Orinda Country Club

"When I first saw Orinda, I was really taken with the unique qualities and quirkiness of the site. The terrain is quite hilly in parts”, said Eckenrode. “The routing is masterful, utilizing the slopes, hills, valleys and creeks in varied ways. Watson used the hills as turtlebacks, banking slopes, reversing slopes and with a good mix of uphill and downhill play. The aesthetic and golf is ever changing with great variety”.

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“Todd was the key ingredient to help us align our needs and wants on this major project, all with a clear vision and a defined scope of work, budget and plan,” said Orinda Country Club President Joe Fabian. “His research and keen eye helped define the possibilities we had in recapturing our 1924 vintage design, and frankly, the education we needed to go to the next step. Origin’s Master Plan provided us with the road map we needed.”

ORINDA COUNTRY CLUB

Course History

The Orinda Country Club is a golf course rich in history. Originally designed in 1924 by William Watson, a Scot who naturalized to the U.S. in 1898, and became quite prolific in golf course design. Some of his most notable courses included The Olympic Club's Lake and Ocean courses, The Minikahda Club and Belvedere Golf Club, in addition to too many fine California courses to list.

Our goal in this exciting project was to make all of the holes as good as they could possibly be, which is of course a subjective endeavor. Sometimes, this involved restoration, other times renovation. Restoration sometimes is simply an “unwinding” of ill effects that have accumulated over the years, such as restoring lost views or a sense of naturalness. Other times, it can be more literal. For holes #8, 11, and 15, with good historic imagery on hand, we were able to recreate the green complexes and bunkers more literally. Of course, a little artistic license was afforded, to make the holes best fit the land, but the results are remarkably close to historic images.

Work Completed

2014 Master Plan Completed
2015 Full Renovation-Restoration completed
- Vast Tree Removals
- Restored all bunkers to more classic style, many to original design
- Renovated all green surrounds, introducing vast short-cut approaches and chipping areas with sand cap and fescue surface that plays firm and fast
- Renovate all tees, adding some distance, simplifying others into larger, fewer surfaces for more options and adding select forward tees
- Complete redesign/rebuild of numerous Greens
- Green restoration/expansion on multiple other holes
- Integration of creek zones into golf play
- Select cart path removal and re-routings to remove from play or visible areas.
- Fescue conversion from turf in many areas to naturalize site and reduce maintenance and water demands.
- New irrigation system
2017-2022 Numerous continued golf course improvement projects throughout, including drainage, cart path, and golf course feature renovations each year. Short Game Area ("The Triangle") improvements approved for 2024

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Awards and Recognition

Best Golf Courses in California – Top 35 – Golf Magazine

"I love Orinda CC! I've said oftentimes, this course has as many excellent, standout and unique holes as any club really. Holes 5, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15 to name a few, what wonderful golf holes!"

Todd Eckenrode

As published in Golf Architecture - A Worldwide Perspective Volume Seven, Compiled and Edited by Paul Daley, Full Swing Golf Publishing

Orinda

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