May 2001
By Vic Williams

Many golf courses begin as a dream, a nascent conceit in mind of a person who loves the game and everything that comes with it, including a gambler's nerve and patience. When the clouds clear-several years, millions of dollars and a water hazard of sweat later-the course becomes reality, and in rare cases, it also remains a dream... no longer to its creators, but to the people for whom it has been built: The golfing public.

This summer, the curtain rises on a dream course near the shores of Lake Almanor in the northern Sierra Nevada. Bailey Creek has already gained raves for its front nine, which opens for its second full season May 17, and when its even more spectacular back nine debuts July 1, the Almanor region will rival such popular alpine golf getaways as Graeagle and Lake Tahoe for value, variety and, above all, playability.

The dreamer behind Bailey Creek's creation is a Bay area native named Dennis Durkin, who bought 550 acres of rolling, timbered mountainscape in 1990 and set out to develop it into a destination for everybody-golfers, fisherman, waterskiers, hikers, Rvers and general get-away-from-it-allers. The area's proximity to Reno (two hours away), the northern Sacramento Valley (90 minutes) and Sacramento itself (three hours) avails it to hundreds of thousands of weekend travelers, summer vacationers and second (or perhaps primary) home seekers. Durkin knew instinctively that with the right design team, he could build a come-one, come-all course, as friendly as a smile.

The search for an architect began. Durkin and his team, including Director of Golf Kevin Hughes, didn't have to look far to find their man-seputuagenarian Homer Flint, who worked with Robert Trent Jones Sr. for years and was the major design force behind such world-class layouts as Mauna Kea and Mauna Lani on the Big Island of Hawaii; the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Silverado Country Club in Napa and, for the coup de gráce, Spyglass Hill on the Monterey Peninsula. Now 83, Flint has a home near Lake Almanor and since he's had a hand in other Sierra tracks such as Plumas Pines and Northstar, he knew the lay of the land. Once hired, he spent more time at the Bailey Creek than anyone, including Hughes, expected.

"Getting Homer was probably our best asset, the best thing we did in the whole golf course process," Hughes says. "Other places, you hear that somebody like Fred Couples, they fly in, look at the course and leave. I'd see Homer when I got there in the morning, about 6:30, and he'd come into the golf shop from noon to 12:30 to have a candy bar, and usually left about six at night. He was there every day, a lot of times on weekends, too. He would look at how Art [Strain, the course's earthmover and Flint's stepson] was shaping it, where the traps were going. He'd stand on a tee box for two hours and stare down a hole, say, 'Well, I think we should move it just a little bit more here.' Like Trent Jones, he'd spend a lot of time on the course. I just don't think you get that when you hire a Jack Nicklaus or somebody like that. Jack's a great golfer and a great name, and he's played a lot of great courses, but I just think that when it comes to shaping a course, you can't beat Trent Jones or Homer's work. And Homer doesn't care if we use his name or not; his attitude is, "if people come and play it, they'll like it."

Flint was on the money. People not only like Bailey Creek, they love it-the way it's at once wide open and intimate, how it rewards good shots and exercises some forgiveness on less-than-successful ones.

"We were amazed at the positive comments from people," says Dennis Durkin. "I'm being honest when I say that we never heard a complaint as players came off the front nine last summer. And everybody says they can't wait to play it again."

When pressed to describe Bailey Creek in two words, Hughes quickly responds, "breathtaking and unexpected." That's what I heard most in the golf shop last year. People were really surprised at the quality of the course. And they'd say, "if the back nine is even half as good as the front, this is gonna be one of the best courses around." And the back nine is better. I don't think there's any doubt. The fact that people come in and just rave makes my job a lot easier."

Though Bailey Creek is a mountain course (4,500 feet above sea level, playable from April through October), it's relatively flat, covering just under 7,000 yard from the tips-walkable for most folks. Each hole offers four tee boxes that vary in size in shape, which is one of Hughes' favorite design elements.

Once players tee off, they'll find wide landing areas on the Kentucky bluegrass fairways, especially on the front nine, and bunkers that might look benign at first glance but can quickly jump into a ball's flight line. There are gentle mounds and shadowy swales and approaches that force some creative iron play; if you can only draw or fade it, you'll find yourself with a few brutally long putts on the bentgrass greens. Flint also loves to leave a lone pine in the fairway on a few holes; at Bailey Creek you'll find them on the par-4 6th and 9th. Usually from 220 to 250 yards from the tee, these beautiful conifers can make for quite a test on either your tee shot or your second swing.

Most folks who've played Bailey Creek, including Hughes, would name the pretty little par-3 8th its signature hole. "But I think the 6th, with its tall sugarpine in the middle of the fairway, is just a great hole. When you stand on the elevated tee box, it's a really pretty view, and gets the most comments from players."

The back nine is tighter, with tough shots popping up at the par-4 14th (the long iron approach must avoid a pond to the left of the green) and the 190-yard par-3 16th. And unlike the front nine's two par-5s, which are reachable in two, the inward nine's three-shotters are pure risk-and-reward propositions-Flint's tip-of-the-tam o'shanter to his mentor, Trent Jones Sr.

Overall, though, Bailey Creek appeals to the wides possible segment of golfer. No matter if they get out 50, 10 or five times a year, they'll find something that strikes their fancy and brings them back for more.

"We knew most people who play it will be up for vacation, so we wanted it to be challenging from the back tees, but fair from the red or blue. It's pretty open, but I won't say it's easy. You can get in trouble, but if you lose two balls you've had a bad round. We designed it so a husband and wife can come play it and both will have a good time. It's rated at 71.4, with a 124 slope. That's where we wanted to be."

Bailey Creek's main customer base so far is the Chico-Redding corridor, though Hughes says it's getting a surprising number of players from Reno "and a lot from the Santa Rosa area, too." This year they'll again find some of the friendliest rates in the Sierra. "We'll open at $43 for 18 holes without a cart, and go to $53 in peak season, July 1-Sept. 16, then back to $43 for the fall." The back nine will open July 1 after some finishing work, and the third phase of the surrounding real estate development will also open this year (phases one and two are all but sold out). The 7,200 square foot clubhouse, which offers a restaurant, snack bar and large patio, will open May 17 along with the front nine.

As it turns out, Dennis Durkin's dream was also a premonition of sorts. Lake Almanor is perched on the edge of a bona fide golf boom, with Bailey Creek at its epicenter. Construction will begin soon on the nearby Dyer Mountain project, which has three 18-hole courses on the drawing board. "We feel it will make us more like the Graeagle area," Hughes says. "When you talk to people at Whitehawk Ranch, they'll tell you the best thing that happened was the Dragon going in. It made them more of a golf mecca; people love to play two or three courses during their stay. This new project is going to be upscale, so it will only help us. Plus, they've got a ski hill, which will entice people to stay year-round."

In the meantime, golfers are invited to help themselves to Bailey Creek's friendly course, pristine air, laid-back atmosphere and sparkling service from Head Professional Greg Killingsworth and company. "And, of course, we've got the lake," Hughes says. "That separates us from Graeagle. You can waterski, fish, whatever, and it's a mile away." There's also plenty of lodging options, from motels to rental homes to RV parks and campgrounds.

For tee times or more information on Bailey Creek, call 800-211-7400 or 530-259-GOLF, or visit www.baileycreek.com.