Texas A&M Campus Course Renovation

[Carter Hindes]

Below is a link to last weeks press conference.  Clearing and shaping is underway. 
I will continue to update with pictures for all you Ags out there. 

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Texas-AM-Unveils-Plans-For-Renovated-Campus-Golf-Course-176867481.html

[Mike Nuzzo]

The architect was part of the development team.
That 10th hole looks like a waste of money.
I see swoopy fairways & greens and lots of mounds.
That faux green bridge between the 18th and practice green is a vonHagge trademark.
Cheers

[Sam Morrow]

Carter,

 I haven't played Golfcrest since it was redone and I've heard good things but I've seen some of Blume's stuff and he has me worried. Sterling CC is about 2 miles from my house and dirt cheap but has about 12 of the worse holes I've ever seen. I hope The Aggies can get this right, the old course in recent years was an eyesore.

[Ben Sims]

I will say that the 10th looks very interesting.

[Mickey Boland]

Thanks for that update.  I knew it was going to be renovated but hadn't heard any details.  I was there a few weeks ago for a football game and saw that all of the grass on the course was in the process of being killed off, so knew it was in process.  I'm glad they're keeping the course and doing an upgrade.  That's some pretty valuable property and I have always been afraid the course was going to become a casualty.  A lifetime ago, I tried out for the golf team in an open qualifying.  If not the worst weather I have ever played in, it was certainly in the top 5.  I actually sat in my car for about 5 minutes trying to decide if I really wanted to do it or not.  Played but did not qualify.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It was meant as a place for the aggies to romance sheep they wanted to go on dates with.

[Mickey Boland]

It was meant as a place for the aggies to romance sheep they wanted to go on dates with.

Debunked long ago as a rumor started by jealous Cajuns.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/critters.asp/cajuns&sheep

[Sam Morrow]

Aggies are open minded people, I knew an Aggie who had a 3 way with his cousin and a llama.

[Bill_McBride]

It was meant as a place for the aggies to romance sheep they wanted to go on dates with.

....and now they fit right into the SEC!   

[Sam Morrow]

It was meant as a place for the aggies to romance sheep they wanted to go on dates with.

....and now they fit right into the SEC!  

Take it back to Pac 12 pinko

[Mickey Boland]

Aggies are open minded people, I knew an Aggie who had a 3 way with his cousin and a llama.

And I knew a t-sip that had an original thought one time.  Odd things can happen.

[Sam Morrow]

Aggies are open minded people, I knew an Aggie who had a 3 way with his cousin and a llama.

And I knew a t-sip that had an original thought one time.  Odd things can happen.

Not a sip and I don't even own a tshirt! But I do have Longhorn Network!

[Mickey Boland]

Aggies are open minded people, I knew an Aggie who had a 3 way with his cousin and a llama.

And I knew a t-sip that had an original thought one time.  Odd things can happen.

Not a sip and I don't even own a tshirt! But I do have Longhorn Network!

You and 39 other people.

[Sam Morrow]

Aggies are open minded people, I knew an Aggie who had a 3 way with his cousin and a llama.

And I knew a t-sip that had an original thought one time.  Odd things can happen.

Not a sip and I don't even own a tshirt! But I do have Longhorn Network!

You and 39 other people.

I don't think it's that many!

[Mickey Boland]

Back to the topic, I hope they do a good job.  Land site is decent and there should be plenty of resources to draw on, both monetary and in expertise.  I had a couple of friends in an ag major who went on to become golf course supers.  Should be able to use this as a real-life training ground. 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

aggro doink

[Sam Morrow]

What I don't get is that A&M has a ton of supers go through there yet it was consistently one of the worst conditioned courses I've ever seen. They should take it the Farm Links route and make it an experimental course and let Nuzzo do the work instead of Blume.

[Mike_Young]

I've watched and read this thread for a couple of days.  Why does this site have to attack every plan or sketch someone does as if someone form this site could do it better?  Guys, who cares if the architect was part of  the development team or if he is the development team.  Not one of you knows the parameters for what he was required to do.  This architecture game has changed boys....people now realize that detailed drawings are very much a thing of the past in most cases and they want people that can put it on the ground.  That routing plan means nothing.  Give the guy a chance....he's one of the few of us that has an 18 hole project...

[Mickey Boland]

Mickey,  LSU people are not all cajuns. Cajun is a slang word anyway. We are a diverse state. I understand diversity is a curse word to an aggie. Cajuns surely have no romantic interest in sheep. We do like a good grilled or broiled lamb chop. We may, after enough drinks and golf, want  to romance the abandoned women of aggies who are out with their sheep. Back to the subject at hand. Each time I have been on the aggro campus I was told the grass there was sacred turf. Then you see the affection the aggies/aggroamericans have for their barnyard animals.  It is easy to see why they would pretend for state budget purposes call this area a golf course. It allows for a large maintained area to be paid for by the state and used by aggies to take their sheep and other barnyard loves on dates away from the home pasture.  A road trip if one might call it. Or as most aggies know a sheep is a bit more likely to be playful on a road trip than at home in front of the family. Oh Bill not the shot a man from Georgia and the Panhandle of Florida should say even in jest. The aggros have a chance to prove their worth to the SEC if they beat a beat up and flat bama team this week. I will not abuse an aggos for at least a month if they win Saturday.

I had a long response teed up but realized it would be wasted on you. Glad to see that ignorance isn't confined to our state legislature.   I was married to a Cajun once so I knew what I was saying.  I've eaten boudin and spent the night in Ville Platte.  

[Mike Nuzzo]

Mike
As near as I can tell, I'm the only one who has been critical of or even commented on the plan.
The rest has been alumni jousting.

Are you talking to me?

I like Jeff, he is a good and professional guy.
I like Mark the super, he is also a good and professional guy.

I still don't like the elements of the plan for which I was critical, or how I envision they will look when finished (with a high confidence).

Mike

[Jason Connor]

What I don't get is that A&M has a ton of supers go through there yet it was consistently one of the worst conditioned courses I've ever seen. They should take it the Farm Links route and make it an experimental course and let Nuzzo do the work instead of Blume.

I played there hundreds of times in the mid 90s and thought the same thing.  I'd often said let a class take the course, each group gets a hole, and we members grade each hole at the end of the year.  Sure, green speeds may not be consistent, but I was paying $90 a semester!

And views of Kyle Field?  You can't see anything but the southside dorms -- MAYBE you can see the tips of the lights at Kyle.

Either way, should be nice.  It was an awful course, but you couldn't beat $90 and I lived south side, so I could be at the course in 5 min walking.

[Mike_Young]

Mike
As near as I can tell, I'm the only one who has been critical of or even commented on the plan.
The rest has been alumni jousting.

Are you talking to me?

I like Jeff, he is a good and professional guy.
I like Mark the super, he is also a good and professional guy.

I still don't like the elements of the plan for which I was critical, or how I envision they will look when finished (with a high confidence).

Mike

Yep...you and Sam....

[Jeff_Brauer]

I know Jeff will do a great job, having trained him and given him his start in the biz!  Talented guy.

I happen to like the tenth hole, although it is not possible to know what is right in front of the green from that rendering.  With nothing in front shown, it seems the outside two fw are just too far from the line of charm to be used regularly.

It could be a fascinating theoretical discussion as to whether triple fw holes really work, perhaps using any real world examples we know of.....

[Sam Morrow]

Love you too Mike.

[Carter Hindes]

As stated in the press conference this is a partnership between A&M and Sterling Golf Inc.  As of September 10, Sterling Golf has taken over operations of the course.  Texas A&Ms role will be oversight of the course to ensure affordable golf for students and faculty members and to adhere to the standards stated in the agreement.  If you noticed on the plan there is a 3 holes loop at the bottom.  This area is in phase 2 of the project and will be utilized by P.E. classes and will serve as a research area for the university.  Many golf and turf vendors have come forward with countless donations of equipment, products and time to help with this project.  This is an opportunity for them to showcase there brand to many Current and former golf professionals that come in contact with the course.  Needless to say students will be hired on the course to help with the construction and after the course is open for years to come.  Mark is still working for the university but is no longer involved in the golf course.  He has been a great help with the transition of the operations to Sterling.

Jeff has been working toward getting this course renovated for over 12 years.  He has countless hours invested and will ensure every aggie is proud of what we accomplish when we are finished.  Not only from a golfing standpoint but as a major aesthetic upgrade to the front door of the University.  As far as views of campus from the course (kyle field), this design was layed out to take advantage of every ounce of natural features and views of Aggieland.  I have worked on a few projects with Jeff and as talented as an architect as he is, he is an even better person and Sterling and A&M feel privileged to work on this project with him.