The Vinland Natural Nine golf course is like a supermodel wearing sweatpants and a ponytail. She might not reflect all the quintessential glitz and glamour, but her beauty is utterly undeniable.

And that’s exactly the way the course creator, Richard Morantz, intends it to be.

The golf course, neatly tucked away on 500 North Road, surrounded by the history and raw exquisiteness of the Baldwin hills, is spread over Morantz’s 80 acres between Vinland and Baldwin City.

Chemical, herbicide and pesticide-free, the natural course highlighted by orchids, wildflowers and a breathtaking horizon is a product of Morantz’s philosophy on golf.

“In Scotland, where golf was invented, the courses were all natural,” he said. “You didn’t see these perfectly manicured greens and fairways.”

While fairways cluttered with clumps of long grass – prairie bunkers as Morantz lovingly describes them – and bumpy greens may cause “Lefty” Mickelson to shudder, Morantz believes the VNN is a great course for the majority of golfers.    

“People think the only people who golf are CEOs,” he said. “Growing up, I played golf with my dad … with old mailmen and other government workers. That was my exposure to golf. I learned it was really a middle-class sport.”

Despite the challenging nature of the course, given the tricky lies and unconventional greens, Morantz said the VNN is perfect for beginners who are apprehensive about the pressures of country club golf.

“So many beginning golfers feel bad if they’re not good yet,” he said. “Out here, that doesn’t matter.”

ON THE COURSE

As golfers approach the clubhouse – a shed filled with mowers, spare golf balls and homemade golf carts – they are unable to see the full landscape of the course. Then, after a short walk through a clearing in the trees, the vast VNN is exposed.

Sunday, 30 people had the privilege of experiencing the self-constructed course first hand. Morantz held a one-club tournament for anyone who wished to participate, with the donations going to the Lawrence Pesticide-Free Parks movement. He added his goal when designing the course was to make the point that it is possible to create a clean place for leisure activity.

The tournament was considered a success, as 17 golfers competed for $400 in prizes donated by a variety of local businesses.

In addition to the available prizes, the golfers were able to see the course in its best condition, as Morantz worked diligently to make the tournament enjoyable. The course, which normally takes 14 hours to mow, was in pristine shape Sunday, with some extra amenities normally reserved for professional courses.

Morantz used painted stumps to provide directions for the golfers to help them navigate their way through the prairie. He also offered two-wheeled golf carts – bicycles with clubs and a ball bag attached to the seat – for the golfers who didn’t wish to walk the 1,780-yard course.

The tournament champions, a group of Alvamar  Golf Club employees, signed off on a 4-over-par 39 to take home free golf passes to their home course in Lawrence.  

Due to zoning restrictions and building codes, it is unknown whether Morantz will be able to keep his golf course open to the public next year.

NATIONAL NINE

While the course may seem like it's designed for recreational golfers only, Morantz's string of playing partners indicate otherwise. <br/>John Novosel, a nationally recognized long-drive champion from Lawrence, said he plays the course frequently.John Novosel, a nationally recognized long-drive champion from Lawrence, said he plays the course frequently.
John Novosel, a nationally recognized long-drive champion from Lawrence, said he plays the course frequently.

“I love the feeling that you’re out in nature and it’s so beautiful,” he said.

Novosel is the creator of the Tour Tempo swing system. Under his program, which evolved into a book published by Doubleday, Novosel is the proud owner of a 402-yard drive.

“The initial thing that hooked me about the course was that I could work on my long drive practice,” Novosel said.

Novosel is not the only experienced golfer who enjoys the subtleties and unrefined beauty of the VNN, however. Chris Habeger, the assistant superintendent at Alvamar, often takes a break from his traditionally manicured course to take a stab at the course that features bamboo rods as pins and flags sewn by Morantz’s sister.

“I like it for its purity – that means his design, the upkeep,” Habeger said. “It really gives me perspective on how far golf maintenance has come. It reminds me of another place and time.”