Dean of the NorCal Architects
The name Robert Trent Jones Jr. is practically synonymous with Northern California golf course architecture. In a 60- year career, with more than 300 designs to his name in 50 countries, Jones has created or renovated nearly two dozen layouts in the region, including the NCGA's home, Poppy Hills. Understandably, Jones had big shoes to fill. His famous father, Robert Trent Jones, crafted the NCGA's original home course, Spyglass Hill in 1966.
Junior was already a NorCal resident by then. He has resided here since September 1961, when he entered Stanford Law School. Nine months later, he established a branch office of Robert Trent Jones, Inc. in Palo Alto. In 1972, he founded Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects - which continues today, in the same Palo Alto location.
Among architects, Jones Jr. was a pioneering environmental steward. His ability to integrate golf into coastal wetlands-a skill he honed while serving as a member of the California State Parks and Recreation Commission from 1979-1983 - helped him land The Links at Spanish Bay project in the mid- 1980s, teaming with NCGA Hall of Famer Sandy Tatum and World Golf Hall of Farner Tom Watson. Jones' concept for dune restoration won over Monterey County officials and the California Coastal Commission.
Just prior to his groundbreaking work at The Links at Spanish Bay, Jones led the design of Poppy Hills, the first golf course owned by an Allied Golf Association in the U.S. He did his homework to earn the job.
"I walked the entire property and studied the soil structure the day before I presented," recalls Jones. "That effort helped in our team's selection."
Jones noted that the sequence of holes at Poppy Hills was influenced by the Coastal Commission, which sought to protect the Dwarf Cypress tree areas on holes 11 and 12. Those restrictions yielded some awkward shots - which he fixed during a significant remodel in 2014, lowering the features for better visibility throughout.
Although his firm created Chambers Bay in Washington, suit ably tough to have hosted a U.S. Open, the Jones philosophy revolves around crafting aesthetically pleasing, playable-by-all, environmentally sensitive layouts that melt into the surrounding landscapes.
"My first solo design, under my father's banner, was Silver ado South in l 967," says Jones. "The owner's rep, a good player from Stockton named Ed Westgate, told me not to make it too hard, that we didn't need another Spyglass Hill. I shot 67 on opening day. I guess I succeeded."
At age 84, he shows no signs of slowing down. His firm has two more NorCal designs in the pipeline, with a renovation of Corica Park (North) scheduled to open later this year and a new build in Vacaville called Lagoon Valley, in progress. While he cherishes his second home on Kauai, he remains enamored with Northern California.
"Northern California is a blessed place," he waxes, "with great agricultural and soil landscapes. It has a Mediterranean climate with abundant fresh water available from the Sierras. It is perfect for the design and construction of golf courses, and very attractive year-round to those who live or visit the Golden State."
