Von Hagge sheds light on Torreon Golf and Country Club

SHOW LOW, Ariz. - It is by careful design that the natural sunlight is especially vibrant at Torreon Golf and Country Club, Desert Troon Properties' 1,387-- acre master planned community here. Architect Robert von Hagge has allowed his artistic sensibilities to dictate his vision of the three closely connected nine-- hole courses.

Stretching through natural canyons and pine forests, Torreon is von Hagge s first full-fledged design in the Southwest. In collaboration with his design partners, Mike Smelek and Rick Baril, their layout plays as a "natural light palette" where the strategic options are further enhanced by sheer visual impact.

On hand this summer for the opening of the third nine, von Hagge explained his design philosophies that seem to go hand-in-hand with his life as an artist and his penchant for show business.

Golf Course News: How did you come to visualize golf courses such as Torreon as fine art?

Von Hagge: As a young man, I intended to pursue a career in art. However, my father was a golf course architect, and the scope of his projects intrigued me to the point I had no choice but to follow in his footsteps. But I feel fortunate to be able to pursue my career from both the technical and the artistic sides of the equation. That's just who I am.

Thanks to modern real estate develop ment, the quantum leap in the golf industry has been to make golf courses more visually inviting. We not only are allowed to do more aesthetically, we're practically mandated to create works of beauty.

GCN: What is the basis of your unique visual presentations?

Von Hagge: It begins with the predictable path of natural sunlight throughout the day. As sunlight passes over the golf course, the shadows shift every moment to create subtle new views from dawn to dusk. Our feeling is the visual presentation must constantly change hole by hole, shot by shot, through the daylight hours.

GCN: How does your philosophy play at Torreon?

Von Hagge: Agreat looking golf course must provide an evolving kaleidoscope of hues of light, shadow, and texture. At Torreon, those elements were already in place, created by the forests, glades, and canyons. We didn't have to work nearly as hard to create an interesting play of light against the terrain.

GCN: Do you always shape the golf course in accordance with the natural play of light?

Von Hagge: Yes. I use the permanent and dependable path of light to illuminate and cast shadows over 11 basic combinations of vertical land shapes, such as fairway mounding and swales, undulating green complexes, and sharply-defined tee areas. We rely heavily on this philosophy at sites that demand more visual interest. At Torreon, we put more motion along the fairways only to accent what occurs naturally in this beautiful area of Arizona.

A great golfing experience also is great theatre. In a foursome of golf, one player is usually executing his shot while the other three people are experiencing the theatre: This means that four people spend the majority of the time on the course immersed in a 360-degree visual experience, either consciously or subconsciously for four to five hours.

Considering what and where each player is viewing during a shot gives us more opportunity to enhance their view-- even if they're looking back to the tee box.

Copyright United Publications, Inc. Feb 2002
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