A Little Story - The Golf Club Atlas Scene in Lee Pace's New Book

[Chris Buie]

Lee has just published a book about (mainly) the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2. It's well done and I don't think there's anybody on here that wouldn't enjoy it. He spent a lot of time with Coore, Crenshaw, Padgett et al and gives us a view of the inner workings of that revamping process. He also travels to Dornoch to fill out some of Ross's background plus some other stuff too.
Anyway, there's one scene in the book after the 2005 Open where Pinehurst VP Tom Pashley reads Tom Doak's slightly less than flattering impression of the course at the time - "like an aged relative with dementia". So Pashley prints out the entire thread and circulates it among the heads of the office there. That got the eyebrows going up. Various other things went on with the last straw in the decision to go ahead with the resto being apparently Lanny Wadkins saying that it just wasn't what it used to be.
Well, this isn't a big story I'm presenting here. But I thought some of you might like to hear about it. I suppose there is something of a 'ripples in the pond' effect from the forum. I haven't viewed it as too much of a mainstream thing - the forum, that is. But I haven't really thought that through either.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Golden-Age-Pinehurst-Rebirth/dp/1469607905

[Adam Clayman]

Chris, I like the ripple analogy.

A few days back there was a thread on Behr's Lakeside. The interesting aspect that I focused on was how the LA movers and shakers that are members, would never go for the restoration needed to bring back it's former glory.

I thought a list of those courses that have done an "about face" on their presentations might help turn those ripples into moderate waves.

Pinehurst of course is only the most recent, but shout outs deserve to go to Oakmont, Shinney, Beverly etc.

Perhaps someone with a brain could frame such a thread intelligently. Naturally i'm precluded.

[Tom_Doak]

I had heard that my comments on Pinehurst after a visit in 2006 [I think it was '06] caused some people there to take a harder look at Course Number Two ... but I didn't remember exactly what I'd written.  My assessment was more harsh than I remembered, but that probably had an impact, especially since I was already on record as loving the place.  I was just telling one of my associates last week how sometimes getting a consulting client to see the light is a matter of finding the right words.

I am sure glad I managed to drum up some business for Bill and Ben and some of my former interns! 

[Mark Pearce]

I thought this might be a reference to Craig Disher's (where is Craig these days?  I haven't seen him post for a while) involvement with the procurement of military overhead photograhs.  Is that discussed in the book?

[Chris Buie]

Adam, I guess I missed the Behr thread. Is it a case of the members preferring the course in a lesser form?

Tom, yes I know for a fact your comments had an effect. In this case the lively choice of words was helpful. All's well that ends well as is the case here.

Mark, I can't remember if Craig was in there or not. I gave the book to a friend last night - otherwise I'd look it up.

[BCrosby]

I hope Craig's contribution is noted in the new book. It certainly should be.

Does nayone have a link to the '06 (?) thread referred to above?

Bob

[Mark Saltzman]

I hope Craig's contribution is noted in the new book. It certainly should be.

Does nayone have a link to the '06 (?) thread referred to above?

Bob

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35750.0.html

[Mark Bourgeois]

My takeaway? Keep the pressure on the Links Trust and R&A.

[Dunlop_White]

Yes, Craig's aerial contribution to the restoration was duly noted on page 167. 

[Jamey Bryan]

Craig has made an unsung contribution to more than one restoration.....

A few years ago he obtained, for me, a 1941 aerial of Camden Country Club (two years after Ross's renovation of Travis's course).

This past year, when Kris Spence was renovating/restoring our course, he utilized the aerial a great deal.  On one hole, in particular, he changed his plans from building a nest of greenside bunkers to a single, huge bunker as Ross had originally.  That has resulted, IMHO, in the single best green complex on the course (saying something, since I think they're all damn good).

Very significant "Ripple Effect" of GCA!

Jamey