[Philippe Binette]

Hi Mike,

right now, I'm working for the city of Montreal on a 22 hectares park where they moved 350000 cu. yards. Kind of like a golf course but no golf. It's a way to make it through the recession and a good experience on the politics of the public administration.

plans for 2010: well a couple of options are on the table but can't really talk about it for now.

favorite part of the business: the way I've worked so far, I really like the intensity of the project, it becomes a way of life (some say it ruins your life...)

least favorite part: for now I've been on the trailing end of the 'getting the jobs' part, it's time to get ahead in that regard.
When you show up at a course at 28 years old and you start talking about what you've done and different courses in the world and some design concept and all you get is the deer in the headlights look, and the classic: we want to built an island green ! 

[George Pazin]

What would your dream course look like, if you could choose the site? Ocean links? Sand hills? Parkland?

If you were given a chance to work on a Shadow Creek/Rawls flat blank canvas, what would the final product look like?

[Matt Kardash]

Philippe,

I hope you get to see Pine Grove one day just so you can see the crazy intimidating back tee on the 9th. I havent been there in a while but I remember the diagonal carry across the river being pretty damn intimidating.

I don't know if you have been to Le Blainvillier, but it has some pretty solid holes scattered around it's two 18's. However, since my dad is a member there I've had the "priviledge" of seeing the greenskeepers dumb down the course for the past 10 years or so. They keep ontrying to flatten some of their really savagely sloping and contoured greens.
Holes to note:
Heritage:
2, 8, 9, 16, 18
Royal:
1,9,10,11,17, 18
Basically those are the holes the take advnatge of the valley. The rest are dead flat.

[Philippe Binette]

dream course if I would choose the site:

Although I've never been there, a place like Sunningdale or Swinley Forest would be what I consider an ideal site. Don't get me wrong, I love links golf and would love to get a shot at designing on a site like Cruden Bay...

but I love places like Royal Lytham & Garden City and I feel Sunningdale and Swinley are close to that but with more contours on the property. I like the fact that the course are an internal landscape on which the game is played. To me, great views are impressing at first but I love courses where the quality of the course is about the game, not the scenery. The course would be smart, efficient, not necessarily photogenic (no postcard golf) but a blast to play, day in day out.


If I have a blank canvas.
Well, I'll put mounds everywhere, on each side of the fairways, built 5 ponds and big cookie cutter bunkers and my last three holes would play around a lake. That's what I would do. (I'll end my sarcasm here before it gets dirty)

No seriously from a blank canvas here are the key for success in my mind:
1) the tie-in with the surronding landscape. the course has to look good from the outside in as well as from the inside out. A flat piece of land cannot turn bumpy in a instant while crossing a property line. That's what looks wrong to me from the Castle Course. Basically your contours has to return into flat on your property

2) I'll create two or three majors contours: granted that you need to dig an irrigation pond, the dirt coming out of it would generate a some major contours similar to what you can see in the surrounding landscape, whether it's a steep 3 meters high ridge or some 5 or 6 meters high mounds. The hole would use those contour has much as possible. from one big mound, you can have a tee from one hole, a green from antoher and a fairway sliding around the mound. (a 5 meter hing mound might stretch over 70 meters horizontally)

3) I'd have a soliid landscaping concept and investment. you don't want to end up with rows of trees on each side of the fairways, you want to create some ambiance with your tree / bushes planting.

4) I'd organise the contract so it's a 10 year job for the architect. You have to create a landscape, not implant a course into one. You need to be able to anticipate and participate to the evolution of the course.



I know the Blainvillier, played both courses. I'm not very fond of the style (too moundsy for a flattish setting) of the course when it came out. The course has evolved a bit and is getting better.
What I like of the Royal as a concept course, 6500 par 72 but there no bailouts around the greens, it's water or sand.
One thing ,if you want to play well there, aim for the 150 marker on every hole. It's a safer spot of the tee and if you are good with your 8 or 9 iron that day, you can play well.
Heritage is Ok, but I'd rather go to Hillsdale 15 minutes away

[Philippe Binette]

Oh my god,

I was just re-reading the thread and I made a mistake that turns me into an arrogant idiot...

this is what I wrote:
about the great canadian architect theme: the truth is, no architect has come close to be half as good and prolific as Thompson, but the marketing tells us so.
I know one that is potentially as good, but I'll never be as prolific...

here's what I meant to write:
I know one that is potentially as good, but he'll never be as prolific.

that's called lost in translation.

[Dick Kirkpatrick]

Phillippe:

I liked your first version the best, if you don't have faith in yourself and at the same time, aim high, you will never achieve greatness.

BTW, I think Robert Thompson calling you outspoken is the greatest parody of the century. Maybe in all of history. LOL

[Germain Pepin]

Philippe,

I agree with you concerning the Mount Adstoc,near Thetford Mines. It is a very difficult course from the back tees. I have learned that during a competitive tournament there.

Can i ask you what is the most difficult part of your actual job?

Do you think that there is too many golf courses in the Quebec province for our population?

Germain

[Philippe Binette]

Most difficult part of golf course architecture is getting a job (and the budget that goes along with it). It may sound weird to say that but once you have the job and the money, then it's inspiration and perspiration.

If you go at a club that is running tight on their money: convincing them to spend 200 000$ or more for improving the course is hard, since your have to sell the fact that the renovation will benefit for the club. Some spots it's obvious, some spots it's a little more complicated.

You have to be willing to go out of your way to get a job and get the people to trust your plan and understand your plan. When I  got a call from Adstock, they wanted to built an island green. I could have said, OK, I'll do that for you but no. While on the phone, I explained and convinced the guy that building an island green was not the right thing to do. Went to the course and explain my vision for the course. If he'd said, no I'm not convinced by your vision and we want an island and flower bed along the tees (example), I would have said: well I can't do something I don't believe in. Sorry and I would have left.
Do what you believe in and sell your vision. If they don't like it, somebody else is going to like it.


Too many courses in Quebec !!! I would say so, the game is not accessible enough, that's the problem. There are courses in every village in Scotland, it works because it's accessible

[Philippe Binette]

Dick:

You know, I believe in myself but I'm not trying to beat this guy or that guy (dead or alive). I don't do golf course architecture with the record book in mind (or the scoregolf ranking !!??!). I'm doing what I do because I love it, the rest is just irrelevant.

Do you think Thompson and Mackenzie where thinking about their legacy They were probably more thinking about how good a nice glass of Whisky is going to taste at the end of the day. Do you think we were thinking ranking or award while building Sagebrush ? No, we were thinking: man it's wings night today at the pub, or should we go to the sushi place tonight. Just a bunch of guys sharing hard work and be happy to do what we do. 

Sand Hills is whatever ranked in the world (11th I think). If you ask me if I'd prefer to play Wild Horse or Sand Hills on a day to day basis, I'd vote for Wild Horse, and I don't care what the ranking is saying.

Have you figured who is the he ?

Also, I'd be more happy to have designed Wild Horse since the course is packed with happy players and accessible to everybody rather than having design the best thing in the world that nobody is playing on a beautiful summer day.

[Matt Kardash]

I know the Blainvillier, played both courses. I'm not very fond of the style (too moundsy for a flattish setting) of the course when it came out. The course has evolved a bit and is getting better.
What I like of the Royal as a concept course, 6500 par 72 but there no bailouts around the greens, it's water or sand.
One thing ,if you want to play well there, aim for the 150 marker on every hole. It's a safer spot of the tee and if you are good with your 8 or 9 iron that day, you can play well.
Heritage is Ok, but I'd rather go to Hillsdale 15 minutes away

haah I think I pretty much agree, though would say it is a better course in general than you are giving it credit for. I think the holes I highlighted as holes of note are mainly the ones that pretty much make no use of mounding!

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