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Lester_Bernham

Waterville / Fazio
« on: January 13, 2003, 09:41:11 PM »
From todays Ireland online :


By Charlie Mulqueen
TOM FAZIO, the celebrated golf course architect responsible for ‘Tiger-Proofing’ Augusta, is the man behind the major changes being made to the great Waterville links.


Waterville is consistently ranked among the top five courses in Ireland, and has attracted thousands of overseas visitors, along with the game’s greatest stars and celebrities over the years. The late Payne Stewart was one of the club’s greatest advocates, and a monument to his memory is situated alongside the clubhouse.

Tiger Woods, David Duval, Mark O’Meara, Lee Janzen and Ernie and Stuart Appleby are among the other famous professionals who have used Waterville as the launching pad for their annual challenge on the Open Championship, while, a little further into the past, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Nick Faldo were among its keenest admirers.

However, as secretary/manager Noel Cronin pointed out last night: “Even the greatest courses need a facelift from time to time.”

Accordingly, Waterville chief Jay Connolly decided to hire Tom Fazio to carry out the work. He arrived in Waterville in late October and was thrilled at what he saw.

“Everything about Waterville is truly spectacular,” he said. “The setting is one of the best we have ever seen for golf. Everyone involved with the links has an incredible passion for Waterville’s special place in the game. Management is absolutely committed to preserving Waterville’s unique heritage and we are honoured that they have asked us to assist them with their endeavour.”

The transformation of Waterville’s original 9-hole lay-out founded in 1889 into an 18-hole championship links was the pet project of the late John A Mulcahy. A man with a deep love for Waterville, he in turn engaged Eddie Hackett, the doyen of Irish golf course architects at that time, and Claude Harmon, the US Masters champion and Winged Foot professional, to create a classic championship links.

Now Tom Fazio will lend his expertise to further develop Waterville into one of the game’s greatest courses. Designing a course from scratch is difficult enough. Modernising and revamping one that has stood the test of time for many years is tougher again. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, would be many peoples attitude. You suspect that Fazio had that phrase in mind when he decided to leave the par five 11th, believed by many to be the signature hole at Waterville, untouched.

Moreover, he received nothing but praise for the job he did at Augusta for last year’s Masters. The 2002 annual reported: “In an attempt to keep pace with the prodigious distances that today’s players hit the ball, Augusta National commissioned architect Tom Fazio to revise and strengthen half of the 18 holes. The result: a substantially toughened course and a highly anticipated Masters. Tees were moved back, trees were added, bunkers were enlarged and landing areas regraded to neutralise the leaping first bounces of years past. In all, 285 yards were added to the course.”

Fazio got it spot-on and Woods captured the title at the end of another great Masters. It was little wonder that Augusta hired Fazio, despite the fact that some of their greatest champions, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, are in the business.

Fazio was named the top American golf architect in a poll conducted by Golf Digest in 1991. That year, the magazine announced the establishment of a biennial award to recognise excellence in golf course design, and Fazio came out on top in 1993 and 1995. More than a dozen of his designs have been appointed either first or second in the annual best new golf courses (which Doonbeg has just won) since Golf Digest began publishing the list.

He has been true to his word when bearing the setting and location in mind. The alterations include the introduction of new bunkers and the revamping of others, and when the project is completed by the spring of 2004, there will be major changes to the 6th and 7th holes. Essentially, though, Fazio has concentrated on improving still further the visionary aspects of the links by the introduction of lots of new mounding so that pathways and roadways will not be visible.

The entrances to a few greens will be narrowed and next October work will commence on turning the 6th into a par three and the 7th into a par four. The plans for the holes are exciting, and, in concert with 30-40ft high mounding all the way down the left of the 1st, will add considerably to the attraction of the practice ground.

Just as he succeeded so spectacularly at Augusta National, it can be taken for granted that Tom Fazio will do the same at Waterville.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Tim Weiman

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2003, 10:50:23 PM »
Lester:

I can hardly believe my eyes. Why in the world one would need to put 30-40 foot mounding down the left side of #1 at Waterville to "add considerably to the attraction of the practice ground" is beyond me.

If true, this has to be the silliest thing I've heard in a long time.

Another classic example of the negative influence of American golf on Ireland.

Absolutely frightening.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Paul P

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2003, 03:19:48 AM »
Did Tom Doak not make some alterations there a number of years ago?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

redanman

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2003, 03:25:30 AM »
"Just as he succeeded so spectacularly at Augusta National..........."  says who? :P

Shouldn't this title be "YET another one bites the dust?  ::)

Even if it may have needed a face lift there are better plastic surgeons for renovation.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Paul P

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2003, 03:56:48 AM »
Yes, I got the impression that his changes at Agusta did nothing but play into the hands of the long hitters. This sounds like an advertising blurb.

A few decent changes would be welcome at Waterville, however. I just hope he gets it right.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

guest

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2003, 04:08:42 AM »
Might the new and improved  bunkers look better without MacDonald and Company, or do they make there way over the pond also. Did Fazio really visit the site?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Tom MacWood (Guest)

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2003, 04:45:32 AM »
It should be an interesting excercise. Which will have more influence: Fazio over Ireland and links-golf or links-golf and Ireland over Fazio.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Jeff Mingay

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2003, 06:23:52 AM »
The media has such an influence on reputation... "Fazio received nothing but praise" for his work at Augusta National prior to 2002 Masters?!?! I recall criticism, albeit somehwhat reserved critcism, from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, and others.

"New mounding at Waterville so some roadways and cart paths won't be visible..." how exciting! This type of "mask mounding" seems to be evolving into Fazio's legacy. Quite a contribution to golf course architecture, I must say!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Johnny B

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2003, 06:40:41 AM »
I believe Tom Doak was advising architect to waterville for a period - he probably advised them not to do too much which may not have been popular.  As someone living in Ireland I do not think it is helpful to Irish Links golf by having Tom Fazio remodel Waterville.  It does indeed show the power of the media and of course the (mistaken) view that you need a big name to make a great golf course.  In links golf you need a visionary and sensitive architect - fortunately there are a number of these around - unfortunately they are not always selected - if Tom Doak or Bill Coore had been chosen for waterville I think this group would be applauding.

Johnny Browne
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Erich

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2003, 06:55:59 AM »
Let me be the voice of reason here.  I bet the owner of Waterville is just using Tom to get a membership at Pine Valley.  I mean that is what I would do if I had more money than brains.  

Besides, I thought Fazio only did work in the US?  I thought it was decent of the USA to put up with his crap and keep the rest of the World from having to enduring boring ass golf courses.  I guess we owe Ireland an apology.  

Oh well, at least the Osbournes are on tonight.  You know what Ozzie would say if he heard about this:

                     SHARON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Tom Doak

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2003, 07:07:47 AM »
JohnnyB:

I was indeed the consulting architect at Waterville for a few years, appointed by my friend Jay Connolly who has now opted to go with Tom Fazio.  I have no hard feelings about that:  in fact, from what I've heard, I rather like Fazio's idea for holes 6 & 7.  (I haven't heard anything about 40-foot mounding, so I can't comment on that.)

Waterville was a difficult job for me because I have never really been fond of the golf course.  One reason was the silly over-the-pond par-3 seventh hole, which I always urged them to remove -- Fazio has now found an angle to take it out.  But mostly I dislike the course because whomever built it to begin with destroyed all the green sites by flattening out everything up to the base of the surrounding dunes, thereby obliterating the short game interest of the course.  (That, and the fact that Waterville has always built its reputation on being 7300 yards long.)

I suspect the main reason I was hired to consult there was that I also had influence on the list of the top 100 courses in the world, which Waterville desperately wants to be on.  (It has consistently fallen just a little short.)  However, the owners love the golf course and didn't really want to pursue any of the major suggestions that I made.

Now, I suspect they're hiring Tom Fazio hoping his changes will propel it into the top 100.

If they don't fix the stuff around the greens, it will never have my vote ... but it never has had.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

John Bernhardt

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2003, 04:55:48 PM »
Well said Tom Doak, I could not have said that better myself. Of course I was not on retainer and I do not have a vote on the top 100.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Glen_Fergo

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2003, 06:11:32 PM »
I agree with many of Mr Doak's comments. The flatness of the surrounds has never bothered me though, I have found that I always play the course in very strong winds and that the flatness when viewed with often very penal rough areas gives the golfer at least a good chance of playing the course without total demoralisation.

I think the weakness of the course, because of it's location and the amount of rain it gets, is that it is not really a links course. Being near the water and being windy is obviously not a qualification.

It doesn't have that traditional firm turf of the great links, a ball hitting the ground around the greens often doesn't run forward. Hence, when the wind is strong a ball cannot safely be pitched short when going downwind or run on to green going into the wind. Tralee is very similar (in my experience).

These type of things might account for its lack of recognition in Top Course rankings, especially when there is so much to choose from. Lush courses are for inland or parkland, bright green is not necessarily a good thing on a links or links type course.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

cary lichtenstein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2003, 06:23:09 PM »
I played Waterville for the first time this summer and was not impressed. It was neither fish, nor fowl, not Irish nor American. Perhaps Tom Fazio will give it a more natural doonsey look, and fix the areas that Tom Doak suggests.

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

guest

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2003, 06:32:58 PM »
Erich, many within the small group of owners play out of Winged Foot, at least 2 are members of Shinnecock and one guy is a member of both CPC and Shinnecock and was probably on his way to ANGC till his hedge fund didn't make it through 1998 without the help of Wall Street and the Federal Reserve Bank.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Paul P

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2003, 02:47:09 AM »
Quassi

Whatever about it's flaws, it is a pure links course. That would be like saying St Andrews was not a links last year because they got a lot of rain. Waterville can be hard and fast. Maybe the staff are guilty of over watering, but that was not my experience on the occasions that I visited.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Tom Doak

Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2003, 08:57:35 AM »
I think the reason people feel it doesn't play like a links is the stuff around the greens.  They keep the grass just off the greens at rough height, so the ball doesn't run away as on a links, and you can't play a scuffly shot back onto the greens like a links.

The drainage is really only subpar on holes 1, 2, and 6 -- everywhere else the ball seems to run fine in the fairways.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Doug Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Waterville / Fazio
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2003, 09:24:47 AM »
Waterville is one of the most schizoid courses I've ever played. The back nine through the dunes is outstanding, compelling golf. The front nine? I don't think a few mounds are going to change it. Even though I knew nothing about golf course architecture when I played it nine years ago that "water feature" on 6 seemed very odd, totally out of character.

All The Best,
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
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