..............Around the World of Golf...........

Paramount Country Club-- A Restoration, Before and After

2012-02-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Its always a thrill to return to a project and see your finished work. With new construction this can mean waiting an entire year for the grow-in process to be complete. In the case of our restoration work at Paramount CC we have gone from 2011 to 1921 in a matter of days.

Paramount CC 7th, before restoration

Two bunkers were deleted, one from the right and left. The grassing lines were also adjusted to match the squared off edges of the green with the fairway. A great look, straight from golf's golden age.

7th hole--in-progress

The transformation happened so quickly in part due to the decision to re-sod all of the disturbed areas instead of re-seeding. By transplanting sod locally from the nursery and other rough areas out of play, we were able to achieve a finished look very quickly. Some might ask why not have new sod delivered to the areas of disturbance and the answer lies in the photo illustration below. Bringing in "new" sod from off site often leads to a mismatch in color and a look that might take years to blend in.

This was found at a top 100 golf course located in Westchester County. Clearly the sod surrounding this new sand trap was transplanted from another location, not a good look.

West Palm Beach Golf Course

2012-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

West Palm Beach Golf Course
A challenging 200+yard uphill tee shot, 9th hole

IfFlorida has the most golf courses of any state in the union (1200+) then PalmBeach has got to have the record by county. Despite the endless amount of golf that can be played, many of theoptions are disappointingly similar. Much of the dissapointment, especially in South Florida, comes from asomewhat standard “look” to the bunkers and maintained areas of the golfcourse.

Sharp, clean bunker edges and manicured collars around the fairways and greens is a common style for golf courses of this region. There has to be some extra cost associated with maintenance of the is caliber (Doral Blue).

The West Palm Beach Golf Course shows its true colors by highlighting a sandy wideopen expanse for golf. With an assist from Mark McCumber in 2009, the original Dick Wilson design was renovated by scraping away dozens of acres of maintained turf and overgrowth in the roughs. Uncovered is a public golfing oasis tucked in-between the ocean, just 2 miles east and I-95, which runs adjacent to the front nine. There is still a great natural setting despite the brief distraction of the highway (not every golf course is blessed with perfect location). With constant ocean breezes that sweep across the entire layout there is always a challenge to negotiate.

Rough edges seemlessly blend with the surrounding landscape while sandy ground and scrubby plants dot the areas bewteen fairways.

For a $40 green fee one should certainly enjoy an afternoon here. The experience was such a nice change of pace to what I have come to expect from Florida golf. There is no water, no O.B., and hardly any bermuda rough! West Palm Beach has got an inland links of its own, who knew?!

Bunker work at Dismal River

2011-12-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

While at the Dismal River Golf Club, working for Renaissance Golf Design I asked project manager Brian Slawnik if I could tackle a proposed green side bunker on the 15th hole. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the words "sure, why not". My primary duties would be preparing 6 greens and several tees for seeding that Fall but I worked harder knowing that I now had some creative license to begin the bunker construction.

It turned out to be a tremendous learning experience in visualization, time and labor management, and handling all the material that I was excavating. What started out as a raw exposed dump site turned out to be a strategically significant addition to the golf hole. Illustrated below are several photos which chronicle the process.

A raw pit of sand, just waiting to be sculpted.

A rough start, this thing needs a lot of love.

A view from above shows the dramatic fairway contours adjacent to the bunker. Much of the excavated material was used to soften and conect these contours so that they would be practical for play and maintenance.

Above and Below: Chunks of sod where brought in to define the top edge and formalize the bunker so that it would not completely blow away in the harsh winter months of Western Nebraska. Looking forward to seeing how things evolve in the coming season.

Classic Golf Architecture-- Does Form=Function?

2011-11-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

Touring golf courses in the Northeast has been a great pleasure for me this Fall. There are literally dozens of seriously great golf courses all within 1-3 hours drive (depending on traffic) of NYC alone. A truly unmatched stock of golden age golf. Since starting work on Paramount's (A.W. Tillinghast) restoration I have been able to see Sleepy Hollow (C.B. Macdonald), St. George's (Devereux Emmet), and Whippoorwill CC (Charles Banks), all built in the early 20th century. Touring these courses in addition to an intensive study of Paramount has allowed me to think critically about how the architecture of this period was influenced not only by the technological limitations of the time but also the way that golf was played.

During my recent visit to St. George's in Stony Brook, Long Island I was struck in particular by the green complex of the short par four, 4th hole. Guarding the front of the green and hidden from view is a massive pit filled on the bottom with sand. I could not tell the bunker was there until I very nearly walked into it upon approaching the green. After playing my ball out of that sandy cavern (and taking bogey) I began to think how this feature fit into the overall scheme of the design. Upon observing the surrounding landscape and playing the next few holes I came to the conclusion that the bunker was not necessarily apart of any grand scheme in the design but merely a function of the need to see the target. The property is quite abrupt and hilly, in particular where the end of the 4th hole came to be. By digging a massive 10 foot pit, Emmet and Co. were able to use that material to prop up the surface of the green so that it could be viewed from the fairway. In this case it seemed apparent that the form of the green was vastly a necessity of its function, to see the target.

By creating a bunker feature, Emmet was able to get the most out of his green site, which would be otherwise out of view, fitting it into the rest of the routing. Also to consider, in the absence of ideal ground conditions (ie. sandy soils) and heavy machinery the "push-up" style of green construction was the easiest and most effective method. By flopping the soil behind the pit and forming a raised platform, the putting green could easily shed water and the ensuing bunkers could be used to add strategic and visual interest around the green, both a positive consequence of function influencing form.

I believe that many of the golf courses built before the advent of the steam shovel, aka bull dozer,(with the exception of a few modern design) are as close to equating form and function than at any other time in golf construction. Some today would call Emmet's building style at St.George's minimalism, I say this is the logical practice of golf course construction.

Paramount Country Club-- A Restoration..

2011-11-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

#1 Green atop the hill

My latest project has taken me back home, as luck would have it, only 30 minutes drive from a free meal at my parents house! I will be helping to restore the little known, yet impressive, Paramount Country Club in New City, NY. An A.W. Tillinghast design (1921), the golf course is part of the former estate of Adolph Zukor, movie mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures. Golf holes here rise and fall over very hilly terrain on the front nine and follow some more interesting fairway contours on the back nine as well. Many of the greens pitch steeply from back to front, a typical feature of many classically designed golf courses. Over the next two Fall seasons, Paramount Country Club will be receiving its due justice under the guidance of architect Jim Urbina and superintendant Brian Chapin. The scope of the restoration, outlined in Urbina's master plan, embraces the inherent history of early 20th century golf architecture, restoring original bunkering schemes and shapes and sizes of the greens. Paramount is a golf course with great bones in good hands, it will surely make a lasting impression.

#5 Featuring newly restored fairway bunkers

37 Days at the Dismal River Golf Club

2011-10-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Dismal River pictured with 13,15, and 16 greens

Spacious Nebraska sand hills

Chasing work around the world has its benefits, but I really can't say with much certainty where I'll be working six months from now...At the beginning of this summer I thought it might be a good idea to take online courses for a degree in turfgrass management (it still might be) until I got the word that I would be travelling home to New York for a restoration project with Jim Urbina. All the while I am receiving e-mails about working in China, Scotland, and then out of nowhere, Nebraska!

I travel light and am usually available to work in a matter of 1-3 weeks, easily able to get on a plane to China or Australia and work there for a month or two. This is exactly what happened at the beginning of August 2011. I exchanged e-mails and phone calls with Renaissance Golf Design in regard to their latest project in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, one of America’s treasured golf lands. I couldn’t resist the offer, the project promised to be great along with a chance to sharpen my skills for my upcoming work in NY.

10 and 11 Green viewed from atop "little horseshoe"

The first week we all began to get our feet wet, mowing down fairways and areas to be disturbed but the true golfing landscape quickly unfolded before our eyes. The property at Dismal River is amazingly fit for golf with many natural green sites and naturall hazards, there is no way this could have been created by man. Architect Tom Doak simply blazed a path to a golf course that was always there.

The Logo Says it All

2011-10-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Silvery Phacelia (Phacelia Argenta)

While working closely with the local fauna on the Bandon Preserve I got it in my head that the silvery phacelia plant would be the perfect place to start a logo concept. The silvery phacelia is a rare dune plant which thrives in the open sand dunes of Oregon’s south coast. Its largest known population exists on the Southern tip of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (follow the link to learn more about the conservation effort of the silvery phacelia plant at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Takin' it All In by Jeff Stein).

In order to bring my idea to fruit I decided to enroll myself in a bronze casting class at South West Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, Oregon. I spent two nights a week for two months developing the logo through its many and varied stages of production, not a simple task.

I started with a carefully molded wax model and was able to reproduce my design five times from a "mother mold" that I created from the original. The bronzing process was a success, but much more painstaking than I anticipated. Each of the five silvery phacelia statues, in addition to ten smaller single bronze leafs, required hours of finish grinding and sanding because of the imperfect process that is bronze casting. In an attmept to put together the killer marketing package I created a graphic design of the stautes that I hope with make it as the offical logo of the Bandon Preserve.

I am obviously proud to have taken an idea born of my own physical work and then to create an object that holds space with weight and texture, it is extremely satisfying. The last step to unify the idea in my head was a marketable graphic that could be printed, embroidered, or stamped. The graphic design process was something even more foreign to me. For this I hired an extremely talented artist, Jon Snider of Goodspeed Graphics. We corresponded through e-mails and pictures of my bronze statues. From our distant communication we were able to come up with a pretty good preliminary design that I hope will please those in marketing at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Preliminary Logo

I have relished the opportunity to fully immerese myself in all aspects of the Bandon Preserve project. Through my experiences working on the golf course I received a first class education from Bill Coore and design associate Dave Zinkand. At the same time I learned about development, project management, maintanence practices, and marketing. Its been one of my best learning experiences so far on the job and I can't wait to begin my next project.

Takin' it all In, The Bandon Preserve

2011-02-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

I decided to publish this one on Out and Back, an online golf journal that I greatly admire. The journal is run by Thomas Dunne, former senior editor for Travel + Leisure Golf magazine. Mr. Dunne's "...site is an attempt to bring some of the qualities that readers enjoy in a printed magazine–among them strong writing, an editorial point-of-view, a commitment to clarity and accuracy–to the Web....Editorially, the goal is to create a haven for original writing and, as resources grow, to fairly compensate professionals and talented “part-time” writers for their work."

I am not only thrilled to be working on this new and exciting project, but also participating in a growing community of online journalism.

Clearing

2011-02-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Clearing is an on-going process throughout the construction of a golf course and an art form all on its own. If you clear too much the golf hole may look out of place and if you clear too little the hole appears crowded. It is a balance that starts by peeling away the layers from the center, out.

Pictured above is a natural area with a sparse covering of beach grass, moss, and native grasses. We are attempting to replicate this look in our initial clearing around the perimeter of this hole. Pictured below is Zach Varty standing in waist-high beach grass prior to clearing. The second photo illustrates the vegetation that Zach and I have manually cleared.

(Before) / (After)

(Before) / (After)

The primary objective of this task was to reveal the contours of the dunes without disturbing the natural land forms. At the same time I am thinking how to visually break up any obvious line between what was cleared and what was not. In some instances we will keep the thin cover "look", gradually blending vegetation into the boundary of play. In other cases, after revealing the true shape of the dunes, the top 6 inches will be carefully stripped and later seeded with native fescue within the playing corridor. Pictured below is an area in front of a green that was cleared by hand. After getting a look at the contours it was decided to strip the remaining moss and grasses to provide a more consistent approach to the green.

An understanding of scale is the key to achieving the right look in any given space, whether working with large trees or low shrubs. While clearing beach grass on the Bandon Preserve I am learning that the transition between the playing corridor and the native areas does not begin on the periphery. Instead, finding what is pleasing to the eye starts closer to the middle. Depending on the particular space, I might skew towards the left or the right to frame a transition between the immediate playing area and the native vegetation. In the context of this project visual symmetry is not necessarily desired while randomness and is favored.

A Checklist for Day 1

2011-02-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

I started my first official day of work at the Bandon Preserve today with my housemate and co-worker Zach Varty. We got up bright and early to receive our first assignment from construction manager and golf architect Dave Zinkand. We met at the gravel staging area left of the 2nd green just after 7:30 am. Dave walked us around the site and handed me a notebook and Zach a yardage laser.

Assignment #1: Shoot all distances from the center of the tee to the center of the green on each hole, record them, report back.

Assignment #2: Measure total square feet of all greens and tees.

Assignment #3: Clear all the scotch broom and beach grass you can find in the line of play (this is when I knew I would have some serious job security). The site was largely covered in shore pines, gorse, scotch broom and beach grass before initial clearing. Zach and I are the two man team assigned to climb all over these wavy-gravy dunes, clearing the invasive and unwanted plant material, to expose the native dune plants laying below. Half of the time we are simply pulling beach grass to highlight some very interesting dune contours.

The layers of overgrowth are slowly peeling away and we are seeing some cool stuff out on the Preserve.

Are you sure you want to design golf courses?

2011-01-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Designing golf courses seems to many golfers as if it would be a dream come true. The truth is that everyone would like to be calling the shots, making key decisions, and putting his or her stamp on the project. It's nice to be the boss.

The reality is that you don't get to be the boss until your dues have been paid. In a recent meeting with architect Bill Coore and associate Dave Zinkand, at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Coore recounted his beginnings in the golf business. "I put on waders and stood in swamp water up to my thighs. We were chain sawing trees, clearing for a golf course." Are you sure you want to be designing golf courses, Coore asked with a grin. Point taken.

I then told my sob story about my first gig building golf courses, at the Old Macdonald Golf Links right here in Bandon. I thought I would be building bunkers or shaping fairways, you know something cool. Instead I was sent out to an area roughly the size of 10 football fields with a bucket and was told to pick up all stones I could find that week. No one shed any tears for me but we all chuckled.

Fins up at the Biltmore, Miami, Florida

2011-01-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

There is a special old-timey feeling that you get while driving up to the Biltmore hotel. The Biltmore boasts not only a 1925 Donald Ross golf course but also a 15 story tower standing sentinal over the layout. Against the mostly flat property the tower appears even bigger, adding to the ambiance and charm of this golden age golf course.

When I first played the Biltmore about 10 years ago the 5th hole was a medium length par 4. However, much to my surprise and delight the routing was somewhat different this time around. Ross's routing allowed for several different sequences and was easily altered. In its current sequence the rhythm and flow of the round of the round is vastly improved. Golf architect Mike Devries wrote an excellent article on the subject, using Dr. Alistair Mackenzie's work at the Meadow Club as an example. Playing the Biltmore on this day was like discovering a brand new golf course all over again.

The new 5th hole, formerly the 18th, is a 90-degree dogleg right with a deceptive array of bunkers guarding the fairway. The tee shot asks the golfer to make a somewhat uneasy risk/reward decision at just the right time in the round. Flashed up bunker faces also make it difficult to judge the distances between the bunkers guarding the inside and outside corner of the dogleg. One must decide whether to drive over the bunkers and cut the hole in half or to drive safely up an unobstructed fairway. As a finishing hole the options presented are compelling in a tight match, however the ensuing trade off in the routing is far superior.

Old Routing

New Routing

Red = Front Nine
Green = Back Nine

By trading the old 18th for the new 5th, the golf course saves two of its best holes for the finish.

For me this trade-off makes the biggest difference in the flow of the round. The old routing orders holes 6- 9 around the baranca which requires difficult shot making. In the new routing holes 7, 8, and 9 remain in order but the difficult 6th (now 17) is saved for the climax of the golf course.

Both holes (17 & 7) present considerable risk/reward decisions over the baranca but back to back these holes put too much pressure on the golfer. In regard to the flow of the round it is much preferred that they are separated in the order of play and it also gives an observant golfer a close up look to the 17th green from the 7th tee.

Risk/Reward # 7 Tee Shot

The new 18th is a reachable par 5 which can make for an exciting finish. It is a strong hole guarded by bunkers all up the left side finishing with a large but flat green. After playing the new routing I was reminded of the point made by Mr. Devries in his article on rhythm and flow that a golf course is made up of a collection of holes to make a whole! Although the new finishing hole is not as extreme or flashy as the risk/reward 5th, the golfer is instead rewarded with a complete golf course emphasized by a sound routing and an appropriate build up of shot making required from the golfer.

The new par-5 15th is a true three shot hole with an excellent green site located above a lurking baranca. One should take plenty of club on the third shot to avoid getting too close to the steep

slope of the awaiting canal. The putting surface is shaped like a saddle, high on the left and right, sloping heavily from back to front, as are many of the greens at the Biltmore.

The old 5th has now becomes the new 16th, a gentle par 4. The golfer should look to score on 16 as the new 17th presents the most difficult approach to a green on the entire golf course. From the tee the golfer can see the wooden bulkheads that separate the green from the winding baranca. The 17th is a long par 4 that requires a strong drive over a cluster of trees on the right side of the fairway to gain the best approach to this well protected green. A poorly executed drive demands a smart lay up on the second shot or risk a 200 yard+ carry over water to an elevated green. Once you get to the green a two putt is not guaranteed on this heaving green, featuring several tiers and lots of slope coming at you from back to front.

In this opinion I have only tackled the meaty parts of the golf course who owe their character to the baranca that winds its way through 6 holes. The rest of the course is also pretty darn good, featuring deceptive fore-bunkers purposfully set in the line of play.

Depending on which tee you play the golf course could be extremely playable or difficult. There are two sets of back tees which seemed to be added at some point after the original construciton of the golf course, probably to accomodate the growing distance of the golf ball. Many of the standard white tees (~6,000 yards) are very close to the previous green, which I enjoyed as a walking golfer, but I found this a bit too short as I hit mostly wedges and lower irons into the par 4's.

The Biltmore is one of my favorite places to play golf in South Florida and will continue to provide enjoyable golf for many more golfers who may see other versions of its creative and adaptive routing.

It's in the details...

2010-09-01T02:47:00.001-07:00

The difference between a good job and one that is just average won't seem like much to the casual observer as the measure of a thorough job lays in the little details around the edges of a golf course. A rough edge between the green and approach can ruin the look of some genuinely good work if done poorly. A casual observer may recognize the obvious, tees, fairways, and greens, but may not notice all the work the goes into making these features appear natural in their place. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into tying the edges of critical architectural features into their surroundings. Although deserving of credit, "tie-in" work should go un-noticed, making the golf course appear as if it were always there.

On the current renovation project I am working on in Cromwell, NZ we are tying clean edges from the footprint of the new greens to their surrounding fairway and rough.

By cutting a clean edge we can "key" the run of turf into a slot that comes up to the level of the existing fairway, thus creating a clean edge.

Above is an example of a finished edge. The turf here has only been laid on the ground for less than two weeks. After a thick top dressing, watering, and a roll you can hardly recognize the transition between green and fairway.

The Renovation of the Cromwell Golf Club, NZ

2010-08-11T01:34:00.000-07:00

Here is an illustration of some of the work I have been a part of in the last few days. I have come onto the project during the grassing stage of the green build which involves wrestling with massive rolls of sod and getting sand in your shorts. The process can be tedious and exhausting but it is quite satisfying once you have all the turf on the ground. Tomorrow I am going to learn how to dig a trench in a small digger, no sarcasm here, I am very excited!

Back in the Game

2010-07-29T01:06:00.000-07:00

What do young mobile and unemployed golf construction workers do when work is scarce? Go abroad, of course! Post construction at Old Macdonald I have had a series of job leads which have gone the way of the dodo, projects which could have taken me to places like Nebraska, Michigan, Florida, and even Scotland. In the end I took the most immediate opportunity to go on a golfing odyssey in New Zealand and Australia. In between time, I have taken jobs volunteering my work for accommodation on organic farms, pruning grape vines, and washed dishes just to get by. In a moment of desperation I recently walked over to the local golf course in Wanaka and directly asked the superintendent for a job. Being that the golf course is in dormancy there were no jobs to be had but I was put in touch with TIC, the only golf construction firm in NZ. I set up a meeting for the next day and before I knew it I was offered the job! Unbelievably 14 months have passed since I worked on a construction crew, time sure does fly.

I will be participating on a project which involves the reconstruction of 5 greens and the re-routing of the Cromwell Golf Club. Located in Cromwell, NZ I will be commuting 100km each day through the completion of the project in October. Interestingly, the site is blessed with deep sandy subsoils, much like Old Macdonald, on the Oregon coast. I am looking forward to this project as it presents an opportunity to apply many of the skills I learned on my last project. It will no doubt be another tremendous learning experience! I can't wait to begin.

Pictures to come....

The Metropolitan Golf Club

2010-05-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

April 21, 2010

"Three beers and three steak sandwiches, please." We were told not to miss the steak sandwich in Metropolitan's grill rooom, someone suggested it was nearly the best part of coming to the club. It was prpbably another member of one of Melbourne's other illustrious clubs. I took the lunch reccommendation very seriously, but once again I vowed to be as objective as possible while seeing the golf course for the first time. So we sat waiting for our food and began tallying the scores, recounting the highlights of the day.

The first highlight was being greeted by former professional golfer turned full time golf architect Mike Clayton. Mr. Clayton is probably most well known for his collaboration with Tom Doak on the design and construction of Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links. Mr. Clayton made a great gesture by coming to greet us on the tee. Unable to join us for our Wednesday morning round he took the time to chat, watch us tee off (I somehow managed to find the fairway with my drive) and wish us well for the day as we left the 10th tee in warm morning sunlight.

We were all immeadiatly impressed by a secluded and natural feeling on the golf course, amplified by many small chirping birds and squawking parrots. An ideal setting found only in Australia.

The back nine begins with a slight dogleg left played to a green which is open to a running approach. The next hole standing at 140 meters is a real stunner. All by itself, this short hole requires a precise approah over two large bunkers guarding the left and right sides of the green. Once on the green, a ridge protrudes naturally from the back edge of the front right bunker across to the back of the green, creating two distinct putting zones. Highlight here, we all made 3!

On the very next hole an interesting option is presented off the tee with a large diagonal cross bunker splitting the fairway in two. Having never played here before we all decided to go with the unknown and attempted a carry over to the right side of the fairway. It would be nice to come back and attempt a play down the left side, but I'd probably just repeat my bogey save from the bunkers around this well protected green.

The par 3 13th was out of play so we skipped straight over to the strong and strategic 474 meter par 5 14th. A well placed bunker on the left side guards against a thoughtless drive. A long drive up the right side is required to attempt a well placed second shot that will surely cash in on this hole. Depending on the location of the pin on this large perched green your lay up will be directed to the left or right side of the fairway. The hardest pin to get to would be a front right pin as the left side of the fairway is patrolled by a deep bunker running diagonally away from the line of play.

The next highlight came on the short par 4 16th. The landing area affords plenty of room to the left but the fairway turns nearly 90 degrees around a cluster of bunkers off the right side of the fairway. It is a deceptive hole from the tee and requires more than a little course knowledge to get the drive right. A long iron or fairway wood played to the left will leave about 140 meters to the green. My super human partners attempted driver over the corner while I was once again confronted with my golfing mortality, having to "smartly" attempt driver just left of the corner bunkers. While my partners sat snuggly in the neck of the dogleg my drive was snared by the last possible bunker on the sharp dog leg. I then expertly lofted a sand iron just past the pin and meekly two putted for my par. Phewww! A good par on a fun "thinkers" hole.

The front nine also impressed us with some strong holes. Namely the first which puts on an impressive display of bunkering along the entire hole. The green is heavily guarded on both sides requiring a precise approach for so early in the round, not an easy starter.

The second hole is also a good par 3 at 143 meters, but only a watered down version of the 11th hole. Both have similar settings, alone amongst the trees and guarded in front by bunkers. However, the number two hole is only slightly less dramatic from a visual standpoint.

The other par 3 to note on the front nine would be the 19th hole which we were delighted to play. The hole itself is only a short uphill wedge from the tee, but it was interesting to see the clubs' extra hole as we did at New South Wales. The planning of a 19th hole is a very useful addition to any club as it allows work to be done on various holes around the golf course without disrupting the 18 hole loop.

The last of the golfing highlights came on our 18th hole or the 9th. The drive is obscured off the tee by some mounding of a time gone past. However, the mounds make for any interesting perspective from the tee and hide the severity of the dogleg. All three of us drove through the left side of the fairway because of the well camoflauged dogleg. The second shot also proves to be a stern challenge as you must not miss long or left. Either result will surely end in bogey or worse. Almost comically, all three of us ended up directly behind the green. As some members casually walked past we could hear the teasing as we sized up our delicate chip shots. All we could do was smile and take our bogeys back to the grill room.

Since the cats are out of the bag on Metropolitan's golf course, I'll ease the tension some more and bring in the verdict on the steak sandwich. I assure you that it was an excellent sandwich and went down faster than my beer. However any dining experience that does not include the words "all you can eat lobster" would fall short of the satisfaction that you get from playing just 18 holes at the Metropolitan Golf Club.

Golfing Australia: The Royal Melbourne Golf Club 20/4/10

2010-05-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

Fresh off our morning round at Commonwealth, our group took a short cab ride over to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The mighty Royal Melbourne, this is the image I held in my imagination. As one of the most renowned courses in the Sandbelt, I was hearing polar opposite opinions of the place for better and worse. The legend of Royal Melbourne will no doubt grow as the President's Cup returns in November 2011, but I intended to be as objective as possible. I would walk to the first tee at Royal Melbourne West with open eyes and see for myself.

Boy did my eyes get opened, wide open. In fact, wide is a good word if you only had one to describe the golf. Royal Melbourne was built to a grand scale, noticably bigger than the others of the Sandbelt. The fairways offer considerably different lines of play from side to side and the greens come in a variety of sizes, part of the brilliance of their design. Some par 3's offer big targets like the famous 5th hole while the shorter par 5's have smaller greens, protecting against aggressive plays to have the green in two.

(5th hole 161m par 3)

The golf course gets real good starting on the famous boomerang right par 5 fourth. Played from the proper tee this hole can accommadate all skill ranges. The trick is to make the heoric uphill carry over a set of bunkers on the left. If one manages to get far enough down the ensuing hill going for the green is possible. Starting with this hole I knew I was in to see a special golf course.

(4th hole 461m Par 5)

The edges of the holes at RM, like Victoria, had sand exposed through the turf, giving you the feeling that you were on a different category of golf course. Another special feature of Royal Melboure is how big the place feels, almost like you are golfing through a game reserve. Once you get on the golf course there isn't so much as a passing airplane to bring you back to reality.

(4th hole from the fairway)

(12th hole 435m Par 5)

There were a few detractions that I would like to note however: Much of the sandy waste areas were overgrown with vegetation. Our host told us many of these plants had been beefed up since the use of automatic irrigation. The look of the course and playability would change for the better if all that extra low brush were thinned out lending to a more sandy appearance. I was slightly dissapointed by this as any ball hit into the waste was almost surely lost under the low growth. 2. The greens were extremely slow. I was able to overlook this shortfall in conditioning, however it's a shame we were not able to see the course in its top condition like the other courses in the Sandbelt. 3. A menacing lightning storm off in the bay threatened to either kill us or soak us for our entire round. Luckily we did not get struck by a single drop of water or one bolt of lightning. The rain only came in buckets as we sat relaxing over our Carlton Draughts.

Having finished our 36 hole day at Royal Melbourne those beers couldn't have tasted any sweeter as we reflected on the world class golf that we had seen on this day. Commonwealth had the conditions to match any club in the Sandbelt and Royal Melbourne will have to live up to those standards if they are to make a good impression at the President's Cup. It seems that they are experimenting with their turf, for example, a 10 yard ring of fescue will play around all of the greens to combat some notoriously dry conditions. It was an odd look but it still needs time to weather in.

(15th Hole 434m Par 5)

Through the shaggy greens however, the heart and soul of Royal Melbourne shines through easily. The qualityof the golf holes combined with the grandeur of the property make Royal Melbourne one of the special places for golf in the world. It is an incredible facility of which I only saw 18 holes! The composite course that will be put in play for the President's Cup should be something special.

Commonwealth Golf Club

2010-05-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Its just after 7am on a sunny morning in Melbourne. Kyle, Joe and I slide into the leather seats of our cab and head for Commonwealth Golf Club. Groggy but all happy to be driven to another sanctuary of golf. We arrive to the club around 7:40am and walk to the pro shop to meet our gracious host Robert Messina. He hands us each a brand new sleeve of Titleist Pro-V-1's and directs us to the locker room.

Not a bad way to start the day. When you walk into the locker rooms at Commonwealth you feel the great sense of pride and history of one of the Sandbelts oldest clubs. Trophies, pictures, and plaques surround you as you sit on old wooden benches among rows of wooden lockers. It is one of the great locker rooms of the Sandbelt.

After soaking in some history we're all ready to hit the tee, first off for the day. In glistening sunshine, the four of us tee off on an immaculatlely prepared golf course which just played host to an Australian Womens professional event. The whole course played fast and firm especially the greens which were approaching the "lightning" vector on your stipmeters at home.

Commenwealth has an excellent opening stretch of holes and some very challenging short holes. The ninth is a potentential wrecker. Not only are there gaping bunkers protecting the front edge of the green but the hole plays almost imperceptively uphill and through a shoot of trees, making club selection difficult.

On the way in the 17th hole is a difficult short par 4 seemingly birdieable but emanently harder than it appears. A long iron off the tee must be accurate to the right side of a narrow fairway or choose the other option and rip driver as close to the green as possible. I tried option 2 and was left with 65 yards to a green pitched heavily from front to back. I landed my ball on the front edge of the green and still could not stop it until it reached the back. Four is a good score here.

Of the courses we saw in the Sandbelt, Commonwealth probably has the least elevation change, but it had the most total yardage from the back tees. All of the holes here were of top quality asking us to execute precisely. One of the most important strategies to execute was missing on the right side of the hole, short-siding yourself in a bunker at Commonwealth is the quickest way to get double bogey dust all over your golf ball (it sure is hard to wipe that dust off of your score card).

Commonwealth is a fun course to play with some buddies, but I would probably not be inclined to come back and play it by myself. It just doesn't have that extra appeal. Unfortunately for the sake of this club it gets overshadowed by the stable of over qualified tracks just minutes away. The bottom line is that Commonwealth Golf Club is an excellent members course, which I would be more than satisfied to play on a weekly basis. It was an honor to be a guest for a day at a club so rich in history and atmosphere.

Gutted

2010-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Never assume. A good lesson to learn. It turns out I won't be going to Scotland this summer. In what seems a strange turn of events to me, I was originally offered the job at the end of April only to hear that it was being pushed back until the Fall. Then I receive an e-mail on May 13 asking if I was still interested to go. Of course! This is where I fell trap to excitement and assumption. Renaissance is assembling a team of men most likely shipping off from the US and giving an opportunity to some new guys who have not worked with them before. The project in Askernish is on a tight budget for time and money and New Zealand is just a bit too far to ship the talent.

There is always more work in the pipelines...

BREAKING NEWS...

2010-05-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

I am flying to Glasgow on my way to Askernish in the outer islands of Scotland. This is the chance of a lifetime to work on the renovation of an original Old Tom Morris golf course, the father of golf architecture. Once "lost" and buried under wild flowers and heather, Askernish golf course is being rediscovered and massaged to meet the modern golf markets around the world. I could not be more excited to be travelling to the home of golf and participate in the history of the game. 10 days and counting...

The Sandbelt of Melbourne

2010-05-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

The Victoria Golf Club
19/4/10

Victoria was a last minute selection for our trip to the Sandbelt. Had I really known about this gem my group and I would have planned our arrival a bit better. The first lesson we learned on this golf trip was never to count on your budget airline carrier to ensure a speedy arrival of your marginally overweight golf bags. Over an hour after landing in Melbourne we hopped into a cab and headed straight to the golf course. The one smart thing we did was dress in our golf clothes prior to boarding our 8am flight from Sydney. This gave us just enough time to tie our shoe laces and take our ceremonial first tee photograph.

The first hole at Victoria is a precursor for what lays ahead of you. The fairway and green are both heavily bunkered begging for a smart decision from the tee. There are a few tricks to learn at Victoria, but clear strategies are presented from tee to green demanding the golfer to make smart choices. The penalties are great for missing the green on the wrong side. The bunkering at Victoria is the epitome of the Sandbelt courses. Deep and dug straight from the sandy earth beneath, the bunkers are seamlessly tied in to the edges of the playing surfaces. They also present a real hazard as it is up to the player to figure out just how deep the sand is under the ball.

In concert with the seemingly random surface of the bunkers Victoria exhibited the sandy nature of its site the best of any of the Sandbelt courses we played. There was a wild and untamed look to margins of the well maintained playing surfaces that stood out against a more country club feel at Commonwealth and Metropolitan. Most of the par 3 holes (arguably the best holes) required a carry over these sandy waste areas, combined with formal bunkers the targets were somewhat obscured by a sea of sand. Very cool!

As soon as you step on to the first tee at Victoria you get the sense that you are in for a special day. The golf course never lets you down, leading you from green to tee while gently meandering through 18 solid holes. On this day the Victoria Golf Club played fast and firm providing us with the quintisential golf experience of Melbourne.

Golfing Australia

2010-05-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Three months ago after a round of golf at Kinloch in NZ I said to two friends that we should all go to Tasmania. It was only a suggestion, but that is all it took to convince these two mad golfers (three including myself). I can hardly believe that now I am writing about my latest golf trip to Australia, accompanied by two golf buddies Kyle Butler from Dallas/Fort Worth Texas and Joe Campo of Leland, Michigan.

We set out together from Auckland to see for ourselves what Australian golf was all about. We explored the striking harbor views of La Peruse from New South Wales in Sydney, then to then vast and sandy expanse that is the sandbelt of Melbourne, and on to the rugged and remote Barnbougle dunes in Bridport, Tasmania, and lastly, back to Sydney for another picture perfect day of golf. It was the golf trip to end all golf trips, squeezed in to ten days. We played 7 of the best golf courses in Australia, all globally recognized. I know I missed a few but I certainly got the picture of just how good the golf courses can be. This trip fulfilled a promise to myself and the best part is that I got to share it with so many people along the way.
Pictured from left to right: Kyle, Joe, Jeff, and Olympic gold medalist James Tomkins, after a round of golf at Barnbougle Dunes.

Golfing Down Under

2010-04-01T17:36:00.001-07:00

I am arriving in Sydney, Australia on April 17th for another golfing adventure! On this trip I will be accompanied by two friends from Cape Kidnappers. We will be making our way from Sydney to Melbourne and then to Tasmania, hitting every architecturally significant course possible.

Updates soon...

Mahia Beach Golf Club, Mahia, NZ

2010-03-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have a day off from work, where should I go play golf? This question usually dictates most of my free days. The next step is then to open up google maps and survey a region of New Zealand which I have not yet explored, Mahia. Laying directly across the Hawkes Bay, the mountainous penninsula of Mahia can be seen on clear days while standing on the cliffs of Cape Kidnappers. Since I usually look for golf courses as close to a body of water as possible the nine hole Mahia Beach Golf Club was easy to find. Only a small road accessing the penninsula separates the golf course from the bay.

Laying in low sand dunes the golf course crawls through narrow sandy passages on the first 3 holes and then navigates its way through a few marshy patches. The 8th hole is sandwiched between a large stand of pines and dunes, while the 9th, the most dramatic hole on the course opens up to a large field with its green sitting atop an interesting complex of natural mounds, lovingly named The Cleavage.

For a links course the turf conditions were a bit dissapointing as the ground was covered in a spongy and gnarly thatch of kikuyu grass. The result of maintaining sucha a turf was that the ball did not bounce and run as I expected in the wonderful setting of these dunes. For a country course owned, operated, and maintained by its 70 members the Mahia Beach Golf Club is a delightful place to find golfing comraderie.

I had the pleasure to have a few drinks with some of the members of this small club on a sunday evening after their regular game. We sat in the upstairs room of their club facing the panorama of Mahia Beach, sharing stories and singing songs. A wonderful group of golfers they were and most welcoming to their guest from NYC.

57 Holes at Cape Kidnappers and Shultze's Quest for the Top 100

2010-03-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just caddied for Bill Schultz, a fellow GCA'er, at Cape Kidnappers this week. It was course #93 on Bill's quest to 100. Although dedicated and passionate about golf, anyone who would embark on such a mission must be a truely sick individual (he is a good man nonetheless, Bill brought his family to NZ to share in his journey). While caddying I thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop banter about the merits of one hole to the next and many other thoughts about the game.

Our first 36 holes flew by, and we were subject to two different wind directions in the same day, a real treat for someone who really enjoyed the golf course. The next day included a 3 hole warm-up followed by some circumnavigating through the fescue back to the first tee for the real 18. I dutifully waited on the first green as I watched Bill hustle back to the tee. In my time as a caddy I have met a lot of people and seen a lot of things but Bill is clearly an all-timer. I have a lot of love and sympathy in my heart for golfers like Bill mainly because I see a little piece of myself in his love for the game and its playing grounds.

Kudos to Bill and any others on their way to the Top 100!

Mr. Robertson's Caddy Dinner

2010-03-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

Dining with Mr. Roberston in the wine cellar of the Cape Kidnappers lodge will be one meal I will never forget. Julian, as he prefers to be called, sat at the head of the long oak table surrounded by six of his finest caddies and three golf professionals. The five course meal lived up to the incredible setting of our dining room as we were served by five different attendants who never let our wine glasses even approach half empty. I should also mention that we were all dressed in our best clothes and were donning our finest dinner jackets (provided by the lodge). The setting was quite formal but the conversation was not. Julian likes to crack jokes and ask about our social lives while living in Napier. He is highly opinionated and open to a good argument, although no one really took on the challenge, myself included (this took all of my restraint).

My big question of the evening asked how each of the architects for Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers were chosen. I asked how he came to each decision and what he learned from his first project at Kauri Cliffs. Apparently Julian was very impressed with David Harmon's work at Orange County National, outside of Orlando, FL. Harmon served as architect and contractor, this was highly appealing as a business proposition. I have played both of Harmon's courses in Orlando and enjoyed my golf there.

As for Cape Kidnappers, Tom Doak was selected almost by chance. Scheduled to play his first 36 holes at the Bandon Dunes golf course in 2000, Julians plans were altered as he was denied his wish to play 36 at Bandon. The newly successul resort offered to let him first play the brand new Pacific Dunes golf course, designed by Tom Doak. It was love at first sight, Julian recalled. Perhaps if he had played Bandon Dunes first, Cape Kidnappers might be a David Kidd design....

Kinloch, A Jack Nicklaus Experience

2010-03-08T22:34:00.001-08:00

There was much anticipation leading up to my first round of golf on a Jack Nicklaus golf course. Although Jack's courses can draw lots of critiscm from the "art in architecture" crowd, many of the Nicklaus designs are deserving of their credit. I was hoping Kinloch would live up to the Nicklaus brand name.

Kinloch impressed me in many ways. The fairways are seemlessly crumpled, there are vast and beautiful meadows between holes, and the fescue fairways added to the visual impression of a true links layout. The par fives offered mulitple lines of attack and the par fours were creative and unique. The majority of the one shot holes however do not provide an open run to the green. In fact most of the approaches force the average golfer at Kinloch to flounder along the shores of the greens among the many sentinal bunkers.
The general reasoning behind my criticsm is that Kinloch asks the average golfer for too much on and around the greens. The waving contours seemed to transition too steeply from one pin location to the next. I was warned of the target style greens characteristic of many Nicklaus courses, Kinloch is no different. There is certainly some controversy that can be stirred on the greens at Kinloch but this is old news in the architecture community.

I do not enjoy being critical of any golf course, especially one as fun and adventurous as this. While the aura of the links is clearly evident on the practice tee Kinloch quickly shows its true colors as a target first golf course. Kinloch is a must play in New Zealand and will test your mettle should you be looking for a challenge.

Giving Back to the game

2010-02-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

I have had many thoughts about how to get into the profession of golf course design. One of my first instincts was to create inner city pitch and putt facilities. One such facility is going up in Detroit, designed by none other than my hero architect Tom Doak! He is supporting the midnite golf foundation, http://www.midnightgolf.org/ , in their efforts to help inner city youths escape their troubled neighborhoods.

I love the idea of giving back to communities through the game of golf and would love the opportunity to put my ideas to practice on small scale projects like this.

Here is the SI article describing Tom Doak's involvement in the Midnite Golf Program
http://www.golf.com/golf/courses_travel/article/0,28136,1967328,00.html

Summer Mackenzie Series: Pasatiempo

2010-02-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Pasatiempo was brought to life by the vision of Marion Hollins one of the great woman golfers of all time. Shortly after the success of her other pet project, Cypress Point, Hollins enlisted Alistair Mackenzie to once again produce a masterpiece upon a parcel of rolling hills just outside of Santa Cruz, California.
The front nine is draped effortlessly across large hillsides and several dramatic ravines are saved for the back nine. Dr. Mackenzie an expert in depth deception, fiercely guards his greens with many bunkers flashed up to appear next to the edge of the green. Not only do the bunkers provide visual intimidation but once on the greens golfers will find challenging contours to negotiate a par. On the 16th, I barely escaped disaster with a 3-putt bogey after hitting my ball above the hole on this famous green.

The 16th hole is the pinnacle example of strategy that the golfer is well advised to consider before attempting an assault on these greens. A round of golf here completely immerses the golfer in the task at hand and the beauty of the rolling hills around you. Simply put, Pasatiempo is pure golfing bliss from the moment you stick your peg in the ground on the first tee box to picking your ball out of the 18th hole.

Mr. Begley

2010-02-10T01:34:00.000-08:00

I caddied for an Irishman last week at Cape Kidnappers and was priveleged to some interesting Irish story telling. We played the front nine in less than 1 1/2 hours, but the course was crowded on this day and we stopped after 9 for coffee and lunch. After lunch we were walking to Mr. Begley's ball in the right rough on #10 when a quick story came to mind. He began to tell me that he walked into a pub and sat down next to an old man at the bar and offered to buy him a drink. The old man politely declined and explained that four beers was his limit before lunch! On this day Mr. Begley confirmed a few notions of Irish golfers for me: they play fast, have fun, and enjoy a good drink before and after the round.

Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, NZ

2010-01-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

The golf course at Kauri Cliffs is a wonder in the world of modern golf courses. Perched on top of a small mountain the clubhouse allows expansive views of the entire front nine and the Matauri Bay. When walking (not suggested) this golf course one senses a true cross country golfing experience. The front nine straddles and climbs the sides of former cattle pastures before getting you out to the cliffs edge for the spectacular seventh hole, a tough par 3 across a chasm. The back nine begins by climbing down into a valley which shares holes 10, 11, and 12. Hole 13, Tablelands climbs out to a ridge and the sense of the ocean becomes stronger. No where in the world have I seen such dramatic cliffside golf starting on the fourteenth hole! Golfers are then treated to uninhibited and inspiring views of the Cavalli islands and the surrounding bay for four spectacular golf holes before again climbing back home to the clubhouse. The views are good and the golf is great. Somehow architect David Harmon was able to create a place for these golf holes among heaving pastures, high ridges and rolling cliffs along the ocean. I was left in awe of the grand scale of this course and left with a great satisfaction to have seen this amazing property.

Summer Series: Mackenzie

2010-01-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

In June I drove with a friend down the Oregon coast into California on a mission, sent by the ghost of Mackenzie to see the excalibur of golf courses, golf's holy grail, Cypress Point. Simply driving the windy 17mile drive through the misty morning in Monterrey was enough to raise goosebumps. The entrance is unassuming, a small wooden sign, Cypress Point Club, members only. I was thrilled just to be standing in the parking lot! There is actually a photo recording the breadth of my smile in said parking lot, it was even broader as I stood on the 16th green tending the pin.

Cypress point is said to be Mackenzie's masterpiece, a golf course on land the designer said was unmatched in its beauty and variety. I have never seen such a natural place so meticulously looked after. The roots of this property are clearly seen in the crashing waters, sandy dunes, and colorful bushes. Like a fine piece of artwork hanging in a museum, the design of Cypress Point is framed in a wild and dynamic environment.
There is a pleasant rhythm to the walk around the golf course as the feeling of excellence never fades. The bunker edges are neat and fluffy with lone strands of fescue waving in the sea breeze and the greens are flawless.

I fear there is little I can add to the discussion of this incredible combination of wild beauty and sound golf design. My only hope is that my words and pictures can open a window of experience for anyone who is curious to witness heaven on earth.

Oreti Sands Links, Invercargill, New Zealand

2010-01-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

The "World's Southern-most 18 Hole Golf Links", it says it right on the front of the scorecard! I believe this only means that I have come a long way from Staten Island to play some golf. Well, I didn't come all this way to lay up, right? I went straight for the back tees. This mistake cost me more golf balls than I was prepared to lose.

The combination of a strong wind and a unique layout required more orientation than I expected. The front nine twists its way through some wild low-land sand dunes, covered in shining thick native grasses. Oreti boasts a varied and unique topography but lacks in firm links conditions to take advantage of the playing strategies.

The second nine opens up into a large meadow and back out to some large trees, finishing among a small audience of sand dunes, unwinding a testing round of golf. Overall Oreti offered an exciting round as I discovered each hole and is worth a look if you ever make it this far for a round of golf.

Tokanui Golf Club, Fortrose, New Zealand

2010-01-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Following my spectacular links experience in Dunedin I was hungry for more! This next stop in New Zealand is arguably the most southern golfing links in the land. Tokanui Golf Club is a rumpled and rugged 9-hole sheep track, forty minutes outside of Invercargill. This 9-holer couldn't feel any more remote. Having hugged the coast in my car through the Catlin mountain range I pulled up to the golf course over a gravelled one car bridge, passing several scallop farmers, in full waders, up to their chests in the bay. Erol the lone green keeper advised me to take full relief from any tractor ruts in the fairways, I played the ball down however, I felt it to be in the spirit of the day. The golf was fun, but getting here was half the adventure.

Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

2009-12-27T01:45:00.000-08:00

When I set out to drive to the South Island of New Zealand I knew I would be passing one of New Zealand's best golf courses. However, it is a mystery to me why I waited until the end of my trip to play this course. Paraparaumu (or 'Paraparam' in the local vernacular) is one of the few true links courses you can play anywhere in the world. The golf holes here are found simply amonst the nature of the dunes. The course is fairly short, mostly in the length of the reachable par 5's. But the course defends itself well with some narrow fairways, long fescue rough, and some tricky green sites.

Joshua C. F. Smith : Golf Course Landscape Paintings

2009-12-18T22:45:00.000-08:00

I am posting a link to this website because I admire his work. Anyone who is a fan of great landscape art will enjoy, golfer or not.

Joshua C. F. Smith : Golf Course Landscape Paintings

Chisholm Park Golf Links

2009-12-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

I finally found a true New Zealand Links! Chisholm Park rolls on top of large sand dunes and perches itself on a cliff above St. Kilda Beach just 10 minutes from Dunedin's city center. Holes 9, 10, and 11 afford golfers spectacular views of the coastline and surrounding city.
The proximity to the ocean and stunning views draw close comparison bewteen the 10th at Chisholm Park and Pacific Dune's 4th along the cliff's edge in Bandon, Oregon.

Comparing the level of conditioning would be unfair however, Chisholm boasts only 2 green keepers! The fairways exhibited inconsistent turf conditions but the greens rolled surprisingly well. If you are a fan of the links Chisholm Park is cant miss while traveling in New Zealand.

Finding New Zealand's Links

2009-11-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

I started my search 7 days ago after I arrived in Picton from the ferry in Wellington. I have been to 7 golf courses since landing on the south island and the golf got better as I dicovered some great links in Dunedin and Invercargill. Leave it to the Scots to pass on the great tradition of golf amongst the dunes. Pictures to come!

Kiwi Challenge at Cape Kidnappers: Practice Session

2009-11-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some up to the minute pictures of Anothy Kim, Camillo Villegas, and Sean O'hair warming up on their first day before the Kiwi Challenge.

Kiwi Challenge at Cape Kidnappers

2009-11-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Kiwi Challenge is about to kick off its second annual event tomorrow November 11, 2009 at the Cape Kidnappers golf course. There have been many preparations to get the golf course and surrounding facilities ready for the tournament to feature four of the world’s best young golfers: Anthony Kim, Sean O’hair Scott, Camillo Villegas, and returning champion Hunter Mahan. The winner of the 36- hole stroke play event will win 2.4 million kiwi dollars (about 1.7 million USD). Not bad for two days work.
The golf course should play firm through the fairways despite a few recent rain showers and the greens are in pristine condition. Don’t expect any really low scoring if the wind picks up, the golf course will be stretched over 7200 yards.

Cape Kidnappers

2009-11-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some more photos of Cape Kidnappers and some surrounding areas. Although in a far off island, as soon as I stepped on the golf course I felt completely at home. Cape Kidnappers is an incredible setting for golf. My first round at the Cape was truly about the scenery.

I played in a strong gale, similar to the summer conditions I found at Bandon Dunes. Even as the wind howled though I could clearly hear the song birds hover above me as I played, quite amazing. The golf course definitely was able to match its setting as well, a great test of golf.

Caddying for Tom Doak: Part II

2009-11-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Mr. Doak shows up to the first tee with no golf bag and decides that he will borrow clubs from the other three players in the group. This is the second time I have walked 18 holes at Old Macdonald. Back in April I was privileged to play with Mr. Doak and three other intern candidates. The golf course was largely incomplete and we played half on the sand and half on the grass. This time the entire golf course is grassed and reasonably ready for some golf. Mr. Doak is completely in his element and seems relaxed and observant as always. He acts as conductor, telling the group where to place their shots and how far to hit their golf ball (he made my job easy that day). As the day proceeds Mr. Doak moves some of the flag sticks on the new greens, as he deems them "unplayable". I find this a bit amusing. It is an insight for me about the struggle for creative control as a golf course architect.

Mr. Doak hits a few snap hooks, but hits the ball pretty good for someone with his travel schedule and no clubs. I asked where he had been travelling from and got a response that included New York City, Scotland, Netherlands, India, and China. It is clear to see that Doak will be travelling to the corners of the world to design his golf courses and I will have to do the same if I want to get in on the fun.Mr. Doak has an encyclopedic response to almost any question there is to be answered about his designs or the classics. There is not much time for small talk, something I quickly learned while working construction at Old Macdonald. This allows me to focus on my own thoughts as well and make my questions count. There is so much knowledge of golf design to soak up from a master craftsman like Doak, I try to absorb everything I see and hear.

Caddying for Tom Doak

2009-10-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

I awoke before dawn to prepare for a day caddying at the Bandon Dunes golf resort. A warm shower and two eggs over easy got me out the door by 6:00 am. "Jeff Stein, 10 minute call, Pacific Dunes." By 7:30 am I am introducing myself to my group. They are 3 people from Shanghai and one man from Fort Lauderdale. The group is composed of a Chinese golf developer, his two associates and a land planning executive, from Fort Lauderdale. They are at Bandon Dunes to absorb its beauty and to take notes.

I am carrying for Mr. Han Xiding. He is developing a resort which will host Mr. Doak's two newest golf courses on Hainan Island, in the southwest of China. The first course will break ground in November, on an island in the Nandu River. Mr. Doak told me that it would be the equivalent of putting a golf course on Roosevelt Island in NYC. This golf course will be adjacent to the capital city of Haikou. The second is going to be a large project at the northernmost point of the island, at Mulan Bay, with lots and lots of rocky coastline and sandy hills (http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/tom-doak-june-2009).

Tomorrow we will be joined by Tom Doak on his newest creation, Old Macdonald Golf links.