The Modern Golf Course

I was recently involved in a discussion on Golf Club Atlas regarding the balance between subtlety and eye candy on a golf course.  The question asked if a golf course could be overcooked with visual distraction?  I believe this varies greater depending on the architect, character of the site, and time period. The point was also made about a particular golf course feeling highly stylized.  One architect who is most famous (and skilled) for his highly stylized designs in Mike Stranz.  His work at Tobacco Road is so artful, purposed, and screaming with style that it feels artificial despite a beautiful natural setting.

I guess this all comes down to a matter of taste as mine clearly leans toward a seamless natural landscape that happens to have some golf holes draped over the grass.  In the modern day Tom D and Bill Coore do this better than most and have the restraint to let their sites speak for themselves when the opportunity presents itself.

How about C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Mike Stranz, and even Gil Hanse...?

Dismal River Continued...

18th Hole, Par 4

In my last post I used the phrase "latest and greatest remote destination.." to exemplify the kind of golf course which creates buzz and excitement around the world of golf.  This year that golf course is Tom Doak's latest design at the Dismal River Golf Club, in Mullen, Nebraska.  It is a golf course successful in its virtue of modern minimal design.  I can say this with accuracy and truth as I have participated in the construction first hand.  Even the few holes which required significant earth movement, were only disturbed in part to connect fairway landing areas and add playability.  The 2nd and 13th greens required NO earth movement whatsoever.  They were both tilled, cleaned, and planted as we found them.

2nd Hole, Par 4

I believe all those involved in the project all believed in and tried to emulate the principles of design which Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw pioneered at the Sand Hills Golf Club back in 1991.  Today both of these golf courses exist in remote and often harsh conditions.  Where Sand Hills has stood the test of time, Dismal River follows in its foot steps, adding to the wonderful golf experience that can be had in the Sand Hills of Nebraska.

 3rd Hole, Par 3

My contribution to the construction and design of the new course at Dismal River started by mowing out the prairie grass, but I was mostly on the business end of a rake.  No matter what the task it was a really special privilege to be a part of this vision in the Sand Hills and to help create a legacy for world class golf in this region.

 5th Hole, Par 3

6th Hole, Par 4

Bunker work at Dismal River

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.





37 Days at the Dismal River Golf Club

  

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.

Caddying for Tom Doak: Part II

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

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.