Most memorable features you saw in 2001?

[Chris_Hunt]

I have been truly spoiled with amazing architectural features this year, but some favorites must include:

1) The 9th fairway at Shinnecock.  It is the best looking roll in America.  I also like the par-3 played from the 9th tee to the 1st green.

2) The 7th at Friar's Head.  While I was there this summer, the 10th, for aforementioned reasons, was always my favorite, but the 7th makes such a remarkable transition hole back into the dunes that I must change my mind.  The green seemed like a floating triangular oasis, and the power of the cross hazard off the tee is remarkable, both visually and psycholocigally.

3) The 1st green at the Eden Course at St. Andrews.  This green screams Alister Mackenzie to me, and may be from what I have heard, but every time I think of it, I end up cursing the name of donald steel and the R&A for changing the back nine into the crap that it is today.  Its angle and tilt are fabulous, and deserve to be visible from the Old Course.  The first eight holes on the course are some of the finest in town.

4) The 4th fairway at Rye.  It is the first time in a long time that I have felt truly helpless on the tee (and I am not a terribly great golfer).

5) The beautiful intimacy of the 8th green, 9th tee, 10th green area at Maidstone.  It feels like 19th century golf- just perfect.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I did not all the firsts that Tom had, but it was a very memorable year for me too. I got to meet a number of you fine gentlemen. The first round at SFGC was an experience of a lifetime in itself. While no big deal to many of you. it was my first real opportunity to play a Tilly course and it was in the same level of emotion one gets the first time at TOC, Dornoch, Seminole etc. Everytime this happens, you just thankful to be fortunate enought to feel that way again. Gib who has been a good friend and gentleman gave me the tour of the new ocean course and a good thumping too. Any year which includes 3 days of unlimited access to Cypress Point is a great one. Playing with all you great guys at Pacific Grove was great, thanks Adam, Bob H., Tom, Dan and the rest., The 3 rounds at Pacific dunes and all the wonder Tom and Jim put into it. there is way to much to mention in one note. The shock to learn that the beauty of Kingsbarns was manufactered not natural. Yet a great course none the less., A few days playing TOC and last but not least was 2 wondeful days playing for the first time Maclarhanish. this while last may have been the best of all. There was a lot of great golf with great men all over the world, but these were the highlights.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Oh one last big moment. I have finally acquired the land for my course and it will have a chance to become a reality. That will be the highlight of 2003.

[Jeff Fortson]

My most memorable....

1.  #4 National Golf Links   Played the course twice this year and this is by far the best Redan style hole I've ever played or seen.  (I hate to admit it because of my love for Shinnecock but it's a better Redan than Shinnecock's)

2.  #6 Kingsbarns    An awesome short Par 4 with the right wind can be drove.  The green sits in an area surrounded by small hills except for the front right.  The green itself is wonderfully sloped.  (I was in Scotland in Nov. for the third time in my life and played this new course.  Even though much of the terrain was moved and sculpted it looks so natural.  You can see the ocean from every hole.  A must play if you go over the pond!)

3.  #15 Bethpage Red   A long dogleg right par 4 that at the point where the dogleg starts the slope of the fairway changes and pithes towards you instead of away from you.  A mid to long iron must be played to a green that is uphill from you but you can see the entire putting surface.  A moderate to highly sloped green that makes birdie very rare.  (Much hoopla has been made about Bethpage Black and rightfully so but it's overlooked sister, The Red Course,  is just as good in my opinion just not quite as long. It is also a true Tillinghast design and is just a flat out awesome golf course.  If you go to play the Black and can't get on, then ask to play the Red.  I promise you that you will not be disappointed.)

4.  #7  Cruden Bay   Short to mid length par 4 that to me resembles a cape like hole where you can bite off as much as you want to chew where the more you bite off the more difficult the drive.  The second shot is not very long but uphill to a pin that can only be seen from a perfect tee shot.  The narrow green slopes away on both sides and an approach shot must be played to near perfection to have any kind of birdie opportunity.  (I think Cruden Bay may be one of the best settings in golf.  From the clubhouse bar where you can sit and drink a pint of Tennants with the friendliest of locals you can see the North Sea and much of the layout of the course.  Make sure to say hello to the Pro, Robbie, a wonderfully nice man.)


I've seen a lot of memorable features this year but these are the most memorable when it comes to course architecture.  The MOST memorable thing I saw was when I was in Scotland for 10 days.  The Old Course WAS CLOSE THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS THERE!!!!!  Just my friggin luck.  It was like have a giant steak in front of you and your mouth had been sewn shut.  I stayed at the Dunvegan and must say it was a great B&B which their quote is so true "We're just a 9-iron away from the Old Course".  If you want a great conversation then hop into the Dunvegan Bar and buy Tip Anderson a pint (Palmer's and Lema's caddie when they won the Open) and just listen to all the great stories he has to tell.  A sad year for our country but the good side was that I was blessed to play some great courses this year.


Jeff F.

[Ken_Cotner]

A very humble contribution...

Restored fairway bunkers and green surrounds at Ross' Myers Park CC in Charlotte.  Choices revived.

KC

"If you have ever seen a dragon in a pinch, you will realize that this was only poetical exaggeration applied to any hobbit, even to Old Took's great-grand-uncle Bullroarer, who was so huge (for a hobbit) that he could ride a horse.  He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club.  It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same time."
                    J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Hobbit"

[Mike Cirba]

I've had a particularly fortunate year to have played some wonderful courses, and I promise to give a full accounting of some of the unique and memorable design features I've seen at a more opportune hour.

However, as I think about everything I've seen, the design feature that makes the most vivid impression is the new bunkering at Merion East.  In a very real way, they symbolize so many of the issues we discuss here regarding fairness, naturalness, integration with surrounds, appreciation and preservation of classic design, accommodation of advances in technology in the game, expectations of the average golfer and club member, the idea of "challenge" in the next century, the influence of the professional tour, and inner-workings and politics of most clubs across the country.

If there was anything that was built, existed, or changed on golf courses between 2000 and 2001 that was more important, I must have missed it.    

[Tommy_Naccarato]

This year, like last has been an important year in the education of Thomas Naccarato. (Sorry for the third person-like sentence)

It started off at the Valley Club in February, where ALL parties involved gave me a introductory lesson in MacKenzie restoration. It was a very quick and wet lesson, but it worth the time and cold I got from it.

That cold stayed with me and turned into a case of pnuemonia, which few knew I had during Archipalooza in March.  In short, it was a perfect lesson in how to take perfect duney-links property on the Oregon Coast and turn it into one of the world's great links golf courses. Pacific Dunes is that course.

In tribute for such a masterful effort by it's director of creative intelligence, in a Confidential Guide To Golf Courses style............

Hole 1-!
Hole 2-!!!
Hole 3-!!!
Hole 4-!
Hole 5-!
Hole 6-!!!
Hole 7-!!
Hole 8-!!!
Hole 9-!!!
Hole 10-!
Hole 11-!!
Hole 12-!
Hole 13-!!!
Hole 14-!
Hole 15-!!
Hole 16-!!!
Hole 17-!
Hole 18-!!

I'm having a lot of trouble on deciding if #2, 3, 6, 8, 9, or 13 are my favorite holes on the golf course. Of course, I'm sure most will agree that none of that really matters.

Don't let anyone doubt the talk. Pacific Dunes IS the real deal.

Barona Creek is another pleasant surprize, and I'm glad to say that Todd Eckenrode is an architect that hopefully will be with us for some time. His work on Barona #14 is proof of that statement. It is a great natural hole with very minimal movement and proof that short uphill par 4's are not only fun, but challenging. Hats off to superintendent Sandy Clark for embracing fast and firm, whether it was his decision or not!(By way of water rights!)

Rustic Canyon-All's I can say to you all........... (Especially you PA'ers who think they have Gil Hanse all to themselves)

This is without doubt the best course yet with Gil's name on it.........And it is in Southern California!

Pinch me/wake me up, I must be dreaming!!!!!!!

Hopefully Rustic Canyon will be the course that opens the floodgates for more Gil, Tom Doak and Coore & Crenshaw to do work in SoCal!

I need more golf courses! Feed me Seymour, feed me!

[Mike_Sweeney]

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/sandhills000176.html

See the above link for the largest, most natural and amazing bunker I have ever seen. The fairway bunker on the left side of the 18th @ Sand Hills. Pictures will never do it justice. From the back tees, I had no chance psychologically, and from the middle tees, it still nailed me every day, but I loved it.

[Paul Daley]

The golfing playing thrill of the year for me, was having the pleasure of playing Thirteenth Beach - twice pre-launch, and once last week. While the entire course is very good and interesting, it strikes me as being the ideal balance between (a) challenging and (b) fun.

Ask anyone who has played The Beach about its collection of
par 3s. In unison, words such as breathtaking, awesome,
and so forth ... spew out. The set, which includes a hole - the type that A.Tillinghast referred to as a "Tiny Tim" hole (the 16th) - may soon be accorded Australian 'benchmark' status.

The other thrill (non-golfing) was seeing the majesty of Barnbougle Dunes in its pre-course state, walking through
the dunes with Michael Clayton, Tom Doak and Michael Cocking. Some seriously good terrain!

[redanman (Guest)]

Since I wasn't worthy to attend Archipalooza (Sorry I couldn't go to your outing in September, Oh my brother John...)

Believe it or not, the first green complex at Galloway National.  Looking like the hood of a '47 DeSoto from the fairway, brilliantly conceived and executed outside the box. From what I've heard, stuff this good exists on every hole at Victoria National.  I never found it.  I must be incredibly stupid.

Uncompleted, George Bahto's work at Essex County CC 2nd greenside bunkering. George has always been BDAW status with me.

The Mae West Hole and the 3rd green at Apawamis, a museum piece.  cool old quirk. Can't wait to see Rodney and Gil's work.  Bill Perlee, great job there, sorry I missed that putt for you! (I had hoped for much more of this kind of archie stuff at Myopia......)

The 17th green at French Lick, defending it and having a very knowledgeable detractor come around the next day after playing it again was pretty cool  

Hollywood-and seeing that Rees built a green for the new 17th which fit pretty seamlessly.  When Rees tones down the mounding, gets the routing right, he will build a top 10 modern course!  Sorry fellas, true.

Every time I play #10 Lehigh................... including Sunday in 40* I can't wait to come back. 40 times this year to date and I'm not done.

The world's? best set of parallel holes at the back of the Metacomet property.  What a pleasant surprize how good those holes were after the dejection I felt at seeing their parallelity from 9 tee, wow.

13-17 Ocean Forest and the walk to 18 tee.  Wow.  18 has to be anticlimactic even with the ocean.  It is a fine hole, but it's not Pebble 18.

The find of the year was Siwanoy.  Peter posted a few pictures last week.  I had high hopes and unlike others this year, they were exceeded here.

Next year we get to do it all over again.