They are...who we thought they were!

[Jay Flemma]

We always talk about courses that are over-rated or under-rated...but what about courses that are accurately rated?

Let's go all Dennis Green meets Chuck Klosterman and talk about what courses are regarded right where they should be.

http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=4138

From the article:

"Golf Magazine hailed Sand Hills as the greatest course built in the last 50 years and at the time that article was written, they were likely right. The Coore and Crenshaw design has become the finest trend-setter in golf, and now Ballyneal, Dismal River, The Prairie Club, and Awarii Dunes have opened as well, bringing even more pilgrims to the loneliest yet, most mind-expanding location in American golf – the sand belt which was formed tens of thousands of years ago when the middle of America was the bottom of the ocean floor.

It’s perfect terrain for golf: wild and unspoiled, remote and idyllic, stretching for hundreds of miles. The golf course itself is sublime, an inland St. Andrews. The course is regarded as the most important achievement in golf course architecture in decades, and golfers come from all over the world to recline on Ben’s Porch, and then go home feeling as though they have been to the Promised Land. The cultural importance of Sand Hills to golf cannot be understated. Since everyone loves and reveres Sand Hills, it is properly rated."

[Anthony Gray]

         

   I'm glad we don't see Augusta at the top spot.

   Anthony

[Patrick_Mucci]

         

   I'm glad we don't see Augusta at the top spot.

  WHY ?

Is it not a spectacular golf course ?

[Anthony Gray]

  Pat....i think it has too much elevation change and has over the top landscaping to be in the top 3 tradionally. Because the access is close to impossible and The Masters is played there unfairly moves it up the board.

[Jay Flemma]

Uh...Anthony, I did have it at the top.

[PCCraig]

.

[JR Potts]

What a sad, dumb, pathetic, inaccurate, laughably bad and self-serving post.  Actually, it's likely not self-serving as it exposes to others the total lack of journalistic integrity and mastery over anything golf related.

I've sworn off clicking on anything this poster posts but a moment of weakness in the new year again led me astray.

Lesson re-learned.

[Niall C]

Jay

Sand Hills - never been there so perhaps you can elaborate why its design makes it the finest trend setter in golf. You (or the article) also states that the course is regarded as the most important achievement in golf course architecture in decades, again can you please elaborate.

Thanks

Niall

[Ron Farris]

I don't know much about Augusta National as for play, but I agree that the Sand Hills is a fine trend setter.  The simplicity of the place starting from the clubhouse, the practice range, and the naturalness of the course and the porch concept make the SGC a great place.  Jagged edged bunkers came back into vogue after the SGC and with the coming of Ballyneal, Dismal, Prairie Club, Wildhorse,..... it is clear to me that you can build dissimilar golf courses in similar terrain (a very broad sense) and have a variety of enjoyment. 

Augusta with all its trend setting, in my opinion, has really hurt the game by courses without such revenues as the Masters Tournament wanting weed free fairways, perfect bunkers with brilliant white sand, and emerald green---everywhere except the bunkers.  Think of all the golf course owners in the world that think their course should look like Augusta to be world class and now we have turf standards that are budget busters.  The Sandhills , while in an environment totally different to Augusta is an example of pure pleasure at a reasonable cost.  In today's world economics if I was a golf course owner I would trend toward the Sand Hills model............of course I am biased having grown up in the area. 

[Sean Leary]

I chuckled when I saw that "accurately" was spelled incorrectly at the bottom of the piece.

[Jay Flemma]

For the record, I've been to each of those courses and played them all except Augusta and Sand Hills.

Niall, basically what I meant was that the success of Sand Hills paved the way for Dismal, Ballyneal, and The Prairie Club.  But now that I reflect on it more, you could also say it was the most impressive moment in the minimalist movement  to that point, a full broadside that signaled its arrival and acceptance.  Sand Hills really brought minimalism to the forefront.

But Niall, we're getting further afield than the thrust of the piece.

Sean, thanks for the catch.  Dyslexia is tough sometimes.  

[Garland Bayley]

Should the subject be
They are...what we thought they were!
 

[Jay Flemma]

No, Garland...it's a nod to the quote from Dennis Green...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_N1OjGhIFc

Interestingly, what Green later said he meant was that the Bears were a one dimensional team that could be beaten if Grossman had to throw the ball.  The Cards forced six turnovers by Grossman, but lost on two fumble recoveries returned for TDs and a Devin Hester punt return.

[Jeff_Brauer]

We tend to forget what an architectural trend setter ANGC was when built - wide fw, less than 30 bunkers, easy for the hack to play, challenging for the pros.  Very different than the penal and heavily bunkered courses of the 1920's and really seems to have set the trend in strategic and even minimalism from 1932 when it opened. 

That basic model was in force until at least Pete Dye of the 60's, although you could argue Wilson and RTJ ignored most of its lessons in their designs, favoring tournament tough designs as epitomized by Oakland Hills by RTJ.  As always, its hard to draw true lines between paradigms.

Overall, nice piece Jay.  I enjoyed it.

[jeffwarne]

I don't know much about Augusta National as for play, but I agree that the Sand Hills is a fine trend setter.  The simplicity of the place starting from the clubhouse, the practice range, and the naturalness of the course and the porch concept make the SGC a great place.  Jagged edged bunkers came back into vogue after the SGC and with the coming of Ballyneal, Dismal, Prairie Club, Wildhorse,..... it is clear to me that you can build dissimilar golf courses in similar terrain (a very broad sense) and have a variety of enjoyment.  

Augusta with all its trend setting, in my opinion, has really hurt the game by courses without such revenues as the Masters Tournament wanting weed free fairways, perfect bunkers with brilliant white sand, and emerald green---everywhere except the bunkers.  Think of all the golf course owners in the world that think their course should look like Augusta to be world class and now we have turf standards that are budget busters.  The Sandhills , while in an environment totally different to Augusta is an example of pure pleasure at a reasonable cost.  In today's world economics if I was a golf course owner I would trend toward the Sand Hills model............of course I am biased having grown up in the area.  

Think of all the golf course owners who have gone out and planted fescue and "native" grasses(thus slowing play) , and built "natural" blowout bunkers requiring hand raking that wash every time it rains driving maintenance through the roof.
Should we blame Sand Hills for that?

That comment is of course tongue in cheek, but I tire of reading that ANGC ruined the golf world by running the best tournament in the world--
The Masters is played in April, and is a winter club so therefore they plant a winter grass rye which is green.
If a club can't restrain itself 1000 miles away on a different grass, ANGC shouldn't really be blamed for that.
Did the 4 Seasons ruin the Holiday Inn?

That's like saying Apple caused the recession because everybody went and bought I-phones with money they didn't have because they were so good

But if you really want a better analogy, we could blame the success of Sand Hills on the failure of so many other destination courses.
It was so good that everybody wanted to imitate its' model and success., but we all know there can't be 100 successful remote destinations.
And of course that would be silly -as silly as saying ANGC has hurt the game with impeccable conditioning.

Also, when you factor in the member's cost of traveling to and staying at Sand Hills, and the amount of fossil fuels used flying in and driving to it, is it really a reasonable cost and enviroment friendly?
Tongue in cheek again, but food for thought when we constantly bash Augusta.

[Jay Flemma]

Exactly, Jeff.  Augusta hasn't hurt the game.  It's nice to have something pure.  Personally, I think Augusta and the Masters are great for the game.  But Ron is right too...the budget busters can be a problem too...but it's not Augusta's fault that people want to copy their success.

[Tom_Doak]

We tend to forget what an architectural trend setter ANGC was when built - wide fw, less than 30 bunkers, easy for the hack to play, challenging for the pros. 

Jeff:  Is that true?  If you throw out the mom-and-pop munis that can't afford bunkers, how many courses since Augusta National have had less than 30 bunkers?

[JC Jones]

We tend to forget what an architectural trend setter ANGC was when built - wide fw, less than 30 bunkers, easy for the hack to play, challenging for the pros. 

Jeff:  Is that true?  If you throw out the mom-and-pop munis that can't afford bunkers, how many courses since Augusta National have had less than 30 bunkers?

Greywalls?

[Niall C]

For the record, I've been to each of those courses and played them all except Augusta and Sand Hills.

Niall, basically what I meant was that the success of Sand Hills paved the way for Dismal, Ballyneal, and The Prairie Club.  But now that I reflect on it more, you could also say it was the most impressive moment in the minimalist movement  to that point, a full broadside that signaled its arrival and acceptance.  Sand Hills really brought minimalism to the forefront.

But Niall, we're getting further afield than the thrust of the piece.

Sean, thanks for the catch. 

Jay

It was your reference to the architecture that interested me. How was it a trend setter and how was it the most important achievement in decades. Also, I've never played the other courses you mention either so perhaps you could tell me a bit about the architecture of Sand Hills and why that makes it a trend setter and why its the most important achievement in golf course architecture in decades.

Thanks

Niall

[Jay Flemma]

Niall, it was minimalism's biggest hit up to that point, and it's still a wonderful example of that branch of the craft.

[Niall C]

Thanks Jay, I'm still a bit hazy when it comes to defining minimalism but I guess I'll know it when I see it.

Niall