Though I don't place much emphasis on Golf Digest's panelists findings, I thought it was interesting to note that Pete Dye now has "only" 8 courses in the Top 100 in the US according to GD's most recent list. Of those 8, only 3 were built after 1990 (The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Pete Dye GC and Whistling Straits). I'm sure those more knowledgeable about the GD lists over the years could cite facts on this, but it seems to me that many of his courses have made it onto this list in the past and have since dropped off (Blackwolf Run, PGA West, Old Marsh, and Crooked Stick in my hometown are 4 that come to mind).
The 5 that remain on this year's GD list built pre 1990 (The Honors Course, The Golf Club, Long Cove, TPC Sawgrass, and Harbour Town) all seem to endure as exceptional golf courses. Of all those I have mentioned above, the only one built pre 1980 that has dropped off the map is Crooked Stick, which has been reconstructed by Mr. Dye on several occasions.
Did his work get worse after 1990? As he became more experienced, why did his more recent projects suffer in comparison to his earliest work? Do architects run out of good ideas? Crooked Stick, The Golf Club and Harbour Town were 3 of his earliest high profile projects. Of the 3, I am told nothing has been touched by Mr. Dye since he finished the course in the 60's, and it seems to have "held up" the best in the eyes of the course rating community. Crooked Stick has endured the most "improvements" and it has suffered the greatest decline in acclaim of these 3. What's up with that? Is Golf Digest wrong in their assessment of his work? Has Mr. Dye damaged some of his own work? What do others think of this?
TS