The Greens at Park Place - The History

The Greens at Park Place was a truly unique golf facility - a real grass, 18-hole putting course located near the corner of Jamboree and Michelson in the city of Irvine.  The course was loved by many,  including a tight group of co-workers who took ownership and pride in the course.  As the years have gone by,  I have found that The Greens is quickly fading away from the memories of the golfing public.  Whenever it comes up in conversation, I often have to give a lengthy description of what a "putting course" really was and what we did at The Greens.   However, I have also found that those who have experienced The Greens either loved it, miss it, or wonder what happened to it.   I was lucky enough to be a big part of this project and I decided that someone needed to preserve its memory.  After all, who is better qualified to be the historian than a guy who helped run the place for eight of the nine years it was open?

The Concept
A group of avid golfers and entrepreneurs once played in a golf tournament at Angel Park Golf Course in Las Vegas.  Angel Park is home to 36 holes of regular golf, a 12 hole short course, and a real grass putting course.  After the tournament, legend has it that they decided to try the putting course.  They had so much fun playing skins, having a few drinks, and goofing around that they asked the question - why can't we build one of these at home in Orange County? Included in the group were Jack Hopkins and Ron Chamberlain, the two major forces behind the creation of The Greens.  Both were members of Seacliff Country Club in Huntington Beach and brought different things to the table.  Hopkins has an incredible background as an entrepreneur, a CPA, a commercial real estate broker, and he was well known as the founder of the retail giant Pacific Sunwear (PacSun).  Chamberlain brought a deep golf background to the mix along with many connections who would ultimately become investors.  The duo invested heavily in the concept themselves and collected a group of investors to raise the money needed to build the course under the name Putting Courses of America.
 
Most people think of miniature golf as an activity for kids, with

Angel Park Putting Course

windmills, clowns, and an 18th hole that takes your golf ball.  The Greens adopted a philosophy which later became the main slogan for the business - "Golf in Miniature".  The idea was to create a real golf experience and shrink it down to a smaller scale.  Hopkins envisioned The Greens as a way to bring golf to the people - to take a game that was expensive, difficult, and required a lot of time, and make it affordable, easier, and took about an hour to play.  "One Ball, One Club, One Hour" was another marketing slogan and philosophy.  The course would appeal to the masses, as anyone of any age and any skill level could putt a golf ball and enjoy an hour the beautiful greens.  On the other hand, the sense of realism would be attractive to real golfers who were looking for something fun to do with their friends, or who had a golf itch and some spare time.

To ensure the realism that was the key to the concept and to add a sense of credibility,  famous golf course designer Ted Robinson was brought in to do the design.  Robinson had designed putting courses before, most notably at Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert.  He also had designed over 160 regulation golf courses worldwide including local favorites Tustin Ranch and Tijeras Creek.  When the course opened, it was believed to be the first and only "stand alone" putting course business in the world.  Others were part of a larger golf facility, hotel, or resort, but none existed solely as a putting course.

The Design
Robinson's designs were well known for three major design elements that he described as "flexibility, memorability, and natural beauty".   Many of his courses also prominently feature elaborate water hazards and waterfalls.  The finished product at The Greens at Park Place truly showed all of these characteristics.  Three waterfalls added drama to the course and created a relaxing ambience for the adjoining patio area.  Koi and goldfish filled ponds, large rocks, pampas grass, iceplant, and flower beds often also created hazards and strategically came in to play.  Natural landscaping separated many of the holes which created a beautiful setting that made playing feel like a walk in a nice park.

The design itself was a major factor in what made the course entertaining.  Hopkins and Chamberlain insisted that the holes were laid out to play similarly to a regular golf course.  Most holes had some form of dogleg, or required a strategically placed shot from the teeing area.  The second shot would be an approach toward the cup, and a short third or fourth putt was needed to finish the hole.  Several of the holes offered multiple options, where taking a risk through a narrow opening or going for the hole in one shot created a risk/reward opportunity for the player.  Sand bunkers were also in place but designed to be shallow and puttable.

Alcatraz - The Greens Signature Hole

Each hole had a unique name that would usually match the characteristics of the hole.  The signature hole was called Alcatraz, which was inspired by the 17th Hole at the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta.  The green was completely surrounded by water, and a sloping fairway served as a "ramp" to launch the ball over a 12 inch moat and onto the island.  The hole was certainly the most talked about and it was common for people to try it over and over until they finally made it safely on.  Ironically, despite being the most difficult hole, it yielded more holes-in-one than any other.  The entire course came to a par of 56, with three par fours, one par two, and 14 par threes.  Holes were measured in feet instead of yards and ranged from around 55 feet to 130 feet in length.

One of the most thoughtful design elements was the reversibility of the putting course.  Each hole was designed to be played in two different directions, in essence creating two tees and two greens on every hole. Robinson felt that this was an important element to keeping the course in great shape.  On a typical golf course, superintendents move the hole to different locations every day to keep foot traffic from stressing the delicate turfgrass.  Since these greens were so much smaller than a typical course, it was difficult to move the holes far enough each day to prevent high traffic areas from becoming worn.  The layouts were called the Red Course and the Green Course, and every Monday the direction of the holes was reversed.   This allowed the teeing grounds and hole locations to rest for an entire week before being used again.  The added benefit was that regular players were able to get variety, as each setup had very unique and different challenges.

The putting surface itself was one of the finest in Orange County.  The greens were formed with Crenshaw bentgrass, which is known for density and responding well to being mowed.  Bentgrass is widely accepted as the best putting surface in the world for moderate climates, and is used at places like Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Pinehurst.  Most courses on the west coast start out with bentgrass greens but lose them after about ten years due to the encroachment of Poa annua.  Famous courses like Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and Riviera have Poa annua greens, which are not as smooth or as true as pure bent grass surfaces.  The Greens put a lot of time and effort into preventing Poa annua from taking over and the course conditions showed it.  The greens were also constructed to meet USGA research specifications released in 1993.

The course sat on about three acres of land and cost approximately $3 million to build.

The Greens at Park Place - 1998

The Greens from Above - Golf In Miniature

First Impressions
The Greens officially opened in September 1995.   One day I was driving by the site on Michelson and I wondered why there were golf flagsticks spread around the landscape.  I pulled in and took a look and was amazed by what I saw.  I was unsure if the course was open to the public or some kind of recreational spot for the people who worked in the huge Fluor offices that once existed next door.  A few weeks later, my golfing friend Garry and I found a two for one coupon in a local newspaper and we decided to give it a try.  We loved it, and played the course twice that day.  That was my only experience as a customer, as I was living and working in Saugus at the time.  Little did I know that I would move to Huntington Beach in the summer of 1996, and I learned of a job opportunity as the Golf Manager of The Greens.  I interviewed and began working there around October of 1996.

Day-to-Day Operations
The Greens originally ran like a regular golf course.  It was open early in the morning so that people could play before work.  The golf shop took tee times and reservations and ran things like a regular golf course would.  Within the first year, it was determined that there wasn't enough demand to keep these hours, so the business started to open at 9am and close at 9pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends.

In 1996, I worked for a General Manager named Erik Rogers.  He had a strong golf background and I believe he did a lot of great things for the property.  He truly understood the concept and the importance of creating the golf vibe that we were going for.  He was detail oriented, had amazing people skills, and understood the golf business very well.  He simply had a flair for what made a business a desirable place, and I believe that his influence really turned The Greens in the right direction.  Erik left sometime in 1998, and I was asked to take over as GM, and I help the position until we closed the doors in 2004.

The Greens initially expected to survive on regular play, golf shop sales, and some food and beverage sales.  There was a small retail golf shop that carried a wide selection of top of the line putters, popular golf clothing, and logo merchandise.  A membership program for families and individuals that offered discounted rates, a newsletter, and access to the course's handicap and score history system.  Lunch business was very good for several years, as local businessmen would often play in shirt and tie while waiting for their lunch to be made or served on the patio by California Pizza Kitchen.  A wide selection of beer was offered and proved to be popular on weekends and date nights.

However, the biggest revenue producer started to evolve early on.  Corporate events starting becoming very popular and became the major source of income for the business in 1997.  The large outdoor patio was heated, seated 90 guests, had a scenic view, and served as a great venue for a party.  Agreements with Sodexho Catering and California Pizza Kitchen were in place so that groups could order a complete catered meal and entertain their guests all in one place.  Most groups had putting tournaments, which were fully run by a tournament host provided by The Greens. Typical events would start with dinner, followed by a putting lesson for beginners, an introduction to the course, a shotgun start, and a closing awards ceremony with dessert.  Beverages were available for the entire round, and many groups enjoyed this aspect immensely.

The local corporate community was an ideal market for The Greens and the group business.  These companies wanted an upscale place to take their guests or employees that was close to their offices, offered a unique and fun activity, and was cost effective.  The Greens had a great location, and had a lot of benefits that were appealing to large groups.  Instead of playing in a regular golf tournament, a company could have a putting tournament instead, which allowed them to include more people (non-golfers), in less time, and for a fraction of the price.  At its peak, The Greens did an astounding 300 events per year.  Major clients included Bank of America, Pacific Life, Black and Decker, Taco Bell, Comerica, and Allergan.  The largest event held entirely at The Greens was hosted by the Assistance League of Santa Ana, who had four flights of golfers and over 350 people in attendance.

Other events were also held for members such as the yearly Club Championship.  For this tournament, members played both courses in one morning, and the greens were sped up to 11 or 12 on the stimpmeter for an extra challenge.  Gross and net champions were named for bragging rights and their name on the Hopkins Cup, a trophy that was introduced in 2002. Glow Ball and Stogies and Bogeys were also popular regular events.  A regular skins game was held on Wednesday nights for several years, which was frequented by local golf professionals and putting wizards from all walks of life.  In 2001-2002, we had a quarterly contest that gave one person a chance to make an 80 foot putt for $10,000. 

Challenges and Decline
The Greens ownership had a tumultuous relationship with the landlords and operators of the Park Place office and retail development.  Initially, The Greens was an ideal tenant for the land owner.  The city of Irvine asks business parks and shopping centers to maintain a certain amount of greenbelt for aesthetic purposes. Normally, these areas have to be maintained by the land owner and exist as space that cannot be developed for profit.  The Greens was approved as greenbelt space, allowing the land owner to get rent from a space that normally would be unusable, which was a big advantage to having a putting course on the site.  In addition, The Greens was one of the first tenants to occupy the Park Place retail center, and would be a selling point to new businesses looking to move there.  After a few years, Park Place became a bustling center with restaurants, a movie theater, and specialty stores filling up most of the retail space.

Ritz Carlton emerged with in the late '90's with plans to build a small hotel at the Park Place center. As a result, construction began which drastically hampered the operations of The Greens.  Without notice, fencing was erected along the border of two of the course's boundaries, which cut customers off from the best parking for the course.  Customers of The Greens now had to park much farther away in two hour parking or in a parking structure where they would have to pay.  Many people also believed that the business was closed or closing as a result of the fencing and the construction that eventually began.  The parking lot in front of The Greens was completely demolished and an empty lot remained when Ritz Carlton pulled the plug on the project in 2002.  It was widely believed that the Ritz had wanted to use the land that The Greens sat on for a grand entrance and driveway.  Theories followed that the landlord stood to make a lot more money on the Ritz than they did from The Greens, so they made efforts to disrupt the business and drive The Greens out.  This view is pure speculation, but based on logical facts and events.  These changes dramatically affected business, because parking was inadequate for the whole center, making it inconvenient for people to visit.  In addition, public perception was that the closure of The Greens had already happened or was imminent.

In 1999, Putting Courses of America opened a second location - The Greens at Valencia.  The Greens at Park Place had seen a certain amount of financial success, but also had a lot of limitations.  The new location was intended to be bigger and better with ways to capture more revenue.  The Greens at Park Place relied on caterers to provide meals for group events, did not have any indoor seating, and had a capacity of about 90 golfers at one time.  Valencia was created with the vision of including everything that Irvine was missing.  The new property featured a full sized restaurant that was open for lunch and dinner, a sports bar, a larger outdoor patio, and 27 golf holes instead of 18.  It opened to much fanfare but never seemed to capture the same magic that Park Place had.  While Irvine was kitschy, cute, and a hidden gem, Valencia felt more sterile and had less character.  Group events were expected to fuel the Valencia property but the area did not yield the numbers that were originally forecasted.  In addition, the restaurant and golf course were slow and property started to become known more for its sports bar than the golf course.

The slow start in Valencia combined with the landlord trouble in Irvine took a toll on the company.   In January of 2004, Hopkins sold the Valencia property to a group of investors and arranged an agreement with the Park Place landlord to walk away from the property.  Sadly, Valencia attracted a lower end clientele and the course quickly started to fall apart.  The putting course was poorly maintained and virtually abandoned before the restaurant and bar were eventually closed in 2009.  

With the Ritz Carlton project now in the rear view mirror, the landlord initially had planned on making some changes to the building at Park Place and continuing operations.  However, shortly after they re-acquired the land from Hopkins, they sold the entire Park Place shopping center to a new company who had no desire to save The Greens.  A parking lot now exists where The Greens once stood, which is a true travesty. 

Coming Soon - Part 2:  The Greens at Park Place - The Course, The People, and Memorable Moments