[Andy Johnson]

Most recent guest on my podcast was DMK, he was great, very open about his career. Talked about some of his new projects Sand Valley & Rolling Hills. here's the link: http://www.friedegg.co/podcasts/david-mclay-kidd

[Tim Passalacqua]

This was a great interview.  I got to listen to a nice chunk of it in the car.  I loved his idea of protecting birdie.  You would have to thread a tee shot and hit a great approach using the green to set up a reasonable chance at birdie.  Otherwise, hit it to the center of a wide fairway and on the green for a decent shot at par.  I know his design philosophy has changed over the years, but I really enjoy a course he built during his stretch of "difficult" courses, Tetherow.  It has so much intrigue.  Every hole has different looks with different strategies.  Wide fairways, split fairways, angles, and wildly fun greens.  The greens have a ton of contour, but kept at a slow enough green speed to make them playable.  My only knock is that it's not an easy walk.  Other than that, I really enjoy it.  I can't wait to see what DMK creates going forward.  It seems like he is landing some great jobs and people are really enjoying his latest designs.  The pics from his Sand Valley course look amazing.

[Eric LeFante]

Great interview Andy

[Andy Johnson]

Thank you! David was a great guest, so open and honest. I am really excited to see his Sand Valley work.

[Howard Riefs]

The latest No Laying Up podcast features DMK...


https://nolayingup.com/2018/01/30/nlu-podcast-episode-117-david-mclay-kidd/

[Paul Elam]

Andy had an excellent interview with DMK last year, and the No Laying Up podcast is very good as well.  While they both cover some of the same ground(early life with father, getting Bandon job, protecting birdie), I found the tone of this latest interview fascinating.


DMK reveals that he had recently talked to Doak for the first time about the infamous "zero" Doak Scale rating for the Castle Course in St. Andrews.  While a little defensive about it, he has essentially issued mea culpas on that design and a few others over the last few years.


DMK states that Doak says he was just trying to help him.  If so, it worked.  I find it refreshing that Doak is willing to be critical of a competitor even though he risks it not being received well by the subject.  And perhaps even more impressive is DMK's willingness to realize that criticism might be right and make changes.  It takes an awfully big man to admit mistakes or poor choices and make changes like this in the public eye. By all accounts, Mammoth Dunes will be fantastic and a redemptive design.


I just found this dynamic by both men very refreshing in these times. 


 

[Tom_Doak]

Andy had an excellent interview with DMK last year, and the No Laying Up podcast is very good as well.  While they both cover some of the same ground(early life with father, getting Bandon job, protecting birdie), I found the tone of this latest interview fascinating.


DMK reveals that he had recently talked to Doak for the first time about the infamous "zero" Doak Scale rating for the Castle Course in St. Andrews.  While a little defensive about it, he has essentially issued mea culpas on that design and a few others over the last few years.


DMK states that Doak says he was just trying to help him.  If so, it worked.  I find it refreshing that Doak is willing to be critical of a competitor even though he risks it not being received well by the subject.  And perhaps even more impressive is DMK's willingness to realize that criticism might be right and make changes.  It takes an awfully big man to admit mistakes or poor choices and make changes like this in the public eye. By all accounts, Mammoth Dunes will be fantastic and a redemptive design.


I just found this dynamic by both men very refreshing in these times.

Paul:


David and I are on good terms at the moment, happily.  But he didn't change direction in what he's doing because of what I wrote ... I'm pretty sure he was already making that change at Gamble Sands before The Confidential Guide came out.


I suspect that Mike Keiser's opinion of what David had been building was more important to David than mine was.   


I got a lot of heat for my review of The Castle Course, and not from David -- mostly from outsiders accusing me of deliberately bashing a competitor.  These people who pretend to understand my motives [and assume the worst] are the ones who need to be called out.  I only critique golf courses, and I freely admit that it's all a matter of opinion anyway.  I learned a long time ago that my opinions only bother people when they have the ring of truth to them.

[Sean_A]

Paul

Thank you.  I found the piece revealing and interesting.  I don't know much about DMK, but it is heartening to know that he is not focusing on the golf pyramid with pro golf, rankings or whatever as the pinnacle.  Instead DMK is focusing on golf...how refreshing. 

Ciao

[Paul Elam]

Paul:


David and I are on good terms at the moment, happily.  But he didn't change direction in what he's doing because of what I wrote ... I'm pretty sure he was already making that change at Gamble Sands before The Confidential Guide came out.


I suspect that Mike Keiser's opinion of what David had been building was more important to David than mine was.   


I got a lot of heat for my review of The Castle Course, and not from David -- mostly from outsiders accusing me of deliberately bashing a competitor.  These people who pretend to understand my motives [and assume the worst] are the ones who need to be called out.  I only critique golf courses, and I freely admit that it's all a matter of opinion anyway.  I learned a long time ago that my opinions only bother people when they have the ring of truth to them.

True about change of direction being pre-Confidential.  In fact, I think he said in the interview he had his revelation around the 2008 financial crisis(making Keiser's or others opinion even more relevant?!). 


But this doesn't mean you didn't have a hand in the change.  If I remember correctly, DMK talks about a visit you made to the Castle Course in which you said he was shooting every arrow in the quiver instead of his one straight, true arrow at Bandon. Or something like that. 


So whether your constructive criticism was issued in private or public, it still may have helped change his direction?  And he was willing to accept it either from you, the public, or employers.  Great story and result.  Glad you two are on good terms.

[Joe Zucker]

https://www.bandondunesgolf.com/blog/changes-bandon-dunes-interview-david-mclay-kidd


Here is an interesting interview with Kidd on some of the changes he is making to the Bandon Dunes.  I think these changes makes sense, particularly taking out the bunker on 11.  When I was there earlier this year, I hit it right where the old bunker was and had a nice angle into the green.  Now the player at least has a choice which side of the fairway to aim for, as it was a no brainer to aim right before. 

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