On March 29, the North Course at Alameda’s Corica Park officially opened to a loyal community awaiting a newly completed track to call home. It’s a property that has served generations of players in the Bay Area, as the game has been played there for almost a century.
Robert Trent Jones II and his team, responsible for building over 400 courses in 50 different countries including The Links at Spanish Bay, U.S. Open venue Chambers Bay and the NCGA’s own Poppy Hills, consistently applies strategy in the routing that requires thoughtful decisions on the approaches and the tightly mown green surrounds.
“What we did at Corica was to add the element of thinking. Thinking is strategic golf,” Jones explains. The new 15th is a great example, a short par-4 less than 300 yards that boasts a version of the Principal's Nose bunker at No. 16 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, which is necessary to carry if wanting to reach a receptive, punchbowl green.
Mike Gorman, lead architect for Robert Trent Jones II, said, “We took a lot of inspiration from Scotland, utilizing the fairway as a form of hazard. The beauty about Scottish golf is that it's played on the ground.”
What does it mean for the fairway to be used as a form of hazard? It’s not as backwards as it sounds. Hollows and contours are a double-edged sword, either aiding and funneling the ball closer to pins or expelling towards blind shots and more difficult angles. The Scots know this better than anyone: the ball should bounce and roll, and the firmness of the turf should encourage that style of play. Both of these elements are presented on the North Course. It promotes accessibility for all players, not just those able to play the ball high and far.
The North Course is also a testament to Corica’s commitment to conservation. Using drought tolerant, Santa Ana Bermuda Hybrid turf for water efficiency and consistent, year-round playability, upcycling walnut shells for cart paths, and even repurposing sod from the Oakland Coliseum as the revetts in the bunkers are just a few examples.
Accompanied by Rees Jones’ renovated South Course, it’s the first time in both of their extensive careers that the Jones brothers have adjacent golf courses at one municipal facility, the South Course’s identity being in aerial shot making and the North Course emphasizing the ground.
The North Course has become a wonderful new addition the residents of Alameda and the greater East Bay should take full advantage of.