Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs

[Jason Topp]

What is the view of this group's work.   I've never played any of their courses but I liked the centerline bunker featured on the website and the look of some of their courses.  Web site is here:

http://www.rhgd.com/index.html

[Sean_A]

Jason

So far as I know I have never seen a Hearn course.  Although he may have been the main main at Majestic in Michigan while working with Matthews.  Pleasant, but nothing special, a serious cart-ball course! I think Hearn has done a few courses of note in Michigan (Hemlock?-somewhere up near Manistee I think).  He also did The Grande out near Jackson.  When I was over with a load of Brits they played this course.  I think underwhelmed would be an accurate description of how they felt about the course (they much preferred Shepard's Hollow by the guy who redid UofM-I forgot his name).  

From what I saw at Majestic, I would like to see a proper Hearn course.  Does anybody know if Hearn had anything to do with Hunters Ridge while working with Matthews?  

Ciao

Sean

[Andy Troeger]

Only one I have seen is Island Hills in Centreville, MI. Its a nice enough course and originally had an absolutely awesome finishing stretch playing out onto and back from an island in the middle of a lake...but they took out those holes so they could build homes on the island. I haven't been back since.  The rest of the course isn't bad, but that was its real draw.

[archie_struthers]

Raymond Hearn has done a golf course at the Jersey Shore.Sea Oaks in Tuckerton!

[Dan Moore]

Mistwood Golf Club  is a daily fee course located 45-50 min SW of Chicago about 20 minutes SW of Cog Hill.  "Scottish style" with mounding, fescue some deep pot bunkers.  Both times I played it last year it was very firm due which may have been due to the drought. Some of the features include two very good risk reward par 5s with split fairways (#3 and #8), a par 3 that backs up to the lake, not quite a skyline green, but with noticeable depth perception issues caused by the lake.  A fun shortish par 4 (#12)  and some interesting greens (#10, #12, #18).

Hosts the Illinois Womens Open.  

The website has a video with hole by descriptions.  

www.mistwoodgolf.net

There are better public courses in Chicago, but this is a very fun course with a nice variety of holes.  It is also one of the best values in the area with weekday/weekend rates of $39/$56.  You can pay a lot more in the area for courses not as nearly as good or as fun.  

[Forrest Richardson]

One of his former associates, Paul Albanese, now teaches golf design at Edinburgh College of Art. Perhaps Paul is listening in...maybe he will shed some light on Ray's work.