I'm Officially a Golf Course Architect!!!

[Adam Clayman]

Willie knows where to get the best Maumee waumeee. 6 ounces to boot.

[Andy Troeger]

Mac,
Cool idea. My parents used to have a decent size plot of land that I had to mow, so I also managed to obtain a few old cups/flags from a local club that I put out there to create a course. The hole you have built up against the river reminds me of a cool 90 yard par three that I had that went downhill to the corner of the mowed section (bordered in back by woods). If you were agressive and went long it was a tough recovery! We used it for a closest-to-the-hole contest once, I think at my high school graduation party. The only bad thing was that the house was kind of in the middle of the property, so that limited options a bit. I only broke one window over many years ;-)

Don't have any pictures, unfortunately.

[Mac Plumart]

Jon W...

To your question, "Is that a second club on the ground? I thought the rules were 1 club."  That is my dad's club and gloves.  Only one club per person, rules are rules!!  That round I played with a pitching wedge, my son played with 6 iron, and my dad used 9 iron.

Melvyn...

No island greens.  But the pond does have a floating raft that I could use as a movable par 3 green ala Coeur D'alene.  Huh, huh?!?!?  Who's with me?!?


Jim N...

Sadly, you might be correct on the best new for 2011.  Let's hope we get some more activity regarding good new courses. 


Bill M...

I didn't think of that.  Play it in January time frame and you can have an Ice hole!!!  Now that is something unique and new regarding golf course architecture.


Tom P...

My mom and dad mow the grass.  They used an old  Farm All tractor for years and years, but that thing died last year.  And now they have multiple big ol' riding lawn mowers that they use. 

To all, regarding memberships...still working on the adminstration of that.  I'll get applications out to all GCAers as soon as I can!!   


Also, interesting side note regarding the rule allowing jeans on a golf course. 
When I played Shaker Run, one of the guys I got teamed up with was a guy who had jeans and a sweatshirt on.  Then when he smiled at me, I noticed he was missing a number of teeth.  For a second I was taken aback, but he had an aura about him that put me at ease and he had a weird charasmatic effect.  As we played the round, I found out he was currently unemployed and looking for a job and because Shaker Run had such a great/affordable membership package he could still play often.  As we played, he demonstrated nothing but class and was truly a joy to play with.  He had great course mannerisms and I would play again with him in a heart beat.  In fact, when I get back up there I have his contact information and we will be playing together again.  But here is the kicker...as I walked off the 18th green and shook hands, this unemployed man gave me a gift to remember him and Shaker Run by.  It was a Shaker Run ball mark repair tool.  Okay, it wasn't an overly expensive gift...but I've never been given a gift from a total stranger I just only met on a golf course.  Again, classy and something I'll never forget.  Another amazing golf story!

[Mike Nuzzo]

Also, interesting side note regarding the rule allowing jeans on a golf course. 
When I played Shaker Run, one of the guys I got teamed up with was a guy who had jeans and a sweatshirt on.  Then when he smiled at me, I noticed he was missing a number of teeth.  For a second I was taken aback, but he had an aura about him that put me at ease and he had a weird charasmatic effect.  As we played the round, I found out he was currently unemployed and looking for a job and because Shaker Run had such a great/affordable membership package he could still play often.  As we played, he demonstrated nothing but class and was truly a joy to play with.  He had great course mannerisms and I would play again with him in a heart beat.  In fact, when I get back up there I have his contact information and we will be playing together again.  But here is the kicker...as I walked off the 18th green and shook hands, this unemployed man gave me a gift to remember him and Shaker Run by.  It was a Shaker Run ball mark repair tool.  Okay, it wasn't an overly expensive gift...but I've never been given a gift from a total stranger I just only met on a golf course.  Again, classy and something I'll never forget.  Another amazing golf story!

Sounds like you found your first employee for your first course.
Cheers

[Tim Bert]

Since this thread is nothing but a love fest, I am going to throw out a critical comment. Does the existence of a road really make a hole a Road Hole?!?  Other than that the course looks, well, natural.

[RSLivingston_III]

You sir, are a madman. What a hoot.
Actually it could be a good gutty course.
When are you going to sneak out and do a few bunkers? I am assuming there is no livestock to create some natural ones...
Or would your dad plant a size ten in your back side for digging holes in his yard?

On number four, on the right it appears there is a natural couple foot high raised area that looks like a low push up green. An optical illusion? Possible green site for a future renovation?
Sorry, I am being bad intruding on your design work...

ralph

[Jim_Kennedy]

Mac,
Before you can be 'officially' recognized you need a few photos of yourself with a set of blueprints rolled out on the hood of a pick-up, (preferably something manly, like a Dodge Ram w/a Hemi). You can add dozers, excavators, mules, etc., as the situation warrants.

When you become 'recognized' you can drop the heavy props and just go with standing in a field with a set of plans in one hand while the the other hand points out some future place of interest in the background. Be careful though, to make this work you really need to sell the thoughtful and inquisitive stare. Practice at home for awhile, as this is one of the more important attributes of the modern day architect.  







Great stuff, thanks for the photos.
  

[Brad Klein]

Golfweek Raters Open, Nov. 3-4, 2011
MacPlumart National GC
Defiance, Ohio

Event open to all raters from all magazines and to all anti-raters from GCA. Fee is complimentary, except for GCAers, who pay $10. Ryder Cup format. Sign up TBA.

[RSLivingston_III]

Golfweek Raters Open, Nov. 3-4, 2011
MacPlumart National GC
Defiance, Ohio

Event open to all raters from all magazines and to all anti-raters from GCA. Fee is complimentary, except for GCAers, who pay $10. Ryder Cup format. Sign up TBA.

I want in. But will need three caddies, one for the clubs and two to carry me.
Assuming the ban on carts is maintained.

[Peter Pallotta]

Typical.

The genius with the new idea is mocked and ignored.

But when a few congnoscenti say he's the real deal, suddenly he can do no wrong.

Mac is a great architect, yes -- but he has only designed one course!

Let's wait to see what he does next before adding him to the pantheon, okay?

Peter

[Stewart Abramson]

I hope you have detailed written family records, minutes, contracts and plans. If not, years from now some will say that having so little experience you could not have accomplished this on your own. With the general belief that contemporaneous internet records are so unreliable I would guess that after you are gone there will be a dispute as to the correct GCA attribution for the course, resulting in a long and heated debate the 22nd Century medium for frank discussion of all things GCA.

[Mac Plumart]

Tim B...Perhaps Road hole is a bad description.  I should have gone with Driveway Hole.  It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it!!

Ralph...It would be a great gutty course, wouldn't it?  I'm heading back in the summer.  I'll bring my hickories and gutties.  On the bunkers and design ideas...my mom and dad were okay with sticking pegs in the ground, but digging bunkers?  Yeah...not so much!!!   

Brad Klein...I like the idea!!  I actually like it A LOT!!!!  Perhaps the two day event at the Plumart Course could be one modern era club and ball or an entire set of gutty era clubs and balls.  Hmmm...not a bad idea!!


Good stuff...thanks!!

[Jud_T]

And we thought minimalism had been pushed to the extreme before the Mac Plumart era...

[Anthony Gray]

  This is the kind of stuff that leads to divorce.

  Anthony

[Colin Macqueen]

Brad,

Mac P. says "Brad Klein...I like the idea!!  I actually like it A LOT!!!!"

The CAPITAL letters are a very worrying sign. This seems to be a man who once an idea, no matter how mad, germinates in his mind there is no stopping him. To encourage such behaviour may be considered reckless by some but I, for one, condone it. It is from little things that great things grow........ where did Augusta National start from I ask you?

Cheers Col

[Wade Schueneman]

Mac,

Good stuff!  We need to find you some nice rolling land out in northeast Georgia.

By the way, I have to ask the classic GCA question, what Doak rating do you give your course? 

[Tony Weiler]

Very nice, Mac, very nice.  Please keep the initiation fee "reasonable." 

[Eric Smith]

Mac, the course looks great -- I always knew you had it in you. Now that you're an archie, can we expect a Feature Interview in the future?

[Anthony Gray]

   "Honey,can you come in and carve the turkey?"....................."In an hour after I finish the routing of the last three holes".

    Happy Thanksgiving


 

[Rick Shefchik]

All you need to do now is offer the PGA of America about $5 million and Plumart National hosts the Ryder Cup in 2020.

[Jim Nugent]

All you need to do now is offer the PGA of America about $5 million and Plumart National hosts the Ryder Cup in 2020.

Don't do it, Mac.  They'll bring in Rees to doctor your masterpiece.  Before you know it, you'll have another Torrey Pines/Medinah on your hands.