[John Blain]

I am hearing that Dorset Field Club in Dorset, Vt. is going to be doing a renovation of the course with the intent of "updating" the holes that were not changed when nine new holes were built many years ago to make it an 18 hole golf course. I am not sure who has been commissioned to do the work but I have heard that it will not be Steve Durkee who designed the new holes and at least in my opinion did a nice job although some critics have mentioned the course is a bit of an odd blend of old and new. Apparently in the not too distant future it will all be "new."


Please feel free to chime in if anyone knows anything about this project. Thanks.


-John 

[Joe Bausch]

Tyler Rae is part of this project.

Photos from my visit there a couple of months ago:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/DorsetFieldClub/index.html

[MCirba]

I'll be very surprised (i.e. disappointed). if the renovated course turns out looking more like the 1999 nine than the 1896 nine.


The old holes (1,2,6,7,8,9 (despite modified greensite), 10, 11, 18 (despite modified greensite) are really good.

[Brad Tufts]

Tyler Rae's involvement is certainly a positive, GCA-approved development.


Dorset is an interesting case...great vibes and long history, but the course is not particularly unique.  It's a mix of a very old, heavily worked-over nine, and a new, "throwback" 9-hole addition that plays and seems thoroughly modern if not historically-inspired.


Having gone to school at Middlebury, Dorset was long on my wish list, but upon finally getting there, it struck me as a old course that needs some restoration love or some work to better meld the styles.  This comment applies to many VT/NH/ME courses that have been far enough from Boston to lack the funds and wherewithal to keep up with the recent wave of Boston-area resto/reno work.  So many have an old nine and a new nine where care was never taken to make them match up in any way.

[Tim Rooney]

Hole #14 is a beautiful New England designed hole from Durkee,with a wonderful green site.

[Joe Bausch]

Kyle Franz is working with Tyler Rae on the DFC project.

[Tim Rooney]

Though neighboring Ekwanok is 2 levels above ,it doesn't possess Dorset's New England topography.
Hopefully Franz will create something truly special on the bones of this fun course.

[John Blain]

If Ekwanok is truly two levels above DFC it would be mainly on pedigree. No question Ekwanok is a great club with lots of history, located in an idyllic setting but I have always felt the course itself is a bit overrated especially considering there are 5 or 6 greens that are not original Travis. I just don't feel that the course - at least from an architectural stand point - is really that interesting. Not a bad course mind you, and certainly a nice membership course but not a course I would enjoy playing every day. The holes around the clubhouse (1,2,3,16,17,18)in particular are not overly inspiring. If I had to split 5 rounds between the two courses it would be DFC 3, ECC, 2.
I know many will disagree with my assessment and I respect that but I will take DFC or even Taconic over ECC.


-John

[Tim Martin]

If Ekwanok is truly two levels above DFC it would be mainly on pedigree. No question Ekwanok is a great club with lots of history, located in an idyllic setting but I have always felt the course itself is a bit overrated especially considering there are 5 or 6 greens that are not original Travis. I just don't feel that the course - at least from an architectural stand point - is really that interesting. Not a bad course mind you, and certainly a nice membership course but not a course I would enjoy playing every day. The holes around the clubhouse (1,2,3,16,17,18)in particular are not overly inspiring. If I had to split 5 rounds between the two courses it would be DFC 3, ECC, 2.
I know many will disagree with my assessment and I respect that but I will take DFC or even Taconic over ECC.


-John

John-I can see Taconic in the same discussion as  Ekwanok but for me DFC falls way short of both. I am a fan of the original holes but not of what was added. Because the reconfigured course has some original holes on each nine when I get to a hole like 16 for example it just feels forced on the land with the abrupt right hand turn into the green. The two one shot holes on the inward nine are 130 and 145 are neither are very memorable. It is a great old club with a lot of history but like Brattleboro CC to the South the original holes are the star of the show.

[MCirba]

What I found absolutely perplexing on such wonderful New England topography was the fact that the architect saw a need to move so much dirt and over-shape the landscape to the nth degree on the new nine. 


Why in heaven's name would you do that?

[Tom_Doak]

What I found absolutely perplexing on such wonderful New England topography was the fact that the architect saw a need to move so much dirt and over-shape the landscape to the nth degree on the new nine. 


Why in heaven's name would you do that?

Maximalist design is the approach when
A) someone doesn't know how to do minimalist, or
B)  someone involved in the project wants to expand the scope of work so they can make more $$$


I sippose you could say (C) they really think maximalist is better, but refer to (A).

[Peter Pallotta]

That's really interesting.
It brought to mind an old question I had, i.e. what does an architect 'see'.
One of the skills that an architect *has* to have is the ability to conceive of and design and build a proper golf hole, one that offers strategy and that asks for shots to be hit that are actually hit-table/feasible.
But maybe a skill that an architect can get away with *not* having is the ability to 'see' such a golf hole already existing in the landscape, at least in a latent form, and also to 'see' how all the rest of the holes he's 'seen' might fit together on that existing landscape.
And if the architect -- and he may be a very successful one -- doesn't have that latter skill, and if at some level realizes that he doesn't, then he almost necessarily has to become a maximalist -- working it all out on paper and then squishing the land into place to fit that plan.
He can conceive and design and build a proper golf hole, but he can't 'see' one.     
Sadly, I have a feeling that if someone let be an architect, I'd probably have to be a maximalist. I can't 'see' a damn thing.
 

[Sean_A]

Pietro

I am in awe of guys that can not only find holes in the ground, but make them fit together in a sensible, walkable, playable jig saw puzzle which incorporates the house well. Taking it further, it may be more impressive when an archie knows serious dirt moving is required here and there to make what he thinks is the best product among other very good options.

I wonder how many cool courses weren't built because of 9/18 hole constraints?

Happy Hockey

[Peter Pallotta]

I wonder how many cool courses weren't built because of 9/18 hole constraints?

Happy Hockey

Sean -
with several of the average courses I've played, I found myself thinking the problem was that the architect started at the beginning. It's as if, after having situated the club house, he 'saw' the first few golf holes, either already there or close to it, and happily (but prematurely) started in. And then I can feel him running out of steam, i.e. like he'd gotten himself into a corner and it took the next 4 (mediocre) golf holes to get himself out again. By the 12th hole he seems to have gotten tired of the whole thing, and was merely dragged himself to the finish line -- content if he could 'see' just one more good hole, maybe a short Par 4 17th.
In other words: I've played several poor 18 hole courses that would've been terrific 6-holers! 

By the way: thank you for your 'happy hockey' wishes - but it's easy for you to say, you who can enjoy hockey while still embarking on your winter golf tour. For me, when it's the only game in town (and my clubs sit forlornly in the basement) it actually depresses me!

Good golf!   

[Sean_A]

Pietro

Surely you can't think to claim depression crown knowing the state of the Wings!

Happy Hockey

[Craig Sweet]

I was a member at DFC back in the early 70's.  I liked the original 9 holes and the club vibe. A few years ago I played it again and hated, for the most part, the new holes and routing.

[Brad Tufts]

I hadn't checked in on this thread for a while...


DFC above Ekwanok is not something I can agree with.  Biased as I may be as my brother just joined ECC, I have now played it 4-5 times and it's a treat.  I can see the argument that Taconic provides more variety...I'd say ECC and Taconic are close in quality.


Hopefully DFC can be improved and perhaps "retro-vated," but it's a small property, and the old holes are not necessarily awe-inspiring as currently constituted, let alone the additional holes.  Even at max renovated awesomeness, I would assume ECC and Taconic are quite a bit ahead.


As for why modernize...the work was done before the restoration trend took off in earnest.  I remember seeing pictures showing off the work in one of the old "VERMONT GOLF" promo mags hanging around the Middlebury pro-shop, and the addition at DFC was being treated as being done in the "old school quirk" mold...complete with old wooden flagsticks.  Perception has changed quite a bit since the late 90s...hell I wanted to see it for years despite seeing pictures of it with lots of earth-moving evidence...shows how my perception/education in architecture has changed too.  I'm glad I eventually got to check it out so I could discuss it.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()