Perfection is par for the course.

Tour the course hole by hole!

In April of 2007, Jeffrey D. Blume, Limited was commissioned to re-design the golf course at La Torretta Del Lago.  The course had fallen into a state of disrepair/abandonment, and needed a complete renovation so that it could fill its role as a primary amenity for the project and the finest resort golf course in the Houston marketplace.  The challenge in the redesign was to accomplish the improvements while working within the constraints of the surrounding residential development and resort facilities.  Some alterations were made in the course configuration relative to par to improve playability.  Specifically this related to reversing the front and back nine holes to their original rotation, changing the fourth and thirteenth holes from weak par fives to strong par 4s, and changing the ninth hole from a brutal par 4 into an enjoyable, risk/reward par 5.  Even though this resulted in reducing the par from 72 to 71, the overall length of the course was increased by approximately 150 yards by relocating back tees and repositioning greens where possible.

The course redesign encompassed improving the visual presentation of each golf hole, as well as updating the playability and maintainability of the course to bring it up to modern standards.  Due to the resort nature of the golf course, creating visually memorable golf holes takes on an amplified importance.  Memorability is the key to any great resort golf course, when it is combined with sound playability.  At La Torretta Del Lago, this task of creating memorable golf is accomplished by a design that manipulates all of the critical golf course elements (greens, tees, bunkers, lakes, mounds, hollows, vegetation and light) to create 18 unique holes that meld into one harmonious collage.  The placement of hazards on each golf hole is intended to maximize the visual impact, while describing to the golfer the optimum way to play the hole.  Further, the hazards are placed in such a fashion so as to challenge the more accomplished player, while remaining out of reach for the higher handicap golfer.  Around the putting surfaces where hazards are in play for everyone, a “bail out” area is always available for those not up to challenging the course set up.  The putting surfaces are large targets that are subtly contoured to provide challenge to the accomplished player without undo penalty to players of lesser ability.

JEFFREY BLUME | COURSE ARCHITECT

As the Managing General Partner and Senior Architect for Jeffrey D. Blume Limited, Jeffrey draws from years of experience in landscape architecture to create courses that are nothing short of spectacular.

His career includes work with Robert von Hagge, GolfScapes Inc. and Von Hagge Design Associates. Some of his most notable projects during this time include Playacar Club de Golf in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, Bay Colony and Pelican Marsh Golf Clubs in Naples, Florida and Malibu International Golf Club in Kobe, Japan.

In August of 1997, Jeffrey formed his own design firm where he has been responsible for the design of La Paloma Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, The Farm Golf Club in Lafayette, Louisiana, Elkins Lake (Ravines Course) in Huntsville, Texas, Grand Lake Estates in Montgomery, Texas, and Grand Pines Golf Club in Montgomery, Texas.