One easy way to gain a fan base on GolfClubAtlas.com, the world's most feared web site
, is to state how much you admire the work of dead architects. Indeed, try and temper such a statement just a little and people crucify you. Nearly since the site was started, one man who has made clear his admiration for traditional architecture is Georgia-based architect Mike Young. However, at the same time, he has made it equally evident (despite some inevitable chastisement) that he also chooses to mingle modern methods and strategies amongst the classic design principles. To his credit, he has always been quick to highlight areas in particular such as drainage, grassing and maintainability where improvement can be had from the Golden Age of golf course architecture.
On more than one occasion and again repeated in this Feature Interview, he states the current 'period of restoration' has received too much hype. Also, though not to offend, Mike has always thought that too few modern architects are given credit for understanding classic design principles. In fact, Mike contends (not unreasonably!) that how can an architect be a restoration 'expert' without having struggled to build original eighteen hole courses on his own? It is only in the pursuit of building courses from scratch that one can begins to understand how difficult golf course architecture is with its inherent trade-offs. That perspective seems fair enough to me and Mike has earned the right to that opinion having designed over twenty-five courses from Georgia to Costa Rica in nearly twenty-five years of going at it under his own name.
Golf course architecture is a brutal profession, especially now, and my hat is off to architects like Mike who have provided a service to the game over such a sustained period.
Hope you enjoy September's Feature Interview and many of Mike's non-formulaic responses.
Cheers,