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Michael J. Moss

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Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« on: February 05, 2015, 02:47:22 PM »
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/most-underrated-architect-%E2%80%93-mike-devries/

Here's the Golf Channel link.

Some stunning images of Kingsley and Cape Wickham.
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Michael Wharton-Palmer

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2015, 02:52:46 PM »
Thank you Michael
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Dan Moore

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2015, 03:32:35 PM »
Some very very cool construction photos for Cape Wickham here.

http://capewickham.com.au/construction-news/hole-by-hole-progress/

Michael-let's get down under next year!!
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"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

Bill Seitz

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2015, 03:37:35 PM »
Great photos of Kingsley and Cape Wickham.  A little surprised there was no discussion or pictures of Greywalls, which for me is one of most visually stunning golf courses I've ever played, and certainly a lot more than just a pretty picture.  Nice to see Mike get a little recognition. 
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Michael Wharton-Palmer

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2015, 03:40:59 PM »
Got my tee time for CW on April 6th....
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Joe Hancock

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2015, 05:09:10 PM »
Quote from: Michael Wharton-Palmer on February 05, 2015, 03:40:59 PM
Got my tee time for CW on April 6th....

Well...since that is my birthday, as well as Mike DeVries' brother's....I can't think of a better gift than a trip with you to CW....

Thanks in advance!

Joe
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" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Jason Way

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2015, 05:41:35 PM »
It would also have been great if they had touched on Mike's muni work.  For example, for $25, you can play Diamond Springs, which is right outside of Holland, MI.  Not too far of a jaunt for all of you lucky visitors to Lost Dunes, and on the way to Arcadia Bluffs / Kingsley / Crystal Downs and points north if you are driving from Chicago. 

The property reminds me a bit of Bethpage (expansive in feel), and the course is really fun to play.  Best of all, I feel confident in guessing that they don't have a crazy maintenance budget.

There is so much that is right for the game about this course.  Highly recommend it, and hope that places like this continue to get exposure here, and ultimately on TV.

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"Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you can exhaust yourself but never your subject." - David Forgan

Peter Pallotta

Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2015, 09:31:51 PM »
And The Mines. I've mentioned it many times before, but I just realized something. I was unconsciouly comparing it to 'great' courses I've read about here over the years. But the vast majority of courses that I actually play are modern ones priced in the modest to semi modest to CCFAD range. And amongst those, The Mines remains the best and most enjoyable course I've played -- and the most affordable.
Peter
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Ian Andrew

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2015, 08:42:08 AM »
Mike is a fantastic designer, wonderful guy, and deserves the attention he's finally getting.
I wish they allocated more time to his interview.
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With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Anthony_Nysse

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2015, 09:27:08 AM »
Quote from: Jason Way on February 05, 2015, 05:41:35 PM
It would also have been great if they had touched on Mike's muni work.  For example, for $25, you can play Diamond Springs, which is right outside of Holland, MI.  Not too far of a jaunt for all of you lucky visitors to Lost Dunes, and on the way to Arcadia Bluffs / Kingsley / Crystal Downs and points north if you are driving from Chicago. 

The property reminds me a bit of Bethpage (expansive in feel), and the course is really fun to play.  Best of all, I feel confident in guessing that they don't have a crazy maintenance budget.

There is so much that is right for the game about this course.  Highly recommend it, and hope that places like this continue to get exposure here, and ultimately on TV.



Diamond Springs is not a muni. Just prices in line or cheaper than munis.
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Anthony J. Nysse
Director of Golf Courses & Grounds
Apogee Club
Hobe Sound, FL

Jason Way

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2015, 11:00:14 AM »
Quote from: Anthony_Nysse on February 06, 2015, 09:27:08 AM

Diamond Springs is not a muni. Just prices in line or cheaper than munis.

I was talking with a local/regular in the parking lot before I played and I thought he said that it was owned by the city of Hamilton.  My bad.  Private owner?

At any rate, the technical distinction aside, it is a low cost public facility that gives IMO a great deal of value for the $.  When those courses can be found, I think they should be celebrated because they are a key component of the game.
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"Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you can exhaust yourself but never your subject." - David Forgan

Jud_T

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2015, 11:20:17 AM »
Did Mike do the routing at Diamond Springs?  I thought he took the project over after it had already been routed by another GCA.
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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Nick_Christopher

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2015, 01:43:07 PM »
It was great to see Mike get some recognition.  I hope Cape Wickham helps springboard him into more notoriety and new work.

In my opinion, his work demonstrates some of the best use of existing land features and is highly creative.

Streamsong and Sand Valley couldn't do better than a DeVries addition!
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RJ_Daley

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2015, 11:39:00 PM »
I cant wait for MW-P's report after April 6th at Cape Wickham. 

It seems apparent that Mike DeV is highly talented and may have extra special skill at working rough and tumble terrain.  Now that he has done the forested, rocky forest, and wild coastal shores, I think it would be great to see him display his ideas on a real tropical setting just to round out his resume.  One would wish these fellows would get a project on a great site every year to show us their stuff goinginto the next couple decades.

But I think Jason and Peter are right to point out the hidden gems where more people will actually get a chance to play without traveling to the end of the earth and spend incredible amounts to see what fellows like Mike can produce. 

Nice interview, Mike.
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No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Gib_Papazian

Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2015, 01:09:56 AM »
Mike and I have been good friends for many years - and I've long maintained that he would be in my top three choices to design Redan Hills. The job he did at Meadow Club still astounds me in every way. I was fortunate to come out there many times while he was restoring the course; watching it slowly move from a good, but intellectually neglected golf course to a shrieking stunner was a salient demonstration of the difference between a journeyman remodeling architect and an artist.

I seem to be the only one of his friends who have not made it to Kingsley . . . . . . . . which is ridiculous because I've got more photos of it in my JPEG collection than Olympic.
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RJ_Daley

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2015, 11:22:47 AM »
Well Gib, when you finally get to this missing links on your dance card, you can not come all that way without hopping over the Mackinac Bridge and seeing Mike's Greywalls.  Then, down to Lawsonia....  ;)
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No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Bryan Lewis

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2015, 01:57:41 PM »
Quote from: Jason Way on February 05, 2015, 05:41:35 PM
It would also have been great if they had touched on Mike's muni work.  For example, for $25, you can play Diamond Springs, which is right outside of Holland, MI.  Not too far of a jaunt for all of you lucky visitors to Lost Dunes, and on the way to Arcadia Bluffs / Kingsley / Crystal Downs and points north if you are driving from Chicago. 

The property reminds me a bit of Bethpage (expansive in feel), and the course is really fun to play.  Best of all, I feel confident in guessing that they don't have a crazy maintenance budget.

There is so much that is right for the game about this course.  Highly recommend it, and hope that places like this continue to get exposure here, and ultimately on TV.



Jason,

You are so right.  I love that course.  It is the definition of fun golf.  A course that doesn't beat you up and has phenomenal greens.  Maintenance budget must be pretty low with only two mowing heights, greens and everything else.  When you walk up to the clubhouse and see the practice putting green, you know you are in for a fun day.

Bryan
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Mike_DeVries

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2015, 09:38:35 PM »
Thanks to all for the nice comments.  Certainly, it is an honor to have been invited to be a part of a fun week with such esteemed colleagues.  Lots of great commentary on our favorite subject and I hope the Golf Channel will continue the discussion and education for all golfers.

Cheers,
Mike
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Gary Sato

Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2015, 02:37:10 PM »
Mike.  Now that Kings Island is almost finished, what do you have lined up next?
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Buck Wolter

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #19 on: February 10, 2015, 05:46:20 PM »
Quote from: Mike_DeVries on February 09, 2015, 09:38:35 PM
Thanks to all for the nice comments.  Certainly, it is an honor to have been invited to be a part of a fun week with such esteemed colleagues.  Lots of great commentary on our favorite subject and I hope the Golf Channel will continue the discussion and education for all golfers.

Cheers,
Mike


Really enjoyed it Mike, nice job. Loved Ginella saying you were the most underrated GCA and that Kingsley is the most underrated golf course. Now about that shirt.....

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Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience -- CS Lewis

Mike_DeVries

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Re: Mike DeVries on Morning Drive (today)
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2015, 07:44:11 PM »
Quote from: Gary Sato on February 10, 2015, 02:37:10 PM
Mike.  Now that Kings Island is almost finished, what do you have lined up next?

I am working on a new project in Korea -  it is the 3rd course in a 63 hole complex.  Jim Engh is doing 27 holes, Kyle Phillips is doing 18, and I am doing 18.  They are all near each other, although mine is not right next to the other two, just separated by future development - maybe 1km.  The site is open and next to the sea (controlled lake level of -1.45m, so no tidal action) - soils are not the best but sand capping will help.  It is in Mokpo, right next to the Formula 1 race track. 

Also, continuing work in NY in restoring Siwanoy CC this spring and then Sunningdale CC in fall, 2015 and 2016.  These are wonderful old clubs and it is an honor to bring back their golf features to the original intent.

Always looking for that sandy, coastal site . . .

Cheers,
Mike
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