Has Dye stopped being controversial?

[PCCraig]

Joel --

Thanks for the analysis.

I ask because I have played there a number of times as a kid. Harbor Ridge has been my grandparents winter home for years. I agree with your assessment, a very underrated course.

[Joel Zuckerman]

These are great did you come up with these when writing your book?

All by myself!

Don't you think the theory behind Dye course designs is simple - Hit good shots and you get rewarded and if you don't you pay the price and get a unique experience trying to recover?

The problem (and a great deal of the controversy) comes because seemingly good shots occasionally take heinous bounces, and lead to double bogey.  LPGA Hall-of-Famer Beth Daniel lives near the Dyes in S. Florida, and once asked Pete why so many of his courses were unfair.  He replied "Who said golf was supposed to be fair?"  Therein lies the crux of his design philosophy--at least his philosophy during his career heyday--mid--late 70s to around 2000, when he was most active.

[Matt Varney]

Joel,

I have a tendency to agree with his thought process.  To me it is much more satisifying to shoot a good score lets say 80 on a Dye course than to shoot 77 on a realtively easy flat course that lacks all the angles and visual appeal that a Dye course offers.

Personally, I have never understood how someone who plays golf like to play the same course over and over again and they want it to be flat, easy and give them a chance to make birdies.  I like the challenge and I find it very rewarding when I play well and hit good shots and have chances to make birdies but, I usually make pars and a some bogeys during the round.

I think you could do a side-by-side comparison of Dye designed golf holes and golf holes from easy courses that have very little character or design style.  99% of people polled would tell you they like the Dye holes better because that would be really fun to play.  Isn't that the point to make the course fun to play? sure your going to get a bad bounce but, that happens its golf the wind is also going to blow. 

Pete says the harder he builds them the longer the line people stand in to play the course!