Cleveland, TX

Nine Grand + Three Grand

Play how you want, when you want.

"Nuzzo and Mahaffey solved this problem by creating an innovative solution that should contribute to the finished golf offering being usable by a much larger proportion of Grand Oaks residents that would be the case with a traditional 18-hole course (and also by green fee visitors – the facility will be public). He routed a full sized nine hole course – Nine Grand – across the main part of the property, but put a nine hole par three loop – Three Grand – and a large putting green – still to be named, but which will have a routed nine hole putting course on it – in the corner segment.

The previously wooded site is basically flat, but careful clearing work has revealed interesting small-scale contours in some areas, while a series of wandering creeks (or bayous as they are called in the area) create extra ground interest, especially on the par three second hole on the main nine. Holes five and six will play around a 45 acre lake currently being excavated to provide fill for the housing development, while the ninth hole is a 610 yard par five featuring a beautiful Principal’s Nose bunker complex in the second landing area."

- Adam Lawrence / Golf Architecture Magazine

Golf Advisor Podcast while on site at Nine Grand:

Nuzzo, Gary Mahaffey, Don Mahaffey, Rob Young, Joe Hancock, Angela Moser, Keith Rhebb. Don put together a great team.
Nine + Three Grand from above. Part of the Grand Oaks Reserve development.
Barkley stands tall next to the 3rd green on Three Grand.
Plan of Three Grand, the par 3 course, + the 9 hole Grand Putter
Aerial view of Three Grand and the Grand Putter
The 7th hole fits naturally to the site and the course.
Three Grand view of all but #2 green. Nine Grand 1 + 9 in the distance.
View of the Grand Putter from above – it is a nine hole putting course!
City of Cleveland development agreement and kick off meeting.
Nine Grand's first hole from above and in plan form. Only one bunker needed.
The first green from above, the second in the distance.
The first green recently planted showing off its contours.
Three Grand's first green looking back.
Three Grand's first hole can be played with a putter.
The Grand Putter at the top is adjacent to the first tee for Three Grand.
Looking towards the future clubhouse behind the Grand Putter.
Three Grand's first hole plays towards the environmental area.
Don Mahaffey sketching in the dirt, while I review the plans.
Nine Grand's second green is very interesting.
The 2nd hole crosses Reese Creek.
The 2nd tees fit along the natural ribbon landform.
Three Grand's second green has a little bank.
View of the 2nd green from the back tee.
The second green ringed with Bermuda sod.
Nine Grand's third hole and the approach shot to the green.
From above the natural ditch significantly impacts the tee shot.
The third tee is to the left, green to the right.
Nine Grand's third green is protects with slopes and trouble.
The view from the third tee.
Ryan Mahaffey, one of the project superintendents.
Three Grand's second and third greens.
Three Grand's third and Barkley the giant pine.
The Grand Putter growing in with Champion Ultradwarf.
Rob Young, both project superintendent and lead the design of the Grand Putter.
The Grand Putter is a routed nine hole putting course.
Some wicked slopes of the Grand Putter.
Drainage added to the Grand Putter.
Finishing the Grand Putter.
All of Three Grand from above.
The fourth hole has more room than it appears from the tee.
Looking back from the fourth green.
Putting to the tricky fourth green, note the nautical flag for nine!
Three Grand's third, fourth and fifth greens.
Gary Mahaffey was a big part of the entire construction team and then grew in the golf courses!
Five, six and seven from above. The lake is 40 acres.
The fifth green rung with sod.
The big bunker to the left of five green under construction.
Don Mahaffey and Rob Young plotting strategy.
Three Grand's fifth green surrounds getting sodded.
Three Grand's fifth green growing in.
Looking back at the fifth green on Three Grand.
The sixth green under construction, some have said it looks a little Road Holeish. It was not intentional for this short par 4.
View of the sixth hole from the left tee.
Construction team planting 419 Bermuda grass sprigs.
Planting sprigs one box at a time.
The 6th green on Three Grand.
The 6th + 7th greens on Three Grand.
Nine Grand's seventh green has a significant elevation change.
Looking back on the seventh green.
The seventh green from above and the sinuous hazard.
Keith Rhebb, Angela Moser + Rob Young!
Three Grand's seventh green has a bit of a turtle head poking out.
Three Grand growing in, seventh green in the foreground.
The swale in front of the seventh green.
A closer look at the turtle head poking out.
An above look at the 8th green on Nine Grand.
Three Grand's eighth hole from the 140 yard tee.
A closer look at the eighth green.
Nine Grand's 610 yard finisher from above.
While the ditch protects the entire left side of the hole, this green side hump protects the right.
The ninth hole fairway slopes a little bit from left to right, play accordingly.
Hard to see the mound protecting the 9th green from the right side, and there is a significant amount of contour across the green.
A more direct view of the ninth hole and its strategy.
Rob teeing off on nine.
Three grand has two bunkers, one of them protects the ninth green.
Lidar mapping of the property was a great asset, courtesy of Aaron.
Coupled with a hand held GPS unit.
The irrigation crew is always working.
The site before we started.
The site hadn't been timbered in a long time.
Nuzzo Design

Nine Grand + Three Grand

Have you ever played golf before?

The overall plan is when someone walks up to the pro shop (or visits the website for the first time) we ask 3 questions:

Have you ever played golf before? We have something for the brand new, intermediate and advanced players - the advanced players will also enjoy the beginner and intermediate options

How long do you want to play? We have 3 options; 30 min, 1 hr or 2 hours or more if you combine options

What would you like to spend? We have 3 price categories or you can play them all for the Grand Slam price.

Which answers the 3 biggest hurdles to playing golf

1. How much it costs 2. How long it takes 3. Difficulty to start

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