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.
No comments:
Post a Comment