Most Designs By State

[Michael Whitaker]

For South Carolina I would have guessed Tom Jackson, he has around 19 courses in SC. But, the winner, I think, is Tom Fazio... with 21!!!

[A.G._Crockett]

I would guess Denis Griffiths in Georgia; around a dozen courses.

[Tom Yost]

Re: Greg Nash in AZ
 (list of ~40 courses)

Quite the gig Nash and Jeff Hardin had with Del Webb in the 70's/80's.  ~ 25 courses in the Sun City/Sun City West/Sun City Grand area alone.

Distant second would be Gary Panks followed by Jack Snyder, each with 20+ Arizona designs.

[Sven Nilsen]

I would guess Denis Griffiths in Georgia; around a dozen courses.

Ross has around 20 in GA.  Are there any modern guys that beat that?

Edit:  Apologizing to Mike Young, who noted his 21 GA designs earlier in the thread.

[Mike Schott]

There re a number of Art Hills courses in Michigan but Jerry Matthews probably is the most prolific.

Bendelow had 63 courses in Michigan, but looking at Matthew's list it looks like he blows that number away.

Thanks Sven. I had no idea Bendelow had done this much work in our fair state. I've played a few of these and had no idea he was the original architect.

[Sven Nilsen]

Some Art Hills numbers:

FL - 49
KY - 5
MI - 27
OH - 15

[Sven Nilsen]

There re a number of Art Hills courses in Michigan but Jerry Matthews probably is the most prolific.

Bendelow had 63 courses in Michigan, but looking at Matthew's list it looks like he blows that number away.

Around 90 for JM.

[Sven Nilsen]

My guess would be one of the Bells or Ted Robinson in Cali.

Robinson caps out around 80 for California.

[Bill Brightly]

I would have been so wrong for my home state of NJ. I would have guessed Bendelow. He built 19 with 9 NLE.

Tillinghast built 14.

But the winner is Mal Purdy with 26, not counting half a dozen par three course!

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

On the eastern side of the state of Missouri it would have to be Gary Kern. Some of his best are Fox Run GC (private), Lake Forest CC (private), and Aberdeen (public). Aberdeen would be worth checking out if you're in the St Louis area - firm, links golf. Great variety of holes.

Unfortunately most of his courses are a mixed bag due to conditioning. He built most of the courses during the golf boom and most you can play now for $20-25.

[A.G._Crockett]

I would guess Denis Griffiths in Georgia; around a dozen courses.

Ross has around 20 in GA.  Are there any modern guys that beat that?

Edit:  Apologizing to Mike Young, who noted his 21 GA designs earlier in the thread.

Indeed, my apologies to Mike; I looked at his website and was surprised to find that many!

I think Griffiths has designed or worked around two dozen course in GA over the years, FWIW.  I counted at least 16 original designs, so indeed Mike would be the leader in the clubhouse!

The Ross number, though, is probably too high.  The DRS website lists 18.  Of those, 4 were remodels, 6 were 9 holers, and 5 are NLE's.  There are less than a dozen 18 hole Ross designs, including 9 holers and remodels, in GA now, and at least a couple of those have been rendered largely unrecognizable beyond the routing.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Alaska - now that ought to be  a close race. 

[Mike_Young]

I would guess Denis Griffiths in Georgia; around a dozen courses.

Ross has around 20 in GA.  Are there any modern guys that beat that?

Edit:  Apologizing to Mike Young, who noted his 21 GA designs earlier in the thread.

Indeed, my apologies to Mike; I looked at his website and was surprised to find that many!

I think Griffiths has designed or worked around two dozen course in GA over the years, FWIW.  I counted at least 16 original designs, so indeed Mike would be the leader in the clubhouse!

The Ross number, though, is probably too high.  The DRS website lists 18.  Of those, 4 were remodels, 6 were 9 holers, and 5 are NLE's.  There are less than a dozen 18 hole Ross designs, including 9 holers and remodels, in GA now, and at least a couple of those have been rendered largely unrecognizable beyond the routing.

A.G.,
I think I may be good on the originals designed and built with 21 or 22 but Dennis may have more rework than myself...not sure.  I do think the Ross is high.  Several of the one's they attrributed to Ross were not actually his.  I probably need to update my website.  Hope to add another new one to it very vert soon....Cheers.

[Tim Leahy]

My guess would be one of the Bells or Ted Robinson in Cali.

Robinson caps out around 80 for California.

80? That seems too high.

[Sven Nilsen]

My guess would be one of the Bells or Ted Robinson in Cali.

Robinson caps out around 80 for California.

80? That seems too high.

You can count them, but here's the ASGCA list: 

http://turfweb.lib.msu.edu/starweb/servlet.starweb?path=FACILITIES/architects.web&id=facilities&pass=12LI&search1=archc%3drobinson,%20ted&format=robinsontnewloca

[Dan Kelly]

I haven't done my research (re: Don Herfort and Joel Goldstrand), but Harry Vardon's brother Tom has to be a contender in Minnesota (and maybe Wisconsin).

See http://www.foregonegolf.com/tag/tom-vardon

[astavrides]

My guess would be one of the Bells or Ted Robinson in Cali.

Robinson caps out around 80 for California.

80? That seems too high.

You can count them, but here's the ASGCA list: 

http://turfweb.lib.msu.edu/starweb/servlet.starweb?path=FACILITIES/architects.web&id=facilities&pass=12LI&search1=archc%3drobinson,%20ted&format=robinsontnewloca

Seems like a lot of those are NLE or have been redesigned, or ones he didn't originally design, but just tweaked later. A lot have probably been renamed too. Nonetheless, quite a few.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Word of caution - I clicked on the Ted Robinson link above, and suspect the numbers may be inflated (for him and all of us lying, cheating, resume inflating architects.....)

Point in case, he lists Brookhaven in Texas.  He actually did do the master land plan that appears to have set the development, but for some reason, CCA/Robert Dedman brought in Press Maxwell to actually finish design and build the course (probably was in DFW working at other courses, cheaper, closer, etc.)

So, do you call that a Robinson, a Maxwell, or a combo?

Architects tend to list anything they had a hand in, but if you are looking for a true list of completed courses and the primary guy who did them, numbers like 80 courses in a state are probably not quite what you are looking for.....from any architect.

[mike_beene]

Jeff, is it possible he did one of the other two Brookhaven courses? Not sure if they were done at the same time. I assume Brookhaven was built in the late 60s because as a kid I remember going in the house of the man who built them because he had a library and we had never seen one in a house and didn't believe his kids. Looking back it was just a nice study but it made me think building golf courses was a good deal.

[Tim Leahy]

I didnt count Robinson's redesigns and missed a bunch in the Palm Springs area.
Wonder how many Bob Baldock did in Cali. Not much great but he did get around NoCal.
Looks like he did 48 in Cali. Wow.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Baldock was an interesting case.  He did a lot of military courses, primarily because of his love/respect for the military, and so he kept the fees low so bases could afford a golf course.

Just read last night that he and Robert Bruce Harris did the Shore Course in Monterey, which somehow surprised me.

Mike,

I first played Brookhaven in the 1980's when I moved here, and nothing style wise suggested what I knew about Ted Robinson as the designer of any of them.  Most looked like Maxwell clamshell bunkers.  Then again, Ted's style may have emerged from 1960 to 1980......As mentioned though, I have seen a land plan with his name on it at the club, which appeared very close to the final, so he probably gets routing credit for all three.  Just hard to attribute mixed design courses like that.