Tom Watson Golf Design

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Reading the comments about Nicklaus's evolution as a designer prompts me to ask about Tom Watson as a designer. How do you view his courses? What sort of renovation work did he do at Ballybunion? I have never seen let alone played any of his courses.

[Ally Mcintosh]

What sort of renovation work did he do at Ballybunion?

Bottom line is he added about 17 bunkers to a course with only 45 in total, many of them on the par-5 fifth... A few inside the dogleg on 16...  Lowered the lip on the centreline bunker on 18 I think... added a bunker at the green...

Can't recall what else he did or whether he touched any of the green surrounds...

[PCCraig]

Tom Watson's work on the Cassique Course for the Kiawah Island Club is very well received and a course that I really enjoy playing. I believe it's Top-100 on the Golf Digest rankings (Unsure of it's GW ranking off the top of my head). The course features a ton of strategy and a fantastic stretch of low country holes on the back nine.

It also features one of the most comfortable locker rooms around!

[Joel Zuckerman]

Using the 10 round split popular on this forum, I would take Cassique 6-4, maybe even 7-3 over The Ocean Course.  The other 5-6 courses in the Kiawah area (resort and private) are well behind.

His Conservatory GC at Ginn's Hammock Beach Resort south of Jacksonville is IMO very hard, very long, and over-bunkered. 

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Using the 10 round split popular on this forum, I would take Cassique 6-4, maybe even 7-3 over The Ocean Course.  The other 5-6 courses in the Kiawah area (resort and private) are well behind.

His Conservatory GC at Ginn's Hammock Beach Resort south of Jacksonville is IMO very hard, very long, and over-bunkered. 

I am very surprised to take Cassique over the Ocean course.
I was quite dissapointed in Cassique, especially the front nine with the over abundance of man made"dunes" to give a links like appearence.
I did enjoy the more natural backnine very much though.

[Shane Wright]

My best friend played in the US MIDAM at the Cassique and absolutely loved it.  He is very well traveled and felt like the Cassique was such a great blend of options and strategy but very difficult and still fair.  I have found that to be a rare combination.

The only Tom Watson course I've played is his National course in KC.  I sometimes like to play hard courses, and it was definitely that, as well as in great condition, however, I felt like the property was a little average.  It is not a walking course and although I very much enjoyed it, I didn't see anything really unique.  

[Matt MacIver]

I agree with those liking everything about Cassique, just a lot of fun.  The wind doesn't come into play as much as on TOC, so perhaps TOC is a more dynamic course.  Cassique has more undulating greens and plays link-sy, but nothing close to TOC.  Both are great walks.  I would give the edge 6-4 to TOC, with zero rounds allocated to River or the other four publics.  Would very much like to see more of his work, and for him to do more in general. 

[Paul Jones]

I played The Manor in Alparetta, GA and was not impressed.  But then again, it looks like he had to work through houses on every hole.  However, I have also played Cassique and really enjoyed it.

[Joel_Stewart]

He had a number of interesting things to say during the interview I did with him some time back.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/tom-watson/

He must be very particular on his jobs or just not getting that many opportunities?  He is completely honest about the time he spends on the job or lack of it and gives everyone around him credit for the work he does.

[Mike_Young]

He had a number of interesting things to say during the interview I did with him some time back.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/tom-watson/

He must be very particular on his jobs or just not getting that many opportunities?  He is completely honest about the time he spends on the job or lack of it and gives everyone around him credit for the work he does.

Joel,
He must have spent enough time to be a new ASGCA member   hmmmm....

[A.G._Crockett]

I played The Manor in Alparetta, GA and was not impressed.  But then again, it looks like he had to work through houses on every hole.  However, I have also played Cassique and really enjoyed it.

I've only played The Manor once, so I'm not quite sure completely how I feel about it yet. 

But I do know that the fairway bunkering is perhaps the most over the top of any course I can think of.  Lots and lots of bunkers in play off the tee all over the course, but more significantly a remarkable number of them are very penal; very deep with built-up lips on the line of play.  They are much more like what you would see in a greenside bunker.  I would think that a high handicapper would not enjoy the course very much.

That said, it is a very nice piece of land, and I enjoyed the course for the most part.  Not compelling, but I am interested in seeing it again.

[Randy Thompson]

He had a number of interesting things to say during the interview I did with him some time back.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/tom-watson/

He must be very particular on his jobs or just not getting that many opportunities?  He is completely honest about the time he spends on the job or lack of it and gives everyone around him credit for the work he does.

I had a client that wanted to contract him (ten years ago) and I prefered him to another Brand name, and it turns out he was moving in a direction away from JUST a brand name and wanted to be more involved. He turned down our project without asking what the associated fees would be. He said he didnīt think he could put the time and supervision for a project so far from home. I came away with the conclusions he is a class act.

[BDuryee]

I have played Cassique a number of times and it is a course I enjoy more each time I play it. I have not played a lot of links golf, and while the "linksy" feel at Cassique is manufactured I don't sense it while on the course. I would play it more often than The ocean course only because my ego can't take the beating TOC provides when the wind is blowing. For 10 rounds I would throw a round or two in at the River as well. That's what I love about Kiawah. Between the 3 you get such a different style and test within a 8 mile radius.