north shore near appleton wis

[mark chalfant]

A  well traveled  friend  told me that this course is  a hidden gem that is
full of  cool features  that  exude  a classical flair. Is anyone familiar with
it.   thanks

[RJ_Daley]

I live near there and spent some time one afternoon riding around in a cart with Bruce Hepner from Doak's firm, as they were planning a remodel.   The course looks very classic and Bruce's ideas were excellent.  

Unfortunately, I never have gotten an invite to play there.  I hope one of these days I'll get that chance.  But, as old classic looking courses go, it had all the neat stuff in a need to be brought back through tree removal, bunker rebuilds, and green reclamation.

That was a few years ago, and I don't really know how much of Bruce's plan they completed.

Not, that Bruce his own self might come on here with his psuedonym of choice and splain it all to us...

[RJ_Daley]

Well, I just got back from a day with superintendent of North Shore, Scott Schaller, who is one of the most talented and resourceful superintendents I have met, and he is from a long line of golf course superintendents in his family.   He grciously showed me the completed Renaissance Team project (except for some minor extra work coming up in the near future).  

As you all know, they did the work at Valley Club of Montecito also which I was lucky enough to see and play this spring.  Bruce Hepner and Brians Slawnik and I think Scheider, with Schaller's crew for labor feakin hit the ball out of the park, and off the reservation with North Shore!!!  It is the most craftsman masterful work I have ever seen.  

I will take some serious time to compile a report with pictures, and perhaps will not post them until the golf season allows me time to do this project justice.  But, you folks ain't going to believe it till you see it.  The "maintenance meld" and conditions that Schaller is providing to compliment Hepner's artistry is a marriage of two people's talents at the very pinnacle of their respective professions.  

[John Engelbrecht]

I couldn't agree more with the well deserved high praise being heaped on North Shore. I have had the pleasure of playing there a couple of times a year for the past several years. A friend of mine is the past president; from what I learned, this is a great example of the club's board and membership getting out of Hepner's way and letting him restore the course to be the best it can be.

Other than member ego's and/or arrogance, why don't more clubs do the same? Perform the proper due diligence on hiring an architect, then get out of his way.