A Benevolent Golf Chairman?

[J_ Crisham]

I believe Jackie Burke Jr.'s book, "It's Only a Game : Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf", has a chapter concerning the benevolent dictatorship method used at Champions.

         Jason, It would be hard to beat what Jackie has done at Champions. 2 great courses, gregarious membership who are serious about the game, never an assessment in 50 yrs. I have a good friend who plays here and just loves the fact that he has aMajor champion who will stop and dispense swing advice if asked (without a fee) because he feels a sense of commitment to help players become better. Spent the week of The Masters here and  had a super weekend hanging out watching tourney in the locker room.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I believe Jackie Burke Jr.'s book, "It's Only a Game : Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf", has a chapter concerning the benevolent dictatorship method used at Champions.

Jackie is the definition of a benevolent dictator and it works quite well as far as Champions and the members are concerned.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Kyle I am surprised it took this long for Mr Burke to be brought up. You are right on point.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I have only seen the course on TV so I am paraphrasing arguments I have heard/read from others (eg Matt Ward, Ran), who argue that in the age of Hootie the club significantly reduced the width of the playing corridors and eliminated angles of attack by adding a fairway bunker on 1 and planting trees on 7, 11, 15 and 17.  

Phil,

There was ALWAYS a fairway bunker on the right of # 1, so I don't know where you obtained that info.

As to the statement that he SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the width of the playing corridors, I'd take exception to that.
The golf course remains a wide golf course by comparison to others, it's just not as wide as it was originally.

I don't consider planting "additional" trees on # 7, # 11, # 15 and # 17 as running roughshod over the architecture, especially when you consider where the trees were planted on # 15 and # 17, in the area where he removed the UNORIGINAL mounding and replaced it with trees.

I don't agree with the tree planting, but, that's certainly not running roughshod over the architecture.  Some of those trees were subsequently removed.

It took me a while, and I don't embrace the concept, but, I've come to the conclusion that ANGC isn't so much about ANGC as it is about The Masters.

The golf course remains a wonderful golf course and while I'd rather see them employ horizontal elasticity, I don't think it's going to happen due to the timeing of the growing season and the time of The Masters[/color]

[Patrick_Mucci]

Clubs changed as the "generations" changed.
They went through a cultural metapmorphosis reflective of society.

If you look at pictures of members taken 30-50 years ago, and then look at pictures from today I think you'll see the difference,.

Is this because the old pictures were in black and white (or just white), and the pictures from today are in color?

Kirk,

You're 0 for 2 with your guesses.

You're way off base.[/color]

Could you expound on this idea?

Have someone explain it to you.[/color]

[Rich Goodale]

Dunlop

Another great example was John Sutherland at Dornoch.  He, more than the land, or Old Tom Morris or JH Taylor or Donald Ross, made the course great and not just very good.  Buy and read John McLeod's history of the club, if you already have not.  If you have, re-read it.

Cheers

Rich

[Neil_Crafter]

The British architect Donald Harradine, now passed away, when asked what the ideal number for a greens committee was, he answered that it should be an odd number - and always less than three.

There's your answer Dunlop.

Neil

[Phil Benedict]

Patrick,

I'm sure you are correct about the bunker on 1.  It was extended to 320 yards by Fazio.  And I agree that the club's priority is the Masters, which quite frankly is their right since hosting a major every year is what distinguishes the club from every other club in the world.  I think it would have been interesting to see how the course stood up to the world's best with just the added length and not the trees and first cut.

As to whether the contraction of playing corridors is "significant," I can only reference comments by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer that the course isn't the same one they played in their prime.