Let me address a few things. Regarding Jim Nugents question, Olympic is in much better condition now than 10 years ago, What top golf course isn’t? Advances in agronomy allow this. I’m the first to admit that when the superintendent was first hired, the tree removal program and the fairway top dressing program worked wonders. The fairway turf is in great condition. Bill Love had nothing to do with this. It’s always been my argument that this superintendent knows how to grow grass. He just has no respect for classic architecture or managing his employees among other things. Furthermore he has absolutely no clue on the ground game thinking this game is strictly an aerial game. With the type of contours Olympic has, this is completely misguided.
The greens are an entirely different story. There is no questions the greens needed to be rebuilt. Not one member opposed it. What was redicioulous was they cored out sand to build USGA spec greens. This was done at Bill Loves insistence and it’s my general opinion that because of Bills lack of knowledge and inexperience it’s the only way he knew. Secondly, at the superintendent’s insistence they sodded the greens instead of seeding them. Both of these added considerable extra cost. The greens have never been perfect since the redo and are rock hard.
Here is a photo of the new 7th after being sodded. The fact is this was changed from a 3 level green to a 2 level green is because Bill Love and the superintendent didn’t know how to build the old contours at USGA spec.
Back to Jim Nugent’s question. IMHO, the course is not as good architecturally as it use to be. As I mention before, the course is a fraction of what it could be. I suggest you look at some of the classic photos like the one I provided. It’s funny yet sad that Bill Love was given 600 photos by the history committee and couldn’t figure out anything. I personally had to take him and the superintendent to the 15th hole with photos and explain it to them. Regarding Weiskopfs work, in all fairness, the green was surrounded by trees and was extremely small. There were maybe 3 spots for a pin and very little light and air circulation. Weiskopf did exactly what he was told. Fast forward 20 years, all the trees have died and been taken out. They rebuilt the green to take advantage of this.
To Jay. Of course it’s going to be a great US Open and I certainly don’t underestimate the golf course. The course is set up to test the best players in the world. The problem is what about after the US Open? All the words you hear about Olympic, “it’s long and hard”,” a stern test”, “very difficult”, or from Mike Davis “the first 6 holes are the hardest opening holes in US Open history”, make it unplayable for almost everybody else, including 97% of the members and their guests. The course has been modernized and prepped for the last 5 years, all for 1 week in June 2012.
I’m not trying to spoil anything. I’m just telling the story of the back room politics at this club and responding to your interview with Bill Love. He’s a hired gun, a C rate architect with a mediocre career that nobody has ever heard of. For that he is making a great amount of money for doing virtually nothing except carrying out the orders of the superintendent and now touting himself as a restoration architect.