASCAR tickets The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 2 at COTA in Austin, Texas. The race is set for 68 laps and cover 231.88 miles at the 17-turn multielevational racetrack. The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be broadcast on FOX with Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick in the broadcast booth. NASCAR will be running the National Course at Circuit of the Americas. The track is 2.3 miles and has 17 turns. The biggest change is losing turns 7-11 and over a mile on the backstretch from the COTA Grand Prix Circuit. Turn 7 is a long right-hand turn with contrasting left and right-hand corners for turns 8 and 9, ending with a straightaway and a left-hand dogleg for turn 10. At the end of the straightaway, turn 11, a sharp, left-hand hairpin, leads into a long backstretch. Now, the NASCAR drivers will face two corners with a sharp left-hand turn coming off turn 6 and another slow left-hander leading to the end of the long backstretch. From there, the drivers will have to navigate the technical portion of the circuit with nine more corners before the end of the lap. 'The move to the National Course will make a great race experience even better for our fans with more laps and more action,' Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said. 'Fans will have more laps to cheer for their favorite driver from the best seats, and the action will come faster with lap times reduced by roughly a minute. The National Course and its new pavement will provide the drivers, teams and crew chiefs with a fresh look and a new challenge after running the Full Course the last four years at COTA.' Drivers have a whole different challenge to contend with, learning the new layout of the National Course but also running on a full repave the track underwent after last season's NASCAR race weekend. Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain, who won the 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, had the opportunity to run the existing National Course on iRacing, the internet-based racing simulator, and shared his thoughts on what he saw during simulation. 'It's going to be like basically going to a new track, a new town, new area,' said Chastain, who drives the No. 1 Chevrolet. 'It flows together nice, and (Turn) 12 (of the Full Course) will really change since we don't have that long backstretch. Once I get to (Turn) 13, though, it's all going to be the same. I'll get my normal speed I was at last year. Gosh, this place is awesome.' Shop COTA NASCAR tickets Follow sports writer Austin Chastain on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ or reach him via email at achastain@ We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR COTA race using National Course for first time
