Treat awaits pros as Palmer's unique vision takes shape at K-Club

THE PRIDE and sense of expectation in the two men was palpable as they cast their gaze over terrain that up to a couple of years ago was dull pasture land but is now rapidly developing into one of Ireland's great golf courses.

It may not open until the end of next year but the new Arnold Palmer-designed course at the K-Club is progressing so nicely, it has already been pencilled in as the venue for the 2004 Smurfit European Open. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that it will also house the Ryder Cup two years later.

The golf course is costing in the region of 10m the three storey clubhouse on which work will commence early next year will be considerably more expensive. And when everything is completed, the K-Club will be one of the world's foremost golfing resorts.

When Palmer's team first arrived on the site of what is to be known as the South course, they weren't exactly excited by the vista that awaited them. There was plenty of acreage, 220 in all but otherwise it was a series of seemingly flat, useless farmland. However, the designers had a number of factors on their side, not least the full backing of the Smurfit machine. The K-Club boasts four wells of its own and the River Liffey runs through the property, separating the two golf courses.

So where there was once no visible water, there are now 17 acres of lakes, ponds and brooks that will feature at no fewer than 14 holes. The area has also proved attractive to wildlife and already a family of ducks have made their home here. Furthermore, the lakes will be stocked with trout lending further ambience to the course.

One of the biggest lakes comes into play at the closing three holes comprised of a par four, par three and par five. They are all beauties in the making with the 16th fraught with danger. You have water for company all the way down the left, but you must keep as close to it as possible to maximise your prospects of carrying more of the lake fronting the green with your approach.

The 17th is a cracking one-shotter with a steeply undulating putting surface and then comes the climax, the long 18th where only the biggest hitters will be thinking in terms of getting home in two. It's an island green, something on the lines of the infamous 17th at Sawgrass, and only the most precise shot will set up the opportunity for birdie. It measures 595 yards from the back tee although the prevailing wind is favourable.

Is this too severe for the ordinary golfer? Possibly, although as director of golf Paul Crowe and recently-appointed professional John McHenry point out, judicious use of the many tee boxes will make this and other seemingly difficult propositions not quite so fearsome.

The greens were built and seeded before any other work and this policy has worked so well that they are now in mint condition.

They are also very big, allowing for an unusually large number of pin positions. It is hardly surprising, given all the problems that beset the old course in its early years, lessons were learned about how best to drain an Irish golf course. Drains were laid every ten metres with sand slits every metre-and-a-half and in spite of all the recent bad weather, the terrain is as dry as could reasonably be expected.

Crowe and McHenry constantly refer to its "uniqueness", pointing out that not a single tree will be planted nor are there any existing ones that should affect the golfer.

Crowe reveals the brief to Palmer's chief designer, Harrison Minchew, was to create something very different and to ensure it was playable and easily maintainable. Whereas every fairway on the current K-Club (now to be known as the North course) is tree-lined, the South will rely on the wind, astute bunkering, the many water hazards and sloping greens for its defences.

"Palmer reckons this is the better course", admits Crowe. "We are contracted to the old course for the Ryder Cup and it could only change with the approval of Ryder Cup Ltd. But there is every chance of it happening."

McHenry isn't so sure. "I think it will have to stand on its own two feet first of all," he said. "Nobody is arguing about the pedigree of the golf course but it should also stand up to the scrutiny of time. The two courses are completely different and don't bear comparison. There's a great element of risk reward and that's why I think the players will like it and why it will be very exciting for spectators.

"It's been designed with tournaments in mind, it's stadium-built. Another thing is you wouldn't need too many grandstands because these mounds offer such great viewing," Crowe said.