Each year, the American Society of Golf Course Architects conducts our annual meetings – always at a different venue. In April, we held our event at The Woodlands in Houston. Each day is a mixture of business meetings, continuing education, formal dinners and….golf. Golf is always a welcomed activity by our members – imagine that! Some are very […]
Long has been the debate over the perceived push for longer courses or the accommodation thereof in the game. Frankly, this turns into a much broader topic than should be attempted in one post, but let’s take a shot and see where this goes. Where are we now on the whole issue of […]
I was fortunate enough to have two, sizeable renovation/construction projects going on simultaneously in Naples, Florida that commenced work in April, 2017. As we began the work, water levels in the lakes were at all-time lows. Banks were exposed down to unseen depths – lakes were half their normal size and volume. Concerns quickly mounted […]
Donald Ross’s Seminole Golf Course in Juno Beach, Florida, is universally recognized as one of the great architect’s true masterpieces, and is a fixture in every list of the world’s top courses. I first visited Seminole about two years ago and spent upwards of five hours walking and studying what is widely considered to be […]
I had a dream last night. Well, I’m pretty sure it was a dream… Here’s the gist: Alister MacKenzie is not dead. He’s been hiding away in a Tibetan monastery since 1934, the date of what we had presumed to be his death. So deep and powerful has been his inward reflection all these years, […]
Having nearly completed the back nine tour, MacKenzie was regaining his humor, at least somewhat, and seemed to be tiring a bit as they finished at #16. To #17 now, where MacKenzie spouted, “That wonderfully formed pine is gone, I assume you had it removed at some point, Mr. Payne?” “Absolutely not, sir. That tree […]
When we last paused, Dr. MacKenzie was on his way to the 10th tee. The spirit amongst the group was strained at best as the architect’s criticisms continued to mount. As the group shuffled down the hill from the tee, MacKenzie referred to the relocated green and uttered, “Now this looks more like Maxwell!” Indeed, […]
Maybe the title got your attention … Just talking golf holes here – mainly the short-ish ones… especially the 4’s under 340 yards and the 3’s under 120 yards. And when I think of some of the best I’ve played… and a few that I’ve designed… it’s these shorter ones that always seem to be […]
In an era where golf courses have fallen defenseless to the almighty length of touring professionals, we’ve seen fairways narrowed, bunkers added, trees planted, higher rough, conditions firmed up and green speeds lowered to the point that balls roll well beyond the tolerance of designed contours. Why? Because yes, “these guys are THAT good”. So […]
If you’re living most anywhere in the Eastern US, chances are good the winter of 2014 has been a long, cold and entirely forgettable stretch. The Mid-South has also endured more than it’s share of snow, ice and record-cold temps. The Upper Midwest and much of the Northeast have been nothing less than arctic, hence […]
As you might imagine, architects get pressed quite often to profess our opinions about what makes one golf course better than another. And while I think that is more an individual preference (or left to magazines), there are some courses that stand out among the rest. But why? Is it their great beauty? Is […]
Ah, yes…. the stimpmeter. A simple tool used to determine consistency on putting green surfaces…. and, obviously, speed. Superintendents check the speed of the greens from time to time in relation to surface contour and slopes, to help in identifying proper cupping areas. And when readings meet the acceptable range, then the green speeds are […]