Morning Drive

[Mike_Young]

I think the GC will do more of this during times at the end of the seasons etc.  I do know they like GS and will supposedly be seeing him on there more.  I think people pay no attention to GN type hype.  Ther is just no way a tour pro can spend the time a BC will spend walking a course.  The only segment of golf tormented more by tour pros than golf design is teaching.  Just take any golf magazine and look at the teaching articles by a tour player where he was told each word or they were edited into the article.  

[Morgan Clawson]

Architectural work aside, Bill Coore seems like an easy hire.
Who wouldn't want him on your team?

[Jeff_Mingay]

Jim Urbina was good to listen to this morning as well. By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

[Howard Riefs]

I added the links to the Rees Jones interviews to my previous post on the thread's 1st page:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57345.msg1337997.html#msg1337997

The Jim Urbina interview has yet to post.

Btw, Golf Channel can't possibly have a worse website. Politics aside, it's practically as bad as Healthcare.gov.

[BHoover]

Btw, Golf Channel can't possibly have a worse website. Politics aside, it's practically as bad as Healthcare.gov.

Agreed, the website is just terrible. But, and this more than makes up for the website, Golf Channel does have Holly Sonders and Win McMurry. Content aside, Golf Channel definitely knows who is watching. Big fan of Holly and Win. In fact, I strongly suggest we invite one or both to any and all future GCA events.

[Mark Steffey]

good idea!!   Holly couldn't say 'no' to Mucci and his May NJ outing, could she?!?!?

[Brian Freeman]

The Gil Hanse session is incredible. DVR alert as I believe there is a replay at 9. Doak is on at 8:30.

He's spending time with the routing maps at Doral and Rio. Didn't realize how substantial the Doral changes were, he mentioned they're moving 10 greens?  Looks like some great changes there.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gil was great and I'm anxious to see Tom's segment.

Mark,

You know, that's not a bad idea.

I think I'll extend an invitation to her in addition to the architects.

And, you've triggered another thought.

How about those attending bringing a rendering of a hole for the guest architects to vote on for best design ?

[Tom_Doak]

Gil was great and I'm anxious to see Tom's segment.

Mark,

You know, that's not a bad idea.

I think I'll extend an invitation to her in addition to the architects.

You should invite Paige Mackenzie.  She admitted that she does not understand architecture much and often questions why holes are built the way they are, but she seemed genuinely interested in learning why.  

[Greg Holland]

By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

2 things Rees Jones said that were interesting to me, and I am curious about others' reactions?

1.  He said he restored the painting at Pinehurst No. 2 and C&C restored the frame.  Discuss.

2.  He named his three most important projects, and none of them were original designs (East Lake, Bethpage and Torrey Pines).  Granted, with ELGC he said they rebuilt a Ross style course, and with the latter, he said they completely rebuilt the course.  Thoughts?  

He also said to increase participation, he thought courses needed to be firmer, shorter tees needed to be built and used and green speeds need to be throttled back.  Interesting.

[Eric Smith]

Architectural work aside, Bill Coore seems like an easy hire.
Who wouldn't want him on your team?

Absolutely.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gil was great and I'm anxious to see Tom's segment.

Mark,

You know, that's not a bad idea.

I think I'll extend an invitation to her in addition to the architects.

You should invite Paige Mackenzie.  She admitted that she does not understand architecture much and often questions why holes are built the way they are, but she seemed genuinely interested in learning why.  

Tom,

Paige's comments were interesting and telling.

"Fairness" ?  ?  ?

Frank Hannigan told me that the last people you want to listen to are the players.
I think Frank was "spot on", but, I'll certainly invite Paige, especially if it influences your decision to participate.

[Steve Lapper]

By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

2 things Rees Jones said that were interesting to me, and I am curious about others' reactions?

1.  He said he restored the painting at Pinehurst No. 2 and C&C restored the frame.  Discuss.

2.  He named his three most important projects, and none of them were original designs (East Lake, Bethpage and Torrey Pines).  Granted, with ELGC he said they rebuilt a Ross style course, and with the latter, he said they completely rebuilt the course.  Thoughts?  

He also said to increase participation, he thought courses needed to be firmer, shorter tees needed to be built and used and green speeds need to be throttled back.  Interesting.

Rees also handled (correctly) one of the best questions from Matt Ginella. When asked if players would be well served to "better understand what the architect has set out for them" as means to shedding a shot or two of score, Rees grabbed it and answered affirmatively. This was, IMO, the single most constructive lesson for the uniformed average golfer to take away from "Architects Week."

For the most part, Matt's questions have been quite solid and worthy of opening up the doors for a meaningful conversation. Some guys did a better job than others of taking that lead, but overall, the questions have been reasonably thoughtful. Kudos to Ginella and his producers!

[PCCraig]

I watched the better part of Gil's segment at the gym his morning. I thought it was pretty good.

Bummed I missed Tom Doak's interview, so I'm hopeful that it will be posted somewhere to be watched later.

Generally speaking, I'm guessing many of the guests were picked by Ginnella, who seems to "get it" from what I gather from his questions.  

"Architect's Week" is certainly better than 90% of the dribble that's usually on Morning Drive.

[RDecker]

Gil and Tom's segments this am are easily the best thing on TV in a while, at least since the SOX won the series.  Hope those that missed these and Bill Coore's can find them somehow.  Great stuff, kudos to Golf Channel.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Thanks Howrad, please keep them coming, eagerly awaiting the Gil and Tom interviews being posted.
As for Norman, if he is trying to make his courses look like they have been there 20 years, has he succeeded with any of his projects yet?

As for his "philosophy" that courses should blend in...I have not seen one of those sites from him yet.

[Connor Dougherty]

You should invite Paige Mackenzie.  She admitted that she does not understand architecture much and often questions why holes are built the way they are, but she seemed genuinely interested in learning why.  

Tom,

Paige's comments were interesting and telling.

"Fairness" ?  ?  ?

Frank Hannigan told me that the last people you want to listen to are the players.
I think Frank was "spot on", but, I'll certainly invite Paige, especially if it influences your decision to participate. [/size][/color]

[/quote]

I thought Paige jumped to extremes and that formulated many of her opinions. Just because it's a blind landing area does not mean that there's a water hazard waiting to penalize you.

Heck, Pine Valley's got a few blind landing areas and it's possibly the finest course the world has to offer.

[Joel_Stewart]

By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

2 things Rees Jones said that were interesting to me, and I am curious about others' reactions?

1.  He said he restored the painting at Pinehurst No. 2 and C&C restored the frame.  Discuss.

Spin control.  Its absolutely ridiculous.   Why didn't Pinehurst ask him to restore the course (again).  I guess he could say the same about The Country Club, Quaker Ridge, and various other courses that brought in other architects to fix his mess.

[Kyle Casella]

The Golf Channel website might be one of the worst on the web for a media company. Lots of trouble watching the videos...

[jeffwarne]

By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

2 things Rees Jones said that were interesting to me, and I am curious about others' reactions?

1.  He said he restored the painting at Pinehurst No. 2 and C&C restored the frame.  Discuss.

Spin control.  Its absolutely ridiculous.   Why didn't Pinehurst ask him to restore the course (again).  I guess he could say the same about The Country Club, Quaker Ridge, and various other courses that brought in other architects to fix his mess.

Lots of "frame" work at Palmetto and Sleepy Hollow as well

[Howard Riefs]

Interview with Gil posted online. 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57345.msg1337997.html#msg1337997

Tom's isn't up yet.

[Patrick_Mucci]

By comparison, Ginella's conversation with Rees Jones seemed arduous.

2 things Rees Jones said that were interesting to me, and I am curious about others' reactions?

1.  He said he restored the painting at Pinehurst No. 2 and C&C restored the frame.  Discuss.

Spin control.  Its absolutely ridiculous.   Why didn't Pinehurst ask him to restore the course (again). 

I guess he could say the same about The Country Club, Quaker Ridge, and various other courses that brought in other architects to fix his mess.

Joel,

How quickly you forget.
When Rees completed his work at the above courses, it was praised, almost universally.

Rees didn't suddenly show up at the front gate at those clubs, he was invited, by the club, to alter their course.
He submitted plans for the alteration that each club approved prior to his work.

If the clubs didn't like his plans, why did they approve them and fund the work ?

Trends have a lot of influence on golf course design.

Styles go in and out of favor at local clubs.

What one green committee loved 20 years ago, today's green committee hates.

So go easy on Rees, he's one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

[astavrides]

.

[Patrick_Mucci]

So go easy on Rees, he's one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.[/size][/color]

kenny g is a nice guy too. doesnt mean his music is any good.

How do you know that Kenny G is a nice guy.

I saw him improve his lie in the left rough on the 7th hole at GCGC and then claim that he made par.

Is that the mark of a nice guy, on the golf course ?

By the way, I happen to like Kenny G's music.

[JESII]

Yeah, but your 100...