Is This The Next Big Trend?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

These whales tails were spotted just off the 7th hole this week at Riviera. Is this the future of bunker design, a tribute to our large friends from the sea?

George Thomas, welcome home!

[Paul Daley]

Who said architects don't have a whale of a time!

I prefer my "fingers" a wee bit asymetrical: seemingly random
acts of higglety pigglety.

[Paul Daley]

Who said architects don't have a whale of a time!

I prefer my "fingers" a wee bit asymetrical: seemingly random
acts of higglety pigglety.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Me see a forked tongue.

[Paul Richards]

Tommy:

Sure these aren't from Disneyland?

They look like Mouse ears ...

[TEPaul]

This definitely appears to be the Big Trend these days!

Forget about trying to identify an architect's style--there isn't one. This is the style of MacDonald & Co., the Maryland bunker contractor and it's remarkably similar from classic course to classic course--actually forget even about remarkably similar--let's just call it indistinguishable from course to to course.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tommy,

Quit putting pictures of Merion's NEW MODERN bunkers on this site and having the nerve to call them Riviera's!!!!

We had them first!!!  WE in Philadelphia are the true originators of THE NEXT BIG TREND!!!!

I predict these puffy, upholstered, sea mammal tributes will indeed sweep the nation!!  Coming soon to a classic course near you!  

[Tim_Weiman]

Tommy:

We know Geoff didn't want to get involved.  So can you tell us you is signing off on these things for Riviera?

[Mike_Cirba]

Just think of the countless, loving hours of handwork it took to create such masterful art in homage to George Thomas.  I wonder if they beat Merion's record of 100+ bunkers start to finish in 8 months!  

Just look at the wonderful attention to detail, the painstaking effort to get every little nuance correct.  It brings a tear to the eye, for certain.  

"I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused" - Elvis Costello

[Geoff Shackelford]

Tim,
Tom Paul got it right, this is the work of the contractor Macdonald, signed off by Tom Marzolf/Fazio Design. They apparently think this is reminiscent of the other bunkers on the course. Hard to imagine when all you have to do is turn around and study them. Or maybe matching the others is not their goal. Maybe (and I'm afraid there may be truth to this), they think this is a better look than the existing bunkers and hope to convert the rest to the beamed-from-Bethpage McBunker. But if that's not true, then they apparently don't have much sense that a course should ideally have consistency in the look of its bunkering. I know it's hard to match the look of an aged bunker, but at least you can try. Dan Proctor and Dave Axland managed to pull it off with the rear bunker on #10 alternate, but of course, that's Dan and Dave.

Mike,
Great quote from Elvis. You know, when you stand out there and look at this stuff, laughing is about all you can do. The features are so clumsy looking and out of scale, that you can't help but chuckle at the goofiness of it all. It's also fun to hear people say how they like the new features a lot, and declare it a big improvement. Then you ask a tour player or a member how they plan to play the redesigned holes and they start saying they don't really know, and how they don't understand the options (there aren't any...) and then they say how they don't understand what the architect was trying to accomplish.  But they like it!
Geoff

[A_Clay_Man]

It's a Pacific life influence $$$$

[JohnV]

I think they might have been influenced by all the Porsches in the parking lot.

[Joel_Stewart]

Tommy:  Its what your buddy is predicting. They have 2 conventions scheduled to talk about remodeling.


ASGCA President Predicts Remodelling Surge in 2002
Chicago, Ill. -- January 12, 2002 -- Remodeling will take precedence over flashy new courses in 2002, representing a shift from the new-course boom of the last five years, says Damian Pascuzzo, president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).

Pascuzzo says more courses are finalizing remodeling plans each year, ranging from small projects to correct minor problems to entire makeovers.

"The trend is across the board," Pascuzzo says. "Our members report that remodeling work on the drawing boards represents a true cross-section of the country’s golf courses — country clubs, public courses and municipally owned facilities."

For a handy round up of recent trends in the golf course design and construction industry, visit ASGCA's "Trends" page. ASGCA's Remodeling University course was designed to educate golf course decision makers on the basics of course remodeling, including budgeting, the remodeling planning process, and the roles and responsibilities of golf course architects, superintendents, builders and others. The program has reached more than 800 attendees in events around the country.

The next scheduled Remodeling University events are:


February 1, 2002 - San Antonio, Texas at the CMAA World Conference on Club Management 2002

February 8, 2002 in Orlando, Florida at the 2002 GCSAA Conference & Show

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Paul,
At least Mickey had Minnie to make him feel good. Yes, they do look like Mickey Mouse. In this case--McKey Mouse (In regards to McDonald & Sons.) Tom McMarzolf is so proud!

I would also like you guys to reread that article from Wednesday's LA times where Tom McMarzlof and Todd McYoshitake comment on how descriptive the aerials of the course look. (For further review see Geoff Shackelford's "The Captain" for a better idea of what exactly Riviera looked like.)

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Joel, Isn't that the same press release from last year?

[Joel_Stewart]

Different press release, same logic.  

It relates to what Tom Doak said on a different thread, new course construction is slowing down, architects have to make living.  Why not remodel some old courses?