26 CASE STUDY The Campus Commons Golf Course, located along the American River near Sacramento State University in California, had closed in 2021 due to a major infrastructure project that would render the layout unplayable. The work was necessary to accommodate erosion protection and levee expansion. “The course’s future was ultimately decided by water, not golf,” says ASGCA Past President Damian Pascuzzo. “When the US Army Corps of Engineers advanced the major riverbank stabilization and flood-control effort, the property became part of the work zone. A 70-foot-wide strip of the course along the river edge was acquired, and much of what remained served as access and staging during construction. By the time the heavy equipment moved on, the old course routing had effectively been erased – creating an uncommon opportunity and a demanding mandate: rebuild golf in a floodplain, and make it work.” Pascuzzo and Pate were appointed in 2019 (years of approvals preceded construction starting) to develop a plan that would reimagine the nine-hole par-three course. “The design brief was operational as well as experiential,” says Pascuzzo. “Campus Commons needed to reach break-even without relying on the county’s support from its three other 18-hole facilities. That meant design choices that would reduce labor, simplify agronomy and recover quickly after inevitable high water. “Several holes use the river as a visual anchor, pairing play with long views to the water and the American River Parkway beyond. The routing was also refined to reduce conflict points with the adjacent multi-use trail system – an everyday reality for riverfront sites – by managing lines of play, crossings and separations so everyone can share the corridor comfortably.” Protecting the course from flood was a key aspect of the design team’s brief. “The grading strategy elevates greens above most flood flows while keeping modeled water surface elevations within the limits established by the US Army Corps of Engineers,” says Pascuzzo. “It’s a careful balance: protect critical playing surfaces and maintain playability, without displacing water or creating new impacts elsewhere along the river corridor. “In a flood-prone setting, sand is a recurring reset button after high water. We built strategy with mounds that influence bounces and stances, swales that gather or kick shots away and hollows that turn ASGCA Past President Damian Pascuzzo and former PGA Tour player Steve Pate focused on affordability and environmental stewardship for their redesign of Campus Commons in California. Design that makes a positive impact “ Equipment capital, labor, water and chemical costs were evaluated and influenced the overall design ”
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