Whitewater Falls
Adventure Park: Whitewater Falls Adventure Park, containing an 18-hole putting course located between the tennis complex/Japanese Gardens and the circle on Horseshoe Bay Boulevard, is a world-class addition to Horseshoe Bay Resort that ranks among the very few of its kind in the United States. A Norman Hurd design from the ground up, the putting course is not a miniature golf course, and "certainly not a putt-putt course," Hurd said, nor should one confuse it with a "pitching putt" or a "putting green," he added. "This is not a green," he emphasized. "It's a course, an 18-hole putting course that contains all of the details of a regular golf course, but on a smaller scale. Every shot is played with a putter. "One advantage (is) that when businessmen take breaks between meetings and don't have time for a full game of golf, they can practice putting competitively on this course. It's never boring, as a practice course sometimes is. "It's a great facility, certainly for men to practice putting, but women like this facility, too, because it gives them something to do, too. It provides an additional amenity for night time, because it's lighted — and, of course, the golf courses aren't. "For a long time Scotland has had nine- and 18-hole putting courses. Golf originated in Scotland, you know. They started building putting courses here in America several years ago. In California and in the north they're extremely popular. This putting course at Horseshoe Bay is the only one in the south, and one of the few in the United States." When Whitewater Adventure Park opened last year, aficionados of Hurd's creative powers and of his unfaltering eye for beauty were not disappointed with this two-acre gem. Hurd said that not only is the facility in keeping with the high standards of quality that have distinguished Horseshoe Bay Resort from the beginning, it was, at that time, also one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in the development of the resort's amenities. "First of all, Whitewater is the greatest scenic area in Horseshoe Bay, the most aesthetic," he said. "It also was the largest facility that we had built, at that time, besides the buildings." This is not hard to believe. Consider, for instance, the incredible features that Hurd designed into the facility. A huge waterfall some 100 feet long and 14 feet high, designed to look as if it were cut out of the side of a mountain, dominates the area. Lacking a mountain, Hurd created one himself, hauling in tens of thousands of yards of dirt for the effect. He cut in half vertically a gigantic, pyramidal-shaped granite boulder weighing some 50,000 pounds, then positioned it onto a central, rock-covered area of the waterfall, actually creating two falls in the process. The massive boulder towers 30 feet into the air, and is roughly equivalent in height to a three-story building. At night, concealed theatrical lighting casts red and yellow beams into the narrow space separating the two halves, creating an intense fiery effect. From this, one receives the impression that during some geological age, mega-heat from the bowels of the earth created such pressure that the great boulder split in half, a dramatic representation on Hurd's part of nature's awesome forces. Adding to the drama, fogger heads emit billowing wisps of fog that swirl about the falls, and blue underwater lights illuminate the waters of the falls that plunge downward at the rate of 30 tons of water per minute. Add to this the strains of music and the scent of over 5,000 blooming roses that permeate the air, and the whole scene becomes a gorgeous spectacle assaulting the senses of sight, sound and smell. In front of this focal point, 1,500 to 2,000 feet of flowing waterways snake through the area, emptying into four ponds, each of which features tall, lighted fountains. Wooden bridges cross the waterways at a number of locations throughout the complex, and all of the waterfalls and fountains are lighted with special theatrical lighting. Adding to the effect, live flamingos stroll about in their own special area, the Whitewater Flamingo Exhibit. Hurd was able to import the Chilean Flamingos through the International Animal Exchange, and hired the former curator of birds at the San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium to assist in the design and function of the exhibit. He also worked with the current executive director of the Great Plains Zoo and the Delbridge Museum of Natural History to assure the comfort and welfare of the flamingos in their new habitat at Horseshoe Bay. The habitat consists of a pond eight to 18 inches deep with sandy banks on three sides. Behind the pond, a rock wall holds a cantilevered limestone boulder over which water streams, forming a small waterfall that empties into the pond. Strategically located fogger heads bathe the area around the falls with a cooling mist and lend a dramatic effect to the scene. Because walking on concrete has a tendency to produce club feet in flamingos, Hurd lined the pond with indoor/outdoor carpet. In order to solve the problem of how to make carpet work under water, Hurd built a special research pond in which he grappled with the problem until he solved it. An enclosed, heated, illuminated and carpeted shelter, artfully concealed adjacent to the great falls, houses the birds during the winter months. Another beautiful feature of Whitewater Falls Adventure Park is an octagonal-shaped restaurant and lounge nestled in a grove of native trees and completely surrounded with glass walls, so that diners may view all of the activity and the beauty around them: the great waterfall, the fountains, the waterways, the evergreen shrub and rose masses, the graceful birds wading nearby. The restaurant, dubbed the Whitewater Club and Piano Bar, measures 60 feet in diameter and seats about 80 people. It contains a state-of-the-art grand piano boasting a computerized sound system, and currently serves as a snack bar and cocktail lounge. A second building, located directly across a waterway spanned by a wooden bridge, houses restrooms and a kitchen. Located also in the park are the Patio Cafe and the Nickelodeon Cabana. These are situated in an open, flagstone-paved area across a waterway running in front of the restaurant. The area is furnished with iron patio furniture for relaxing and for enjoying snacks out of doors. Whitewater Falls Adventure Park is the cornerstone of an approximate 17-acre complex consisting of 10 multi-colored Laykold tennis courts, (four of which are dome-covered), the Oriental Water Gardens, the Tennis Racket Club House, the Grass Sport Court Arena with spectator seating and the Palm D'Or Outdoor Pavilion. This outdoor pavilion is a multi-level entertainment center featuring theatrical lighting and sound systems, an elevated stage with viewing levels and a sunken dancing area. The pavilion is designed to accommodate private parties, dinner theater productions, musical entertainment, awards presentations, fund-raisers and corporate gatherings with their various needs. Adjacent to the Palm D'Or Outdoor Pavilion is the Grassy Knoll, designed to accommodate those who enjoy "a more reserved athletic adventure such as croquet or a variety of table games." The Racket Club Pro Shop, which also houses the Whitewater Gift Shop, contains his and her locker rooms with sauna/whirlpool and an atrium style observation deck. Lounge service is available for private gatherings. A fitness trail snakes along the perimeters and through most of the lush gardens of Whitewater, from which one can view its 51,000 landscape plants, 5,495 rose bushes, 775 palm trees, 2,000 tons of stone, boulders totaling 50,000 tons in combined weight, hundreds of thousands of tons of granite and 5,139 tons of white sand. Visible also from the trail are the Whitewater Flamingo Exhibit and the Mandarin Duck and East African Crowned Crane Exhibit. This particular crane is considered one of the most spectacular of the exotic species. Featured also along the path are tropical birds housed in a large hanging cage designed especially for Whitewater Falls Adventure Park. Three years in the making requiring thousands of man hours and mega-dollars, Whitewater Falls Adventure Park, in the words of Horseshoe Bay Resort President Ron Lynn Mitchell, is truly a one-of-a-kind creation unmatched anywhere else in the world. |
