Dick Wilson article

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From today's Palm Beach Post:

Wilson's tortured genius evident in Doral course


By Randall Mell
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

March 20, 2007

DORAL – The Blue Monster at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa survives today as the work of a tortured genius.

Dick Wilson, the architect of the famed golf course that is home this week to the CA Championship, is beloved by generations of golfers who know so little of this mysterious man and yet are enthralled with the beguiling nature of his artistry.

Wilson was a giant in his profession before his death in 1965, the only rival in his era to the more famous Robert Trent Jones. But while his work at Laurel Valley, Royal Montreal, Cog Hill, Pine Tree, La Costa and so many other sites endure as treasures, there's little available in research documenting the tormented nature of the man himself.

"You have to really dig through the historical record to sift any nuggets about him," said Ron Whitten, Golf Digest's architectural editor. "He died so early, before anyone was really writing about golf course design."

Here's the rest of the article:

http://tinyurl.com/2koznd

[Patrick_Mucci]

Steve,

I've always liked Dick Wilson's work and don't think he's gotten the credit he deserves for designing some very good golf courses.

Perhaps quantity has become THE factor in determining the quality of an architect's work.

[Neil_Crafter]

Steve
Great posting. I have been writing an article on Dick Wlson's 1959 visit to Australia, when he came out to redesign Metropolitan GC in Melbourne, for our 'Golf Architecture' magazine issue 10 due out this May. I have also written about Wilson's life and general career as well. The article certainly adds some things to my knowledge of Wilson and contains some interesting quotes from people who knew him well like Bob von Hagge. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Wilson and Trent Jones were like Hertz and Avis in the world of golf course design.

The use of the phrase 'tortured genius' makes him sound like Beethoven, but he certainly seems like a man who struggled with drinking problems and never was fully able to keep it under control. A talented architect who learnt from building courses with William Flynn, and who always felt he was a builder of courses rather than simply a 'designer'.
cheers Neil

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Unfortunately, Wilson's life and work was cut short by his alcoholism:

 "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!

[wsmorrison]

"Perhaps quantity has become THE factor in determining the quality of an architect's work."

Interesting you say that, Pat.  How many courses did Dick Wilson design?  Was it much less than RTJ, Sr.?

Flynn only designed 52 courses in his 36 years in the business, the the depression accounts for a lot of this.  Still, Flynn was only doing a few courses a year.  I think the fact that most are private with not much geographic dispersion means that a very small sampling of golfers experience his work.  This certainly accounts for his lack of recognition.

[J_McKenzie]

I believe that Dick Wilson designed the Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens, south of Atlanta.  Former stop on the PGA Tour and always one of the players favorites.  A very good golf course, one that you would not mind playing every day.  Might qualify as a hidden gem.....

John

[TEPaul]

Wow, that's quite an article.

It's not that often a reporter will expose like that the weakness of a man and actually make it the theme of his article, albeit accurately and seemingly sympathetically.

I'm afraid that anyone who knows even a little bit about Dick Wilson also knows or heard something about his mighty problem with alchohol.

I knew it almost by osmosis because my Dad and his crew down in South Florida in those days loved Wilson---he was their architect---that's the way they felt about him and he hung around with them too. My Dad was one of the original principles of Pine Tree and actually lived there for a time. That was right at the end for Wilson.

But that group of guys down there back then were also from the North and they got Wilson to do some of those northern tier courses of his like Meadowbrook and a course or two in New Jersey.

He was their guy---he did the new courses and redesign work on their courses like Seminole and Gulf Stream too.

When he died in the mid-sixties they sort of turned to his associate Joe Lee but he didn't have their attention like Wilson did. And not long after that they had a new young guy come down there and land amongst them and become their favorite even if perhaps not to the same extent Wilson had been with them. That was Pete Dye.

I hate to say it but all those guys drank a lot including my Dad.

Not to be a smart ass and I wouldn't probably mention it if the reporter hadn't but there just might be something in my architectural theory I call "Flask Architecture". I wouldn't advise it as a steady diet but there might be something in it as to really releasing one's inibihitions and allowing one's unfettered imagination to really soar, at least until you have to pay the piper who always seems to be there to meet you the next morning or to take you away for a week or so when things really get out of hand. I know what I'm talking about on the latter---I made a few more trips down there in those days then I wish I had to deal with that mess with my old man.

But has it every occured to you that some of the most imaginative golf course architecture ever done was done by guys who sometimes got a bit excessive with old John Barleycorn?

I'm glad the reporter wrote an article like that. It's sad, for sure, but it makes you think too.

[Ken Moum]

Not to be a smart ass and I wouldn't probably mention it if the reporter hadn't but there just might be something in my architectural theory I call "Flask Architecture".

That might be the force behind the joint birthplace of single malt whisky and golf.

When I told a member at Nairn that the short days of winter probably explained the rise of the distilling business, his retort was "Rusty Nail.

K

[TEPaul]

K:

I think it has to be true to say that the interrelation of golf and liquor has to be as strong and intertwined as any stick and ball game in the universe. I make the distinction of golf as stick and ball because after all drinking in golf historically just might not be able to compete that well with, say, the interrelationship of drinking and ice fishing.  

The notion that we have eighteen holes because that amount of holes was right around the time that the original regulars in Scotland sucked the last drops outta their bottles and flasks may not be as apocryphal as some supect.

Flask architecture, the constant current of booze and caddying, booze and playing, the Walter Hagen lore et al is part of the colorful fabric of the history of golf. Dick Wilson did his part in that colorful fabric, I guess.

But the important thing is Dick Wilson really was good. If you've seen enough of his courses it just isn't hard to miss. If Wilson actually did any of the type of course we sometimes call "a member's course", to be honest with you, I'm not aware of where they are or were.

[wsmorrison]

Tom,

Do you recall what Howard Toomey said to William Flynn shortly before he died?  

"Well, Bill.  Now you're gonna have to do the drinking for the firm."  

[TEPaul]

Actually, Wayno, the truth is Howard T said that to Bill shortly after he died, it's just that apparently Howard didn't know he'd died when he said that.

[Ken Moum]

I make the distinction of golf as stick and ball because after all drinking in golf historically just might not be able to compete that well with, say, the interrelationship of drinking and ice fishing.  

Or drinking and curling.... oops, that one orginated in Scotland as well.

I once had the "pleasure" of being on the ice when a fellow curler spilled his broom--which contained orange vodka of all things.

K

[TEPaul]

K:

Curling just might be the stupidest looking game I've ever seen. That the Olympics featured it the last time as much as they did just shows how much trouble the Olympics must be in. Every time it came on television my wife just fell on the floor laughing.

You want to talk about the USGA/R&A letting the game get out of control in I&B, MY GOD, just look what the regulatory body of curling has done with their brooms and that thing that now looks like a Brobdingnagian footwarmer.

[Mike_Cirba]

Agreed.  Technology is ruining curling.

I haven't personally curled since they legalized camel's hair.

[Ken Moum]

Curling just might be the stupidest looking game I've ever seen.

Fair enough, but it's one of the things I miss about northern Minn.

You do understand that it's VERY strategic?

Any game that combines deft strategy with drinking can't be all that bad.

After all there's a curling sheet at The Country Club (Well, there was a directional sign indicating one the only time I saw the place...)

K

[TEPaul]

"You do understand that it's VERY strategic?
Any game that combines deft strategy with drinking can't be all that bad."

Whatever you say, W.C. Fields.

[David Stamm]

I've heard from more than one person that NCR is a very good course and perhaps Wilson's best. Anybody played it? What did you think?

[Mike_Cirba]

Fair enough, but it's one of the things I miss about northern Minn.

You do understand that it's VERY strategic?

Any game that combines deft strategy with drinking can't be all that bad.

After all there's a curling sheet at The Country Club (Well, there was a directional sign indicating one the only time I saw the place...)

K

Does anyone know if they're still allowing the "Spanked Schoolboy" move, or has that bit of Curling lore been sanitized from the game, as well?

[TEPaul]

"I've heard from more than one person that NCR is a very good course and perhaps Wilson's best. Anybody played it? What did you think?"

I played it one time, David, in the US Mid-Am of all things. There are 36 holes there and I forget which is the best 18--the North or the South.

Some of the greens on the better of the two courses are pretty hard to figure out how to approach correctly which is somewhat of the hallmark of Dick Wilson's best courses, in my opinion.

Do you know who the defending champion was at that US Mid-Am? It was Friars Head's own Ken Bakst.

[Guy Phelan]

Dick Wilson has performed some solid work. I am not a fan of Doral and probably never will be; however, when you look at some of the courses mentioned here and others like Meadow Brook and Coldstream. He has a long list of courses and ones that most of us would enjoy playing.

[PThomas]

"I've heard from more than one person that NCR is a very good course and perhaps Wilson's best. Anybody played it? What did you think?"

I played it one time, David, in the US Mid-Am of all things. There are 36 holes there and I forget which is the best 18--the North or the South.

Some of the greens on the better of the two courses are pretty hard to figure out how to approach correctly which is somewhat of the hallmark of Dick Wilson's best courses, in my opinion.

Do you know who the defending champion was at that US Mid-Am? It was Friars Head's own Ken Bakst.

believe Glenn Spencer is a NCR fan...hopefully he will pipe in here

[Mike_Young]

I think DW was one of the best....a hidden gem is Fincastle in Bluefield WV.....

[Willie_Dow]

One of my favorites, and maybe his last was in the Abacos,
Treasure Cay, with Joe Lee.

Bidermann, also with Joe Lee, and cared for by a pro named Dick Wilson (I think), is another wonderful routing.  The original routing is the feature of any character assignable to the architect !

[Jeff_Mingay]

Interesting article.

Anyone seen a photo of Dick Wilson? I don't think I have.

[Glenn Spencer]

"I've heard from more than one person that NCR is a very good course and perhaps Wilson's best. Anybody played it? What did you think?"

I played it one time, David, in the US Mid-Am of all things. There are 36 holes there and I forget which is the best 18--the North or the South.

Some of the greens on the better of the two courses are pretty hard to figure out how to approach correctly which is somewhat of the hallmark of Dick Wilson's best courses, in my opinion.

Do you know who the defending champion was at that US Mid-Am? It was Friars Head's own Ken Bakst.

believe Glenn Spencer is a NCR fan...hopefully he will pipe in here

Yes, Paul, most certainly I am a HUGE fan of NCR. The reknowned course on the property is the South Course. It used to play 6824 par 71 and was very tough. They took a lot of trees out and now the course is in magical condition, but not nearly as intimidating as it once was. They added some tees about 10-15 yards on each hole for the Senior Open. The North Course is now playing much longer and is quite a good test of golf. NCR is without question the second best club in Ohio. Firestone has two courses to compete with it, but then adds a third and probably is the better place, but not by much. The 6th Hole is a par 5 with probably a 20? foot bunker in the front and an absolutely wild green. Not anything that I have seen from Wilson before. I played the golf course in October and the assistant professional said that the Superintendent said the golf course was playing 2-3 shots tougher for our event than it was for the Senior Open. I believe it, it is tough for me to remember 2 putting. One of the best golfing experiences of my days that day. Perfectly fair, but tremendously hard golf course.