Key Drivers of Golf Course Design

[Jason Thurman]

I work in quality improvement, and one of the tools we use regularly is a "key drivers" diagram. It's a tool that's designed to identify a goal, and then identify the key things (drivers) that dictate whether that goal will be achieved or not. Once those primary drivers have been identified, we then identify the secondary drivers that dictate whether the primary drivers will be achieved or not.

It got me thinking about golf course design...

Let's say our goal is to build a great golf course. Let's say, one that would rate a 6 or better on a scale of 1-10 in a poll of GCA'ers (because really, who better knows how to identify a great golf course than GCA'ers?).

What are the key drivers that determine whether we'll be successful or not? You can pick no more than 5. I'll offer a few ideas to get things started:

* Excellent drainage
* A property with diverse terrain
* A smart developer
* High quality shaping
* A great architect

[Carl Rogers]

- finding an under served market, so golfers will actually show up and play
- understanding the collision between green fees, land costs, operating costs and construction costs
- funding source
- access to enough water
- hope and prayer

[RJ_Daley]

Now, apply those two posts above to the proposal of a course in Adams Co., WI., and you have a text book case study.   

[Nigel Islam]

- finding an under served market, so golfers will actually show up and play
- understanding the collision between green fees, land costs, operating costs and construction costs
- funding source
- access to enough water
- hope and prayer

Correct me if I'm wrong on this Jason, but his goal is to build a great golf course not necessarily a financially viable one. Thus the market, and costs should not be considered "drivers." This is essentially the Pete Dye Course at French Lick, but I think at best they barely accomplished the Doak 6.

[Dan Herrmann]

Oh no - Six Sigma has reached into the world of GCA! 

[Mike Nuzzo]

Someone who doesn't forget what the goal is throughout the project.


In your work, Jason, how often does someone try to change the goals/drivers before finished?
Cheers

[Tom_Doak]

Jason:

The first two drivers are a good client and a good architect, but presumably you could leave one or the other out of the top five, since the whole exercise is moot unless you are one or the other 

After that, the keys are probably

a property with character  [including good soils, interesting vegetation, and of course an ocean view]
enough money to do it right [which is not necessarily a lot of money, depending on the property]
a great construction team [incl. project management, shaping, and superintendent], and
a bit of luck that nothing interferes with the realization of it all