Todd Eckenrode – Origins Golf Design has completed work on yet another iconic gem, the Orinda Country Club, tucked within in the hillsides of Orinda, a quaint town located in the San Francisco Bay Area. With sensitivity to its original design, Course Architect Todd Eckenrode, founder of Origins Golf Design, was charged with the task to improve this historic William Watson-designed course (circa 1924).
“Todd was the key ingredient we needed to align our needs and wants on this major project, and all with a clear vision and a defined scope of work, budget and plan,” said Orinda Country Club President Joe Fabian. “His research and keen eye helped define the possibilities we had in recapturing our 1924 vintage design, and frankly, the education we needed to go to the next step. Origin’s Master Plan provided us with the road map we needed.”
When Eckenrode first saw Orinda Country Club he was taken with the unique qualities of the site. He describes the venue as quite hilly in parts yet with a masterful routing-utilizing the slopes, hills, valleys and creeks in varied ways throughout. Lauterwasser Creek and San Pablo Creek both come into play on 11 of the 18 holes, yet integrated differently.