What would CBM change about NGLA after seeing Old Mac?

[Anthony Gray]

  ?

  Anthony

[jeffwarne]

  ?

  Anthony

The rates

[Joey Chase]

Nothing I hope!!!

[Patrick_Mucci]

The people who are allowed to post on GCA.com 

[PThomas]

not a damn F*%$ing thing (and that's probably the type of language he'd use)

[Tom_Doak]

He would change the grass types to fescue, for sure.  [Of course, he probably planted fescue at National in the first place, and they've just gone away from it since.]

And he might knock some of the straight edges out of his design, too.  I really don't think he chose deliberately to build his features in a rectilinear style ... I think he just did it that way because he didn't have construction guys who knew any better.

[Ben Sims]

I really don't think he chose deliberately to build his features in a rectilinear style ... I think he just did it that way because he didn't have construction guys who knew any better.

Interesting thought.  I consider the single greatest weakness of the house of Macdonald (Raynor and Banks too) to be the "rectilinear style." Honestly, I've never really thought about why their work looks the way it does from the standpoint of your quote above.  I have always assumed that it was because straight lines would be the simplest way to define the playing characteristics of templates and further differentiate MacRaynobanks in the golf boom of the 1910-1930 period. 

Tom, would you agree that Macdonald and Raynor's attention to shot values (or variation of shots required for their courses) combined with MacKenzie's aesthetics to be the "ultimate architect?"

[Anthony Gray]

He would change the grass types to fescue, for sure.  [Of course, he probably planted fescue at National in the first place, and they've just gone away from it since.]

And he might knock some of the straight edges out of his design, too.  I really don't think he chose deliberately to build his features in a rectilinear style ... I think he just did it that way because he didn't have construction guys who knew any better.

  How about the tee box on 2? Would he move it to the right and foward a little? I like the angles at OM better.

   Anthony

[Jeff Taylor]

The angle on #2 @ NGLA is what makes the hole. Having hit from down there on the right, I can attest to the importance of precision off the tee.

[Michael George]

The people who are allowed to post on GCA.com  

That is funny!

I am sure with his nature and considering the story concerning his relative that he took out of his will after offering advice about #1 at NGLA, Mr. Macdonald would not have appreciated any of us amateurs posting on the site.  I certainly would be out.

I don't know what MacDonald would have changed to NGLA, but as he took the best of many great courses that he played, I am sure that he would take parts of Old Macdonald if he designed other courses.  From what I have read of him, I could see him loving #7.

[Dan Kelly]

Apropos of ... nothing, perhaps:

During my noontime constitutional through the skyways over the frozen streets of St. Paul, I read Malcolm Gladwell's take on Steve Jobs: "The Tweaker," at http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/14/111114fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all. I confidently say that it's worth your time, if you haven't read it.

And then I saw this thread, and I thought: Were Macdonald and Jobs brothers in spirit?

Discuss, if you'd care to.

You could also discuss this: In the (formerly) great big world of golf-course architecture, who were/are the Visionaries and who were/are the Tweakers?

[Patrick_Mucci]

He would change the grass types to fescue, for sure.  [Of course, he probably planted fescue at National in the first place, and they've just gone away from it since.]

And he might knock some of the straight edges out of his design, too.  I really don't think he chose deliberately to build his features in a rectilinear style ... I think he just did it that way because he didn't have construction guys who knew any better.

Tom,

He tinkered/fine tuned it over the next few decades.
If he thought something was wrong I'm sure he would have corrected it over that span of time.

Which begs the question.

What will you tinker/fine tune over the next few decades ?

[Michael George]

He would change the grass types to fescue, for sure.  [Of course, he probably planted fescue at National in the first place, and they've just gone away from it since.]

And he might knock some of the straight edges out of his design, too.  I really don't think he chose deliberately to build his features in a rectilinear style ... I think he just did it that way because he didn't have construction guys who knew any better.

Tom,

He tinkered/fine tuned it over the next few decades.
If he thought something was wrong I'm sure he would have corrected it over that span of time.

Which begs the question.

What will you tinker/fine tune over the next few decades ?

Patrick - if you get this answered, you really are a YaBB God!!!

[Jim_Kennedy]

Anthony,
It's been 100+ years since NGLA was created and since that time there has been something like 15k more courses built in the USA. NGLA sits in the top 10 best courses in the US, and the only course built in the modern era that ranks (GD, GM) slightly higher (one place) is Sandhills.

Why would he want to change anything?