And you think YOU know what a golfer wants???

[Mike_Young]

I just got this email from a client that was sent to him by one of his property owners....interesting....I think you may find the comments below interesting...the one that stood out to me was the "distance" between green and tee....Wow had never thought of that one.........

XXXXX,  
Just a note on the XXXXXX golf club at XXXXXXXXX.  I am an avid golfer; and I have played at some of the most beautiful courses in the world.  They all have several themes that make them attractive.  First the layout needs to be diverse and challenging to expert golfers as well as average golfers.  So the championship tees needs to total a distance over 7,000 yards; and the “member” tees for the average golfer should be challenging but not overly difficult.  Second there must be a signature hole that players look forward to and will remember long after their round.  With the ocean and surf as background  for scenery this should be no problem.  Third, the course needs to have diversity in its layout: water holes, valleys, elevated par 3’s, … Fourth, the greens need to be very large so all golfers can play the course.  Fifth, the distance from the greens to the next tee box need to be far enough apart to not hinder play, safety and avoid the feeling of congestion. A large clubhouse is also adviseable for meals and refreshment and satellite TV.   In all the places I have played, these are the common themes of a successful golf course.    And the land at XXXXXXXXX certainly allows all of the above.  Golfers want to be awed.
 
I hope you do not mind my thoughts and opinions.
XXXXXXX

[jeffwarne]

Mike,
How large does a clubhose need to be for a picnic table, a box lunch, a Bud and a TV.?(I guess at least large enough not to be crushed by the satellite dish)

Member suggestions at our club led to the formation of an "advisory committee"-which made me really nervous....

The first meeting consisted of a member ranting about something silly like the types of cigars we stock , the dress code.... all on a neatly typed list.

after a couple minutes the owner interrupted and said
"OK , if there's nothing else ,we'll see you again next year"

By the way, many members don't really want to be awed, they want their friends to be awed.
Golfers want to play golf.

[Evan Fleisher]

That was absolutely CLASSIC!

Thanks for getting my day started with a smile, Mike...  

[Paul Stephenson]

Wow.  I wonder what some of those "beautiful courses" were?  I can think of a lot of world class courses that don't sound anything like that.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike
and sorry to say, you'll probably have to actually answer that email! Ugh. For what it's worth, I find that 3 or 4 cups of espresso kind of kick-starts me into gear; and some cigarettes.

As a co-worker once said to me: "They don't pay me for the 95% of the time things are going right; they pay me for the 5% of the time that things are going wrong".

For architects, client emails must be part of that 5%. (Note: that was ME saying that, not Mike Young).

Peter

[JESII]

And Mike,

Don't screw up the drainage...

[Mike_Young]

And Mike,

Don't screw up the drainage...

JES,
What drainage?   I'm worried about the size of the TV.

[John Kirk]

Good luck with that, Mike.  I suppose you have to respond honestly to such forward suggestions.  Perhaps your owner needs a gentle lesson in both architecture and economics.

He's right about the satellite TV though.  The dish should easily fit on top of the double wide trailer.

Signature holes.  Sheesh.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Mike thanks for the laugh to ge this beautiful spring day rolling. Also thanks for a glimse into the wonderful world of clients in the golf architecture business.

[BCrosby]

Mike -

Are you sure that the email wasn't written by the same guy that writes the brochures for new golf course developments?

I didn't see a single original thought. That's not easy to do.

I'm glad you have to answer it and not me.

Bob

 

[Andy Troeger]

Is there anything in the e-mail that is that surprising? For better or worse, I think most of the things mentioned are probably what the average golfer wants...much more so than the architecture issues that we discuss here. In today's society, bigger is better...

[George Pazin]

I don't think I know at all what other golfers want, I just know what I want.

And I personally like "congestion" as he defines it.

 

[Paul Payne]

I've always wanted cheerleaders.

[Tom Dunne]

Mike,

I recommend you send a copy of Geoff Shack's "Future of Golf" to this correspondent, billed to the receiver, of course...

[A.G._Crockett]

Excellent description of The Old Course...

[RJ_Daley]

And, it should have a club name with an activity or noun at a location...  The experience at XXXX, or the challenge at YYYY, or the links at ZZZZ...

[Jesse Jones]

Hmmm..that letter reminds me of one of my favorite movies..

Spalding Smails: I want a hamburger... no, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake...
Judge Smails: You'll get nothing, and like it.

[C. Squier]

He forgot boom trucks w/ flood lights.  After all, who doesn't like night golf?

CPS