I have spent the last 25+ years focused on building my business and reputation as a world-class golf course photographer. As a former PGA Golf Professional, I bring a unique perspective to every shoot and am always looking to capture the nuance of a course, whether it be with stills or video, from the ground, a drone, a helicopter or a lift. Some of my recent shoots include extensive work at Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, Pebble Beach, Twin Dolphin in Mexico, Hogs Head in Ireland, the Alotian Club in Arkansas, and Bel-Air Country Club in California.
One of the highlights was two trips to Sand Valley and a chance meeting with David McLay Kidd as well as the opportunity to tour with Michael and Chris Keiser the land upon which the new course at Sand Valley designed by Tom Doak will be built.
On my first visit to Sand Valley in 2017, only 9 holes of Mammoth Dunes were open for preview play. It just so happened that David McLay Kidd, the course architect, was on the property and so I had a chance to meet him for the first time. He offered to take me on a tour, which I quickly agreed to. Some holes were finished, some just being grassed and others still being shaped. He showed me each hole and what went into creating it and what he had in mind when it came to golfers playing it.
Getting David’s perspective gave me a deeper appreciation for golf course architecture and how the character of a course is established. David’s enthusiasm was infectious. In 2018 I returned to shoot the newly completed Mammoth Dunes, voted best new course of 2018 by Golf Magazine.
Using the knowledge David shared with me to capture his vision through my lens. This article is a selection of some of my favorite photographs from those two trips as well as images of the Coore & Crenshaw designed Sand Valley and the Par 3 Sand Box course, Golf Magazine’s ‘Best New Short Course of 2018’.
It had been an overcast and rainy day at Mammoth Dunes and I did not hold out much hope for capturing any photography this particular day. However, late in the afternoon, I noticed a small break in the clouds on the horizon so I decided to pack up my gear and take the lengthy drive, in the rain out to the 10th hole. I waited for a while amidst the raindrops, but it turned out my drive was not in vain, as the sun came out for a few moments allowing me to capture this photo as well as a few others posted here, although, I did have to wait out a few additional downpours.
With a Tom Doak course on the horizon, Sand Valley is quickly becoming one of the premier golf destinations in the world.
Evan
Feature Photo (top of the page) – The 17th Hole “Punchbowl” at Sand Valley with the Coore & Crenshaw cabin in the upper right-hand corner. | Photo: Evan Schiller Photography
