I love bound books and hate Nooks. Stacks of books that scale the heights in libraries like those in NYC, Boston and Trinity College can be as inspirational as churches. And how about specialty shops à la the old Murder Ink in Manhattan?! Many a Nero Wolfe book was purchased there, I assure you! Talk about awe-inspiring, how about a room full of 6,000 golf books?!
Well that’s what I found at Hurdzan Golf headquarters. My tour there with Mike and his son Chris was a highlight of the year. It’s little wonder that the late, great Tom MacWood spent so much time there.
As much as any living architect, Mike grasps the game’s evolution and that appreciation serves at the core of his design tenets. He notes,
”Understanding the evolutionary forces and history of the game, and those principles and concepts that are the most basic and timeless, are the ones that I most enjoy trying to incorporate into our designs. The most dominant concepts or philosophies are ‘Form Follows Function,’ economy in construction and maintenance, affordability and accessibility, economic and environmental sustainability, and healthy, outdoor recreation for all golfers. Truly successful golf courses share those qualities no matter where they are located, when they were built, or how they were built.” There is no faking 6,000 golf books. That’s a sure sign of genuine intellectual curiosity. In Mike’s case, the roots were laid in 1957 when the 13 year old became the ‘greenkeeper’ at the Beacon Light, a family-owned nine-holer on the west side of Columbus. He has been immersed in the game ever since.
“I think the most fascinating thing about golf is how infectious it is to the human spirit. The game is supposedly over 600 years old and it roots or precursors may go many multiples of that, and it has survived natural catastrophes, world wars, depressions and ugly politics.” He adds,
“In one sense it is insane. However, it attracts people willing to be humbled, who care about sportsmanship, companionship, competition and the environment of the golf course. In that sense, it is magic. Fascinating and fun!” I was surprised to find that the Hurdzan brand is attached to more than 300 (!) courses worldwide. Erin Hills, Devil’s Paintbrush & Pulpit, Calusa Pines, Bully Pulpit and Hamilton Farms are among the headliners. Mike was even at Cabot in the late 1990s before it became Cabot! At the moment, Hurdzan Golf is rewinding the clock on
The 
Ohio State University Gray Course. Hurdzan describes it;
“Our task is to preserve and restore the greatness of MacKenzie/Maxwell by simply returning the greens and bunkers to their original shapes and sizes. The Gray course will be over 6,000 yards from the back tees when we are done and will be one of the best, most fun to play short courses in the nation, particularly with such a grand pedigree. We are turning the clock back 80 years on this little legacy masterpiece.” I can’t wait to profile it after the work is done: not enough attention can be showered upon those rarest of things – a neat 6,000 yarder in North America.
Mike Hurdzan is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge born from a passion for the sport that has excited him for six plus decades. A thorough tour of his office would take days, not hours. I was speaking with Ron Whitten two weeks ago and it’s not surprising that the two have shared a tight friendship for more than 30 years. Both love the game’s history that provides a child-like joy to this day. I can only imagine how much fun they had prowling around Erin Hills.
As you will discern from this month’s Feature Interview, there is a graciousness about Dr. Hurdzan that comes with the experience of having ‘been there, done that.’ His passions still burns bright and his eyes twinkle at the mention of their potential quarry course. He need not prove anything at the expense of others; rather he has developed very strong feelings about the right way to go about building a golf course. The misuse of land is a needless annoyance in this day and age. He writes,
“We bury our dead in golf, for unsuccessful courses are either remodeled to an acceptable standard or they close. Each time one of those basic tenets of golf design is violated brings it one step closer to remodel or death.” No better way to kick off 2015 than with this Feature Interview of a long time class act.
Best,