Darkhorse

If one were to boil Keith Foster’s golf course architectural career down to one niche, it might be his specialty for carrying out A.W. Tillinghast restorations. That said, Foster’s appreciation for the Golden Age architect has not necessarily been obvious in his own original designs (a statement on Foster’s originality, not a lack of quality). There are a few instances at Darkhorse Golf Club, located northeast of Sacramento, that show a tip of the hat to Tillie.

For one, as players conclude the first nine, they’ll notice the talon-like bunker clawing at the green...a style made famous at Bethpage Black and numerous other Tillinghast standbys. Two holes later, on the course’s longest par five, Foster creates his own version of the “Double Dogleg,” a concept that his icon wrote extensively about (and designed numerous examples of, as well).

Even if you’re not an architecture buff, you’ll quickly grasp the concept at nos. 2 and 14, short par fours that dare you to pull driver. The angel on your shoulder may point out that both feature sizable centerline bunkers, which may be safer to lay up in front of.