Ambiente - New layout reshapes Camelback GC
Below are excerpts from an article that originally appeared in AZ Golf Insider.
The new Ambiente course at Camelback Golf Club has blossomed into a layout this Couple of Travelers love to play. It is a big step up from the former Indian Bend Course at Camelback, which was built on a flood plain that couldn’t drain the rain. That problem led to other problems, such as being expensive to maintain and having limited play.
Enter eco-friendly expert Jason Straka of Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design who created a beautiful new version that is all about the environment, or when translated into Spanish is called “Ambiente.” Contoured elevations, grandiose bunkering and natural desert vegetation now offer challenges for both him and her.
From the very first tee, he knew the best weapon selection would be essential. The green is barely visible but a large fairway bunker looms on the elbow of this dogleg left while two more bunkers flank the green. Strategic plans are aided by detailed layouts on the cart’s GPS screen. Say this about Ambiente, it demands that you pay close attention to detail(s).
For instance, from the No. 1 fairway her approach dives right into the fluffy new sand as his lands greenside. Calmed by the intoxication of flowers quilting the boundary, she makes a nice recovery to hole high. And the stage is set for bold bunkering and floral fantasy as the main themes of Ambiente.
When Ambiente first opened late last year, the native grass was yet another theme, albeit one that caused a bit of a controversy with a few non-golfing residents whose posh Paradise Valley homes frame the course. As Straka explained, “It was the biggest Bermuda grass park, where (residents) were accustomed to walking their dogs.”
Straka replaced that rather costly green carpet with wild grass, which also caused angst among some golfers. For linksstyle lovers, the tufts of grass evoke wispy memories of St Andrews. For those who don’t like landing in that gnarly stuff in Scotland, why would it be any better in Scottsdale?
In any case, time has matted it down — the grass and the controversy — and a new superintendent has reduced the rough, speeding up pace of play. Like a gangly teen, the course has matured and voices have hushed as they now fix their gaze on the acreage in spring bloom.
Ambiente journeys down the long desert wash for the first 10 holes and retrocedes for the opposite view on the way home. Both the outing and incoming nines are a sight to behold, as the basin has been transformed into a flowerbed awash with brilliant colors. And yet, the variety of holes is never-ending.
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