2009 was a choppy year around the world and GolfClubAtlas.com wasn't immune, primarily as we went through the trials and tribulations of cutting over to a new platform. Ben held the ship together and needed to as I was about to mutiny as wordsrantogetherthroughout the hundreds of pages of text during the change over. We also lost our links that were high in Google but that rectifies itself on a daily basis thanks to heavy traffic. Thank you for your patience during this transition and we are glad to be on the new platform where we continue to tweak things behind the scenes to make it more stable/user friendly.
Through it all, the Discussion Group continued on its indomitable way, careening at breakneck speed here and there with some blood spilt along the way. Things overheated a few times as is to be expected on a subject matter that people ferociously care about but overall, here at the start of year, we seem to have found calmer waters. To me, that is good but I appreciate others with more of the WWE mentality tune in for the wrestling and so be it.
My counter for new posters shows 168 were added since the spring cutover and the vast majority of the 1,500 registered participants made at least a few posts in 2009. That's the way it should be - no reason to take up a spot if you aren't going to post. In all likelihood, we will add another ~220 people in 2010 as that has been our track record for the previous four years.
Unfortunately, some folks still struggle with the concept of posting under your own name and/or sticking to the subject of golf course architecture. Ultimately, their place at the table is swapped for someone who grasps this notion. Also, if your vocabulary is so limited as to require salty language to limp your point across the finish line, go elsewhere. More and more young people read the Discussion Group and whether they go on to become Kye Goalby or, heaven forbid, Rod Whitman
, I don't know but we are going to keep the discussions clean (though passionate) so that all age groups can enjoy this site. And please don't feign shock and indignation when your thread on college mascots disappears - it was deleted. This web site is a monster with its server space requirements and we aren't going to archive off topic threads as they all add up.
Many eyeballs follow the site - 7920 different computers logged onto the site one day this past December which is an all-time high for us. Ben and I always stay focused in the desire that first time visitors will see value in the site and that they will find the Discussion Group as a place for erudite conversation in which they would like to participate. Remember: Golf course architecture is the subject matter that unites us all as opposed to who can be the pithiest and/or throw the most jello.
Having said that, what can we do to improve the site? The search function is much better according to researcher extraordinaire Dan Wexler, so that is a positive from the transition. What else should we be considering? New features,etc?
There are lots of fond memories out of 2009 and we each get from the web site what we put in it. As for mine, watching Harry the Hippo give chase to Joe Andriole at Leopard Creek was one as was listening to Joe's various flights back home with a precious bottle of Pinotage that made it all the way until he was placing it on his wine rack in Florida - and dropped it!
Pat Mucci saw me crush a drive down the eighteenth at Winged Foot West and - true story - immediately implored Neil to whisk him away to the first green. Yes, he was that scared!
I have never seen anyone flee quicker (except Ted Sturges when a bill comes) and I have no doubt that Pat will collaborate my version. Matthew Bradley made up for his father's numerous shortcomings by providing this site a bunch of good photos from Tralee and Waterville that helped those profiles immeasurably. His father helped his own cause by going down in flames to me at The Cascades with the estimable Tom Paul as match referee. New course profiles were added and a rugby match broke out in the Courses by Country section when two courses from South Africa and two courses in New Zealand were added. Two all-time favorite Golden Age courses (Essex County and Eastward Ho!) received updated profiles and just being at each place reminds me how fortunate we all are to be golfers. Not a lot of quality new courses with enduring features opened but when one did like at Clear Creek at Tahoe, we covered it. Also, the opportunity to meet Julian Robertson and spend time with him was a great life experience: the man is a champion and I say that based on what he has done for my alma mater at UNC Chapel Hill, for keeping New Zealand golf relevant in the world's eye by getting golf broadcast from there, for his work at the Auckland Art Museum and on and on. Finally, despite the recession, more people sent in a donation to GolfClubAtlas than the year previous which was gratefully received as the cut-over to the new platform was both timely and expensive. Thanks to everyone in the Contribution Section (and that is A LOT of people which shows the broad base of generous support that we enjoy), GolfClubAtlas.com will run commercial free for another twelve months.
What does 2010 hold? Greg Ohlendorf soon to be posted piece on Flossmor will get GolfClubAtlas off to a great start this year and will set a new standard for detailing a course's restoration. The opening of Old Macdonald will give us all something to ponder, namely are these the best set of greens in the United States (begging pardon from Pine Valley, Oakmont, and Yeamans Hall)? On top of Old Mac, Lost Farms opens in November, which means there may be two new world top twenty courses
this time next year. It will be a very busy year on Cape Breton as well as we go full speed ahead at Cabot Links where we start on the irrigation pond next month (let's hope Rod remembers to bring his mittens!). And you don't think this is a great period at the high end of golf course architecture? Give me a break and this is the end of the spectrum that this web site likes to chronicle. The fact that golf course openings are off 90% in North America gives existing courses a chance to find more golfers - and that's a good thing. Plus, that's a lot of poorly conceived real estate courses no longer coming on line and that's a good thing as well. This sport was losing its way with all the extra trappings and needs to get back to its core of bringing friends and family together in the great outdoors and away from zooming between rows of condos in a revved-up golf cart. Yes, courses that embrace the best attributes of the game will continue to be the only ones profiled under Courses by Country (though Brad Miller keeps asking me to throw a course under the bus and I keep asking him to invite me to his local course).
Through all the comings and goings, let's hope that more discussions centering around intense debate on architecture ensues on this web site. One thing is for sure and that is we are on the right medium and it is a genuine pleasure to make the acquaintance of so many people around the world. And I need this web site to be a facilitator as it is harder and harder for me to find people inept enough at golf to allow me to sneak out a win (there is only one 'Choke' Dawson who permitted me to finish bogey-bogey-bogey at The Dunes to surge to victory by one, having been two down on the sixteenth tee)!
Happy New Year, thank you again for your support and let's make 2010 count.
Keep golf uncluttered and fun and allow people to find out just how great the sport really is. Pictured is a par three green under construction at Cabot Links, which will feature no cart paths as it is walking only.