Mike Strantz Has Passed Away

[Evan Fleisher]

Not a great way to end a Saturday evening.  

I too have had the pleasure to play a few of Mike's works...Tobacco Road and MPCC Shores, truly great stuff.

His genious will be missed, and my heartfelt condolences go out to his wife anf family.  May he rest in peace.

[Robert Thompson]

Having had the chance to interview Mike and speak with his wife last year, my heart goes out to Heidi and his daughters. Hopefully his work lasts many lifetimes so people get a chance to see the particular vision of Mike Strantz.

[Michael Plunkett]

Very sad news. He was so young. I played Tot and Royal and found his unusual vision a delight. Love them or not, you never forget them.

Prayers to the family. RIP MS. You left us many wonderful courses the play.

[Kelly Blake Moran]

Let's hope his greatest legacy are those two little girls.  Maybe the Strantz courses will rotate a fundrasing tournament for cnacer research to keep Dr. Childs busy with his important work.  There are enough nuts with big hearts on this website that would travel anywhere for such a cause.  Maybe a few bucks would be raised for the girls too.

[Steve Lang]

 

Sad news, indeed,.. and unfortunately his stock will now raise as a "dead artist" and hopefully there was some insurance for the family.. but that rarely goes very far..  I would think a Strantz Trail Foundation or something could be set up to help.

In reflection, having grown up in flatland Toledo/NW Ohio area, walked the fairways at Inverness at the 1979 Open (not 1978 as obit says) and knowing many of Strantz's Ohio reference locations.. as well as his THF and TR courses, its very unfortunate for the world to loose a gca artist whose best work was likely still in front of him..

[Michael Dugger]

Life is suffering

I feel more chocked up over this than the pope.

A legend is born, I predict, however.  

Fifty years from now people will look at all the golf courses built during this era and think, Damn, that guy was different!!

I can't believe how not real it feels.  

His body of work had been put to rest.  I think the following image, from the website, ought to be displayed on the homepage for a while.  Sort of a flag half mast gesture.
 

 

[Jfaspen]

I think down the road, he may be one of the greatest "What if" architects to dominate the discussion of this board.  His redesign of MPCC Shore (seen through photographs) appeared to be one of the most innovative uses of land and surroundings I have seen.  
Having had the pleasure of playing his designs at Caledonia, True Blue and Heritage (designed the green complexes), I can say that I will attempt to play as many of his courses as I can throughout my golfing career.  His work is different, but it is different in a memorable way.
My prayers go out to his family and friends.

jf

[Mike_Cirba]

I'm reminded of the early passing of other great men in my lifetime in the political, entertainment, and sporting realms.

After playing the first two holes of a Strantz course (Stonehouse), with the sunken green creating a nerve-wracking blind pitch to a natural dell on the 1st, and the 2nd, with the back and middle tees placed at about 75 degree angles from each other, the former creating a heroic carry to a gigantic fairway, leading to a massive green, I knew I was in the presence of an original and a man of passion and daring.

He seemed particularly proud that his courses were built the old, slow way...with lots of direct hands on blood and sweat and toil from the architect.

I think he built what he wanted, and I'm thankful that he was able to complete the work on the ocean at Bob's club.  I imagine that the stellar reactions from those who played there must have made him feel particularly heartened.

Rest in peace and thank you, Mike.

 

[Mark_Fine]

This is very very sad news!  Mike was one of my favorite architects and was a great help with our book.  I was just talking about him this week out at The Shore Course in Monterrey.  My prayers go out to Heidi.

[RJ_Daley]

ONe of the first gatherings of our discussion group regulars was held in the area of Pinehurst and Tobacco Road courses.  We were hopeful that Mike Strantz and Forrest Fezler might stop by at the Holiday Inn where we were all staying.  Unfortunately, Mike and Forrest's schedule couldn't fit us in.  But, the reason for the schedule confilict has even more meaning now.  He always had a rule about getting home to his family for at least part of a weekend.  Every moment he could have with his family, in retrospect wasn't hardly enough, but we are thankful for the inspiration of such a good family man and his fine balance of creative work and family. Mike wasn't sick then. But, you wonder about little signals we get in life by such beacons as Mike Strantz, from the field of his work, or his priorities on the homefront.

We all enjoyed his work at Tobacco Road, and we became quite excited by his bold work there as his career took off.  We are all lucky we will continue to be able to enjoy what he left behind.

[Pete Buczkowski]

It really hurt to see this thread title on the board - what a great loss, way too early to be sure.  All the best to his family and friends - he'll be missed by many.  

[Bill_McBride]

I think it's great this October's Dixie Cup II participants will play the Sunday round at Tobacco Road.  It will be my first Mike Strantz course and I am looking forward to playing it very much.  No one has ever referred to a Strantz course as conventional.  He sounds like a great guy and family man, and his body of work will speak for his enthusiasm about golf design.

[Brock Peyer]

May he rest in peace and may God bless his family.

[PThomas]

how sad..

I just had the pleasure of playing Royal New Kent yesterday

God bless him and his family

[Rick Shefchik]

Way too short a life, but a life very well lived. I hope the high regard in which his life's work is held will some day be a comfort to his family.

[Paul Richards]

Godspeed.

[Mark Brown]

Mike Whitaker and all:

The news was like a knife in the heart. He was so creative, and he died with a whole lot of music still in his head.

May God be with his family.

[Doug Wright]

I had missed this--very sad indeed.

Here is a link to Ran's GCA interview with Mike in 2000:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewstranz.html