Tiger Woods into Golf Course Design

[rgkeller]

From his winner's press conference yesterday.

"Q. I know it's early in your career to be thinking about golf course design at this point, but did you see anything out on the course today that you particularly liked, disliked, that if that day ever comes when you start designing courses regularly that you would like to incorporate into what you do?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I have my ideas, yes. And we're going to, obviously, I don't know if anyone knows, we're going to make some changes again this year for the next event, for next year's event. So yeah, I'm going to tray and help out with that, give my opinion and they can utilize it or not. But I am getting into golf course design business here probably pretty soon. So it's something that I'm very excited about to be creative and design a piece of property that people will want to go play. It's going to be challenging, but also be fun.

So that part is really enjoyable to me, because I play golf courses now, I played all around the world, I've seen so many different type of golf courses and the types of styles that I have my own opinion on how the game should be played. And hopefully you get pieces of property which you can make that happen."

[RJ_Daley]

I'd like to be optimistic about this.  But, I can only see the big corporate IMG and his managing empire of minions being seduced by the allure of the mega project mansion district golf communities.  

Oh, his name will probably get them to ride the fast track at some of the worlds most prestigious locations, and expedite permitting and such.  

But, wouldn't it be great if Tiger teamed with a young up-and-comer archie with creativity and talent, to go for the utilization of his magna golf brain to collaborate with the archie to create something wonderful, accessible, and unique?

Well, we can dream...

[Dan Kelly]

But, wouldn't it be great if Tiger teamed with a young up-and-comer archie with creativity and talent, to go for the utilization of his magna golf brain to collaborate with the archie to create something wonderful, accessible, and unique?

Well, we can dream...

Or maybe team him up with a 20-handicapper -- so that, between them, they could see EVERYTHING!!!!

What's your handicap these days, Dick?  

[RJ_Daley]

12, playing and thinking like a 20  

[Doug Siebert]

Simple supply and demand dictate that he'll get the highest design fees ever.  To make it reasonable to pay his fees it'll have to be a huge project, either on super expensive land, with super expensive construction, or with plenty of super expensive lots.  Or all three.  So it'll either end up as an ultra exclusive private course like Sebonack that most of us will never be priviledged to play or even walk, or a resort course that probably beats PB and Shadow Creek in the greens fees department that would be at best a one time deal for those of us who compare it to a dozen or two rounds at the home course or three times around a TOC or Ballybunion.

I wonder how much the per lot price would increase for a development driven course in an expensive real estate area with Tiger's name attached?  With say 200 lots on a cartball course, if the per lot price increased by a half million per for a Tiger Woods course that leaves a lot of cash laying around for him to receive a single design fee comparable to his yearly take from Nike.  If he designs it with Tiger tees at 8500 yards to provide him a challenge that would add an extra couple dozen lots....kinda turns the "longer courses are more expensive to build" thing on its head, doesn't it, since selling lots at a Tiger Woods course probably isn't going to be too difficult, especially if they throw in a free house for him so the prospective homeowners can always hope they might run into Tiger and Elin when walking their dog some evening

[peter_p]

The first one will be public access with First Tee emphasis, management and a caddy program. After that, wide open.
And are we assuming it will be in US?

[Jim Nugent]

Tiger's been surprising everyone his entire golfing career.  Won't surprise me if he does it here too.  I do like Peter's thought.  Are you guessing, or do you have some info about this?

[A.G._Crockett]

If Tiger does golf courses, and I had to bet on how he does them, my bet would be that he turns out to be toward the Crenshaw end of the spectrum of player/architects, rather than the other end (say Fred Couples?).  I see nothing in the man that indicates that he does anything in a manner other than absolute excellence.  I would expect him to surround himself with great people, and yet to make sure that the final product is what HE wants if his name is going to be on it.

The most interesting part to me will be to see if he does ultra-high end stuff, a la Nicklaus, or tends toward public access.  I know what I HOPE he does, but money is powerful, no?

[cary lichtenstein]

Tiger is always full of surprises. I think he will be part public access, especially for minorities and get communities to donate the land for the projects with no homes.

He'll probably build his own exclusive Tiger's Club as JN as built his Bear Club. JN does not live at the Bear Club, and neither will Tiger at his.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I'd suggest that Tiger start here in Philadelphia and renovate our munis so that the recent Joe Logan story about Juniata doesn't have to be written again next year and the continuing saga of Cobbs Creek can be concluded. Public golfers deserve better.

If building lots start at 850K at  JN's Creighton Farms in VA and villas start at 4-5M at Fazio's Madison Club in LaQuinta, what will TW's lots and housing bring?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I think some of you are missing the big news here--he is working with Gil Hanse and Brad Faxon on the TPC of Boston.

[A.G._Crockett]

I think some of you are missing the big news here--he is working with Gil Hanse and Brad Faxon on the TPC of Boston.

Then he's off to a good start, and exactly the type that one would expect of him.  Meticulous attention to detail, learning from quality people, etc.  I would think and hope that from those two, Woods would get a healthy dose of appreciation for classical GCA, a quality that his previous comments about courses seem to indicate that he possesses anyway.