Role of ongoing architectural consultant?

[John Shimp]

My home course recently retained Gil Hanse as a consulting architect.  As far as I know, there are no plans for any type of restoration planned as work was recently done on the bunkers and greens and a few holes were lengthened.  What would an architect do to aid the Greens Committee in a situation where no significant work is plannned?

[Mike McGuire]

A consulting architect could help with:

Long range planning
Tree management
Green expansions
turf conditions
Maintenence practices

[Richard Pennell]

I would have thought perhaps a decent architect would be valuable in preventing ill-advised changes from taking place at some clubs, where committee members have a limited understanding of strategic design.

[Tom_Doak]

Mostly the job is to hold the committee's hands, to provide continuity when green chairmen and even superintendents are coming and going, and to be a sounding board for ideas [many of which should be rejected as not suitable for their course].  

But, it's sometimes a hard job, especially in a long-term capacity.  Either the club sees how easy it is to make little fixes and yearns to do something bigger, or they come to believe that you're stalling them and they move on to another architect who wants to take action.

[John Shimp]

Tom,
Thanks for the reply. The course I am talking about is Palmetto.  After having done some things (mostly/all in house) lately, I'm trying to figure out what they have in mind if anything with Gil.  Greens committee member I spoke with didn't have much to say on future direction.  Guess I'll have to wait and see...

[Tommy_Naccarato]

John,
Consider it a good thing that you have a very good architect there to consult with the club in preserving the architecture now and in the future. If all classic clubs could be as fortunate, heck you wouldn't have nearly as many botch jobs on the original classic architecture.

[Tom_Doak]

John:

That was sort of an odd deal.  We were consulting there (as a favor to my old friend Woody Millen), but they insisted on rebuilding most of their bunkers in-house, and then they told us that Gil was now their consultant.

Presumably Tommy doesn't think we would have botched the job.

[Paul Payne]

John,

Are you talking about Palmetto in Aiken SC? If so I hope the objective is pure preservation. That is one of the few old courses I play that seems to have dodged any modern tinkering but is still very well taken care of. Not a long course but still kind of digs under your skin. I love that place.  

[John Shimp]

Thanks for the responses.  I have never had the pleasure of playing a Hanse course but have enjoyed them thru pictures.  Good to hear that you all (Tommy N. and others) think highly of him.  I'll let everyone know once I figure out what he may be advising on.

Tom, I knew your firm had provided some guidance to Palmetto.  The bunkers look terrific now.  So, the guidance must have been good.  Also, most of the greens have been extended around the edges.  That work was done about 1 yr ago.  That also was a was change as the greens had gotten unnaturally small on many holes.

Paul, it is the Aiken Palmetto.  I'd love to figure out how to meet up with you and other interested GCA'rs down there sometime.  Its my impression that not too many regulars on the site have played much golf away from the coast in SC?  

[John Shimp]

Jimmy Muratt,
I sent you a reply to your nice email but it got kicked back to me??  Do you have another address?
JS

[TEPaul]

One of the things I'm seeing recently is an architect consultant really getting into maintenance practices without even launching into golf architecture first.

This is the area I call "The Maintenance Meld" (how well considered and various applied maintenance practices can really highlight various types and style of golf architecture, particularly their "playability").

I believe this area is a truly valuable nexus between golf architecture and various playabilities and the "look" of architecture that has never been much tapped in the past between golf architects and clubs.

A lot of golf architects both past and present just build golf courses and then they're out of town leaving the reams of ongoing and sometimes complex maintenance and agronomic  issues to the club to decide for themselves.

I think this is an exciting new nexus area that can pay huge dividends if the architects stay involved on a consulting basis. I think it's massively important for particularly the clubs but also the architects too.

[Jason Mandel]

to make sure green chairmen/committee's don't F UP or do anything stupid!

[Paul Payne]

John,

I'd love ot meet up if the chance arises. I used to be down in Aiken on business almost every month. I'd stay at the Wilcox Inn where they have a guest membership. I used to like rotating between Palmetto and the Highland course (Aiken CC). I've played others in the area but those two course remain etched in my memory.

I am not in the are as often nowdays but still probably once every quarter. I'll certainly E-mail you before my next visit.