Architectural features: wish I was there

[Brandon Urban]

I have been lucky enough to play some pretty great courses around the midwest. They all possess fantastic architectural features.
The one I think about most is the ocean wave fairway of the All-World 8th at Prairie Dunes. I would have loved to be there during the discussion/construction of that part of the course and know Maxwell's thoughts/reasoning behind it. I have found myself on the wrong side of one of those rolls more than once and I can just imagine him chuckling at the thought of that happening.

What specific feature (not entire golf course) do you wish you were there for when it was built/found and why? Will classic course features be the more popular pick because we don't have all of the knowledge that we do about the modern era designs?

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Brandon, interesting question...here are a couple...

16th at Cypress Point – Pretty well documented exchange between MacKenzie and Hollins, but would love to have seen her hit the shot across the ocean and the look on the doctor's face...

Flipping the nines at Augusta – I believe one of the reason's they flipped them was due to the fact that the front nine received more morning sun and therefore they could get earlier start times due to frost, etc. – but it would have been interesting to hear the debate on the merits of each nine's holes/finish from a tournament perspective.

18th at High Pointe – I think the discussions between Tom Doak, ownership, and the DEQ/DNR (not sure if those are the right environmental bodies they had to work with) about the routing of that hole and how it finally came to be.

10th at The Golf Club – The ridge that crosses the fairway short of the green is so unique to me in American course design – I wonder what (if any) discussions Pete Dye had with ownership/membership on including it in the final plan.  It is such a small, subtle feature – but so cool and something I have rarely seen here. (EDIT: In re-reading this post and thread, I am now not sure the hole I am thinking of is the 10th...)

17th at TPC Sawgrass – Again, a well-documented hole and how it came to be between Pete and Alice Dye – but certainly would have been interesting to be a part of the first discussion around an island green.

9th at The Kingsley Club – I would guess the most controversial hole at what some considering a polarizing design, it would have been great to been a part of the discussions between Mike DeVries and the team – not only about the green, but the two sets of tees, and subsequently the change in cut lines from the fringe to the rough...

[Mac Plumart]

GREAT TOPIC!!!!

I would love to have been there when the infamous Mackenzie Green at Sitwell park was built.

I love have been walking Sand Hills with Bill Coore when he routed the course.

Also, watching Coore and Crenshaw and team discuss 14 at Bandon Trails.

Hitting shots with Brad Klein, Doak, Urbina, and crew over the ridge on 3 at Old MacDonald.

Also hitting shots of the chasm at Biarritz and seeing that hole come to life.

And, I'll stop after this, watching Ross route Seminole up, down, and all around the dune.

[Eric Smith]

Nice topic, Brandon. Gosh there are so many rattling around in my head but I'm in a bit of a hurry so will just post this one that really put a smile on my face earlier this year and that is the (mostly) hidden punchbowl green on the par 3 15th at Goswick (England).





How cool would it have been to be there when Braid found this little beauty!

[Mac Plumart]

I'll add some more...

I'd have love to have been there when RTJ decided to route Eugene CC in reverse.  I'd love to have heard his thinking.

I'd love to have been with Strantz during the construction of Royal New Kent or Tobacco Road.  GREAT holes!  Eh, routing.  I wonder how he thought about the process of putting together a golf course.

Also, spending few days with Crump on the premises of Pine Valley.

Being with Raynor as he routed Shoreacres around that wonderful swale.

And being with Fazio as he built the quarry holes at Black Diamond Ranch.

[David Harshbarger]

I'd have loved to be in those early groups trying to figure out where to put the targets at St. Andrews for their stick and ball game.  Since that was a long process, I'd like to be there every 10 years or so to see what new and interesting twists folks were coming up with over the next 200 years or so.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Any feature Paton and Low created at Woking.

The Gibraltar Hole.

And probably my #1: the 5th at RMW.

[RJ_Daley]

We the geeks of GCA.com would probably enjoy being there at any project where the archie and constructor (or one in the same) are discussing or contemplating creating a feature.  Isn't that what it is all about for most of us?  What is the thought behind the feature that gives us pain or pleasure?  I can't think of any course with interesting features, from what ever era, that I wouldn't have loved to be an observer while it was being  conceived and shaped.  Even if the feature stinks from my perspective, I'd like to see who, how and why of it.

I'm lucky enough to have had a few discussions and recounting of the creation of a few interesting features of modern courses, by those involved, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.  

[Mac Plumart]

10th at The Golf Club – The ridge that crosses the fairway short of the green is so unique to me in American course design – I wonder what (if any) discussions Pete Dye had with ownership/membership on including it in the final plan.  It is such a small, subtle feature – but so cool and something I have rarely seen here. (EDIT: In re-reading this post and thread, I am now not sure the hole I am thinking of is the 10th...)

It is.  You are correct, Chris.  10 has that ridge about 2 feet high that cuts across the fairway right in front of the green.

[Brandon Urban]

Good stuff so far guys... thanks for the input.

Mac- I agree wholeheartedly on the Sand Hills statement. I think I've mentioned it on here before, but I once randomly ran into a Sand Hills founding member. He told me the story of how he was on site taking an initial tour when Bill Coore found the greensite for #2. He said it was something he will never forget. He also said that watching Coore walk that site was unlike anything he had ever seen and he has been around the golf business for a long time.

I think RJ is right... I could go on and on about places I wish I had been.

A couple of more from me:

7th green at Ballyneal and the "aha" moment (if there was one)
The integration of the "new" 9 at Praiire Dunes and how difficult it was to make it look as seamless as it is.

[Josh Tarble]

I would have liked to be involved when Tom Dial decided in the 15th Greensite at Cape Kidnappers. I would have like to see the first time he walked out to it.   


I Also would have loved to be there when Pete Dye was developing the concept for Harbor Town. Such a dramatic shift in thinking and design.

[Ronald Montesano]

A la The Dead Zone, any thought on "wish I was there to stop..."?