You are the benevolent dictator of your home course, what changes do you make?

[PCCraig]

Let's pretend that you just purchased your home course. No more committees, no more membership stakes...everything is up to you.

Think your course is too easy? How would you make it tougher?

Hate a particular hole? How would you change it?

Don't like the flagsticks? What would you pick instead?

Is there a particular feature or hole you would like to see restored?

Would you change the style of the bunkers?

What would you do?

[GLawson]

I belong to a club in the VA horse country, which is amongst beautiful rolling hills.  The green to tee distances and minor hills  make it great for walking but there is still a ton of cart use.  I am jealous of the Philly area clubs, which all seem to have great caddy programs.  With the addition of taking down some trees to open the course up a bit, adding a caddy program would be my top priority.

[A.G._Crockett]

Nothing, really.

We've been fortunate at my club in that an particular member has the ear of the owner, the super, and the head pro.  He's a VERY accomplished player and a member of the GSGA Hall of Fame, but has approached several "issues" from the perspective of either maintenance or the ability of lesser players to enjoy the course.

The result has been the removal of a number of trees that had the effect of adding width off the tee and some very subtle alterations to several bunkers to make them a bit less penal and MUCH less in need of maintenance after storms.  

Those changes plus a super that REALLY hustles and really has an eye for detail have made the course a pleasure.  Three years ago, I would have had a list; now they've all been addressed.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I'd change everyone wanting to make changes.

[Charlie Ray]

I have no idea how my first goal would be achieved;  maybe you guys can help.   We have severe slopes (both internal and peripheral) in our greens.  The course was built in 1945.  The Bermuda on the greens is a common generic variety (no fancy tif-eagle or other hybrid varieties.  As you can tell I have no horticulture expertise).  On the best days the greens Stimp around 7 or 8, but roll true.  Thus, often times newer members and guest complain about our slow greens.  (Which compared to the other two courses in town is certainly true.  No doubt, our greens are slower).  But the slopes necessitate this. 

I think the wonderful slopes of our greens are a jewel, and are exciting to play, they make approach shots to center-hole location all the more demanding.  Also, the greens, being ‘old’ Bermuda, have strong grain.  Which, again, I find adds another layer of intrigue to our course. 

Therefore, my first goal would be to grow an appreciation amongst the members and guest for the uniqueness of our greens, so that there would be fewer statements to the committee, pro, and super about speeding up the greens.

[Bill_McBride]

I have no idea how my first goal would be achieved;  maybe you guys can help.   We have severe slopes (both internal and peripheral) in our greens.  The course was built in 1945.  The Bermuda on the greens is a common generic variety (no fancy tif-eagle or other hybrid varieties.  As you can tell I have no horticulture expertise).  On the best days the greens Stimp around 7 or 8, but roll true.  Thus, often times newer members and guest complain about our slow greens.  (Which compared to the other two courses in town is certainly true.  No doubt, our greens are slower).  But the slopes necessitate this. 

I think the wonderful slopes of our greens are a jewel, and are exciting to play, they make approach shots to center-hole location all the more demanding.  Also, the greens, being ‘old’ Bermuda, have strong grain.  Which, again, I find adds another layer of intrigue to our course. 

Therefore, my first goal would be to grow an appreciation amongst the members and guest for the uniqueness of our greens, so that there would be fewer statements to the committee, pro, and super about speeding up the greens.

Pasatiempo would have benefited from that stimp for years!

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

whether I owned it or was part of a larger membership.  I'd have a master plan decided/voted upon, framed and hung in the lobby of the clubhouse, with copies handed out to all members once a year to remind them of our course's "mission statement" so as to not deviate from it.  no more removing a bunker here, or adding a tree there... or moving an entire hole or installing a pond... left to the whim of a few individuals who overestimate their importance and knowledge.

[cary lichtenstein]

I'd have a large suggestion box by the front door with this sign posted above it:

"We take your suggestions very seriously. Any suggestions executed by the board, authored by you, will be billed in advance on your next monthly statement"

[Sean_A]

No masterplan.  No archie.  No other opinions.

1. Cut fairway to dune on right and create shorter rough on dune to left.

2. Fairway flowing to hollow housing bunkers on right of fairway.

3. Fairway cut into 16 fairway...creating on huge fairway.

4. Blind bunkers right of fairway in landing zone, rough shorter. Fairway extended both sides of fairway for 2nd shot.

5. Nothing.

6. Fairway to dune on right..keep rough light on dune.  

7. Create fairway to water on right and closer to OOB on left.

8. Create fairway around right bunkers and to water on right.

9. Nothing.

10. Cut fairway closer to OOB on left.

11. Nothing.

12. Create a tee on top of dune behind 11 green...thus a par 3 is optional on the card.  Cut rough back around green.  Create more fairway left and right in driving zone.

13. Keep rough light on dunes either sie of fairway.

14. Lower women's tee.  More fill in hollows on right of green.

15. Fairway right into kitchen to right of fairway.  More fairway left shy of dune short and left of green.  More fairway right of green.

16. Raise the fairway 2-3 feet - sand cap.  See #3.  

17. Keep rough short left of green.

18. Remove large bush at end of fairway; experiment with replacing with bunker.  Keep left of fairwsay short rough.  Fairway extension on right after bend.

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

I have no idea how my first goal would be achieved;  maybe you guys can help.   We have severe slopes (both internal and peripheral) in our greens.  The course was built in 1945.  The Bermuda on the greens is a common generic variety (no fancy tif-eagle or other hybrid varieties.  As you can tell I have no horticulture expertise).  On the best days the greens Stimp around 7 or 8, but roll true.  Thus, often times newer members and guest complain about our slow greens.  (Which compared to the other two courses in town is certainly true.  No doubt, our greens are slower).  But the slopes necessitate this.  

I think the wonderful slopes of our greens are a jewel, and are exciting to play, they make approach shots to center-hole location all the more demanding.  Also, the greens, being ‘old’ Bermuda, have strong grain.  Which, again, I find adds another layer of intrigue to our course.  

Therefore, my first goal would be to grow an appreciation amongst the members and guest for the uniqueness of our greens, so that there would be fewer statements to the committee, pro, and super about speeding up the greens.

There's that word again-"uniqueness" as opposed to "why can't we be like Club XYZ down the road."
Sign me up as a new member!

[Jud_T]

I'd raise the bar significantly for the admission of Michigan State, Notre Dame and Illinois alumni.

[Steve Lang]

  discount for wolverine skunk bears?

[Terry Lavin]

Don't run for the board.

[Bill Brightly]

I'd move everyone up to the White tees unless they proved to me they can hit their driver 250.

On certain days I'd simply pull up the Blue markers and give guys the choice of Black and White. I KNOW they guys will have more fun playing Whites, they just need a shove.

Upon request, all members would have to be able to tell me about C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, and name a few of their courses. Becnched for a week if they fail the test.

[Gib_Papazian]

OLYMPIC CLUB

#1. Put an addendum into the bylaws specifically limiting the holding of any professional event to once every 20 years.

#2. All rough on both courses immediately cut back to the tree lines.

#3. Lost fairway bunkers on the Lake Course reviewed and in some cases restored.

#4. Play from the Black Tees and beyond forbidden for anybody but legitimate 2-handicap players or better.

#5. Reclaim of the land lost on the west side of Skyline, laying out new holes using existing contours with minimal sand movement.

#6. Upstairs bar area cordoned off exclusively for women except Sunday and holidays.

#7. Women permanently barred from the downstairs bar and grillroom except Sunday.

#8. Waiters and waitresses unable to speak or understand English are moved to the Tennis facility.

#9. The Tennis Facility and their parking lot are to be sold and operated as a separate club.

#10. All tennis players are heretofore cleansed from the membership roles and limited to the area as set forth in item #9.

#11. The Green Committee shall be comprised of GD, GW and Golf Mag raters, extremely well traveled golfers, architects, writers and pundits.

#12. There will be no prescribed number of committee members (either minimum or maximum), but anyone who cannot correctly articulate the strategic elements and arrangement of a Redan Hole is automatically disqualified.

More later.      

[Ash Towe]

Cut down 2000 trees.  Open the course up and get some light and wind to improve course conditions.

[Ash Towe]

Sorry about the second post.

Let the course super do what he thinks needs to be done and give him the budget to achieve it.

[Peter Pallotta]

My course was built on gently rolling farmland. The holes/sections of the course that look and play the best are the ones that still look like gently rolling farmland. Under my watch, the whole course would look like that.
Peter

[David Davis]

Don't get me started....

Assuming the following:

- no environmental restrictions.

Here are the facts:

- Course is on an A+ property
- Easy to hit a home run and create a Top 100 World Course. Although if we imagine that Oitavos Dunes has such a high ranking then I'll change that to Top 50 world.

Here is what will be done:

- Removal of all trees on property that don't belong.
- Allow architect a clean slate to create something amazing.

Be involved in the process as an enthusiastic observer as one of the top links courses is created. :-)

[Adam Lawrence]

David, you'd have to benevolent dictator of the whole bloody Netherlands to achieve a tenth of that 

[Steve Lang]

OLYMPIC CLUB

#8. Waiters and waitresses unable to speak or understand English are moved to the Tennis facility.

#9. The Tennis Facility and separate parking lot are to be sold and operated as a separate club.

#10. All tennis players are heretofore cleansed from the membership roles and limited to the area as set forth in item #9.


#12. There will be no prescribed number of committee members (either minimum or maximum), but anyone who cannot correctly articulate the strategic elements and arrangement of a Redan Hole is automatically disqualified.

More later.       

i like the above, now what about the social members... ?

[David Davis]

David, you'd have to benevolent dictator of the whole bloody Netherlands to achieve a tenth of that 

Is that too much to ask Adam? It's not like it's a big place. Just a tiny little country. But as to your point, I'd open up the entire coastline for links course development as long as they didn't charge me or my GCA friends and acquaintances green fees.

Give me 10 years and there would be no other destination golf countries for links golf. Scotland, Ireland and England would close down do to lack of interest. Holland would have the Top 50 courses in the world.

All because I became the benevolent dictator of one little country.

[Brent Hutto]

So am I a benevolent dictator with incredibly deep pockets? Or a dictator subject to similar financial constraints as the club operates under today?

If I'm in charge and have enough money, I'd do away with various outings and similar events the club hosts maybe 20-30 times a year. Not including the occasional serious state or regional level tournament. Otherwise, the changes and improvements I'd want to make to the course itself are probably pretty close to the ones the club's Board and staff would love to do tomorrow if only they had a blank check to spend the money.

I would not necessarily engage in wholesale tree removal but there are two Par 3's and at least one Par 4 tee shot which suffer badly IMO from overhanging branches literally reaching into the line of play. Having to choose between trying to hit over a tree, bend the shot around the tree or aim away from the most desirable side of the green because of 40-foot-long overhanging limbs is very annoying. But many long-time members of the club are used to them and consider them part of the charm of the course.

Oh well.

[Brad Treadwell]

Immediately banish anyone caught saying that restorative based changes being overseen by an extremely competent architect are making the course "easier", and then in the next breath saying another change on the same hole makes it "too hard".  Oh.....take down 1000 trees and see where we are at!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Restore the 7th hole to it's 1936 configuration by shifting the second fairway about 20-30 yards to the right and resanding the abandoned trench bunker flanking that portion of the fairway, which would also allow for some extra yards on the 11th tee, which in turn will bring in the echelon bunkers on the right of # 11 on the tee shot.