J Drew Rogers

Golf

My Time with Jackie Burke, Jr.

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 […]

A Summer to Remember

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 […]

Seminole: Does it Measure Up?

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 […]

MacKenzie Meets Augusta One Last Time (The Big Finish)

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 […]

MacKenzie Meets Augusta One Last Time (Front Nine Tour)

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, […]

Lake Zurich A Brand of Golf All Its Own

I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of “perks” while working in the golf industry. And while work often supersedes many of the opportunities presented, once in a while I get to take in some really unique golfing experiences.  One such opportunity came about this past season when I was invited to visit Lake Zurich Golf Club […]

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