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Jason Connor

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Architect that could do more with less
« on: April 15, 2008, 07:12:35 PM »
This is perhaps my first initiated topic with the unabashed goal of getting topics back to GCA.

I recall a post, I'm sorry I don't remember the author, explaining Ross at French Lick.  I'd copied the post:

You care because Donald J. Ross championed the design philosophy of defending par around the greens.
You care because a big hitter such as yourself can let it rip there and have a distinct advantage on the one shot holes. 
You care because the severe tilt of the greens suggests a maximum stimp of around 8, requiring one to actual "golf his ball" on the greens.
You care because you know your second at the 8th must be precise or you'll be trying to get up and down for bogey from the the valley after your first putt.
You care because you still have some work to do to negotiate the three tiers of the 13th green notwithstanding a stellar long-iron approach. 
You care because when you look down the hill at the 14th green, you cringe to see such a pedestrian potato-chip replacement that sticks out like a sore thumb.
You care because the 16th is a short hole that Seth Raynor would love to claim as his own. 
You care because Ross could do more with less than any architect who ever lived.
You care because this is cross-country golf at its finest. 
You care because you love playing golf more than anybody I've ever met.

I came across this in my notes tonight.  And I wondered who agrees with the line in bold.

I think of the Ross courses I played on otherwise uninteresting terrain, and they're great.

Why was Ross the best at doing the most with the least?  Was it his routing?  His green complexes? 

And if Ross wasn't the best, who was?


We discovered that in good company there is no such thing as a bad golf course.  - James Dodson

Ian Andrew

Re: Architect that could do more with less
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2008, 10:58:19 PM »
Jason,

I sort of agree with you and I sort of don’t.

I think you can find lots of Ross work on average ground that inspires you to. I think the joy in many of these holes is the way they play more so than the way they look. His green complexes at Essex (in Windsor) and Detroit Golf Club are great – and despite some really dull land– I really enjoy playing both these courses a great deal.

The reason I can’t be so quick to agree is because Tillie had the same gift and produced a lot of great holes on average land. The interesting difference between the two is the aggressiveness in some of Tillie’s work – particularly for me in the use of strong leading "shoulders". I find some of his holes blow me away with the quality of the green sites when you realize he created it all.

I guess what I’m saying is that I have a hard time separating who is best from two particularly gifted gentlemen.

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