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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
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 […]
I have heard from some of you lately, wondering when they could expect to see the next blog. Sorry that things have been a little busy….but here’s an entry to hopefully get things back on track. I don’t know about you, but I both enjoy and find it worthwhile to sort through all the […]
It seems that golf is at least somewhat inherently fun for most of us, right? Maybe because of the challenge it presents – man against golf course. Perhaps it is the camaraderie one can enjoy with friends. For some it might be the competitive encounters. It could also be because it is an outdoor activity […]
Surely by now the word is out….there is a world class golf resort on the coast of southern Oregon? It’s called Bandon Dunes. There are four 18-hole courses on the property and they’re all ranked among the Top 100 in the US. Yes, you say? You’ve heard of it? Oh, you’ve been there? Great! […]
I’m not attempting to be trite here! The subject of “fun” has become a trendy topic of late and, in all seriousness, FUN is something that has frankly been overlooked in our fine game for some time. Not because of lack of interest, but because the game became perhaps a bit too serious on […]