[Dan Herrmann]

What are some wonderful courses not designed by an actual architect/designer?   What makes the course special, and do you think an architect would have changed things, for better or worse? 

I'll pitch Elkhorn Valley GC in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, designed by Don Cutler.  (see http://www.elkhorngolf.com/newfiles/history.html for his story).

The course is stunningly beautiful and a bit quirky; it's a real labor of love. 



Honestly, I don't know if an actual architect would have improved things.  Sure - the golf might have been better, but there's something homey about the place that gives it a unique charm.

[Tim Gerrish]

I think the key is wonderful.  There are a lot of courses built/designed by unknowns that are functional, feature plenty of quirks and can be fun to play.    I'm not sure if I've ever seen one that is wonderful though.

How would you define wonderful? 

A lot can be said about experience and learning from others.  If you haven't done anything before you are prone to make errors that you are do not even know your are making. 

[Dan Herrmann]

won·der·ful (wŭn'dər-fəl)
adj.
1. Capable of eliciting wonder; astonishing: “The … whale is one of the most wonderful animals in the world” (Charles Darwin).
2. Admirable; excellent: “The spirit of the movement was wonderful. It was joyous and grave at the same time” (Christabel Pankhurst).

[Brad Klein]

Dunmaglas, in way Northern Michigan, is certainly one of the great wonders of the world.

[BCrosby]

Brad -

I would love to hear more about the Michigan course.

I ask because I was about to post something to the effect that homemade courses I've seen tend to be really dull. I was going to point out the irony that homemade courses take fewer design risks that professionally designed courses. But maybe not.

Bob

[Dan Herrmann]

BCrosby,
That's one of the charms a few homegrown courses have.  Their designer doesn't know enough, and ends up breaking some hard and fast rules.

Often, this ends in disaster, but once in a while - serendipity!

[David Stamm]

The obvious one that comes to mind is Crump at Pine Valley. Another would be Leeds at Myopia Hunt as well as Fownes at Oakmont. I'd throw Wilson at Merion into the mix, but I don't want to start anything.

[BCrosby]

David - I would distinguish Crump and Leeds. Crump got lots of professional help along the way. Leeds did the designs at Myopia and Palmetto (circa 1895) because at that time there was no such thing in the US as a golf architect.

Bob

[Chuck Brown]

The Old Course.  Curiously, I think that's the correct response to every question I've ever answered on the GCA Discussion Board.

[Mark Smolens]

Rich Harvest in Sugar Grove?  I don't think Mr. Rich is an architect.

[Bill_McBride]

I love the story of Mr Fownes at Oakmont.  After he built the course, he was known to have the crew build a bunker overnight if any player hit a ball where Mr Fownes thought he shouldn't be able to without paying for it. 

Oakmont is the only course he was ever involved with, I think.

[John Moore II]

GolfLink list Rich Harvest as being designed by Mr. Rich and Greg Martin. Martin is a professional architect, ASCGA member. So that would seem to rule out Rich Harvest. However, I will ask my friend who just took the Head Pro job there what the deal it.

[Brad Klein]

Bob,

the wonder about Dunmagalas is I wonder what/whether they were thinking when they buiit it. It's hysterically funny as a golf course. Absurd. Memorable. Rocks everywhere, weird angles and vistas. I was stunned and overwhelmed when I played it14-15 years ago.

[Mike_Clayton]

Commonwealth in Melbourne by Charles Lane and Sam Bennett.

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