Jim, I have been accused by many to be a bit hard on many modern commericial designers, but the funny thing is that in my ballots, I'm pretty good, (or at least I think I'm pretty good!:)) or so I have been told at rating a golf course.
Point in example. I'm one of Fazio and Rees Jones biggest critics, yet, last year I rated one course from each that I hadn't rated before, Shadow Creek and Santaluz, and surprizingly, the one I would have thought would have been higher, actually came out about the same as the housing development/golf club.
David makes his point that Shadow Creek is really "that good" and I respect his point, but my point is that it is pretty highly over-rated. (Which in my opinion is deserving of being in the Top 50 but not Top 10 of the Golfweek ranking) David likes his Bridget Bardot, yet I like my Catherine Denueve, and in fact, think she is much better looking, yet, David would disagree with me anytime over this. BB is much more alive to him.
Santaluz has all of the basics I could really hate everything about a golf course, (housing, less then attractive bunker style, but very good placement; shoddy construction as far as paying attention to detail of tying-in the hillsides to the ground contours of the golf holes themselves) yet, I rated it about the same total as Shadow Creek, and if I had my choice, would play it over Shadow Creek simply because of how the bunkers are placed; the shaping of the green contours, which is heads and tails better then Shadow Creek, which has the least interesting green complexes I have ever seen on a Top 10 ranked course ever, which really should bring the course down, yet for some reason doesn't; and I think Santa Luz does in fact have some pretty strategically interesting golf holes, where as I don't think Shadow Creek comes anywhere as close, strategically. I think it is a mass of containment that gets quite repetitive in many areas
Is Shadow Creek deserving of a lower ranking then Santa Luz?
Here is where the fun begins! NO! I don't think there is a better constructed course in the world then Shadow Creek, despite all of the gimmicks that come with it. That is what is most impressive about the place, and also, why it should be certainly celebrated, in my opinion, in the Top 25, but not Top 10, Top 15 or Top 20. If I had to pick a Fazio course that was better designed strategically, I would instantly say Shady Canyon or Quarry at La Quinta. But are they Top 100? This is the part that hilights just how close it is to be a Top 100 course and a Top 200. There really isn't much gap at all.
Now how would I rank these against, say, Strawberry Farms.... Believe it or not, I think that given the challenge of environmental concern, I think SF plays about as good as a golf course can play with all of that eco-area involved. Right next door at Shady Canyon, where it seemingly just as prevailiant, and isn't, probably thanks to the size and power of the Irvine Company, I would say that there are just as interesting holes at Strawberry Farms as there are at Shady Canyon, despite all of the glamour of one compared to the other. It is unfortunate that Strawberry Farms will never ever get the fanfair of Shady Canyon simply because of the glamour, which to me is another perfect example of the failure of the ratings being a success and the success of the ratings being a failure. And as I said before, I do it to hopefully make a difference, despite if I can get on the Bear Club or not. I respect their ideals to forgo ranking. It seems to be a popular take amongst certain new golf clubs, which is even more refreshing. They don't forbid raters, they just want them to get on the old fashioned way--by getting invited by a member! I really respect that.
As I told you one day at Strawberry Farms if you do remember some 5 or 6 years ago, I wish you could bring Jack here and let him see how a golf course could really be designed if he let you guys go at it without his certain specs. You responded to me that he Jack has taught you a lot more then I really knew, and even since then, he has developed a better, more descriptive style, that has gotten away from that neo-Dye look to a more influential and certainly more respectable style. I hope it continues.