Do you remember Brad Klein's open letter to Tiger Woods?

[Peter Pallotta]

It was several years ago, I think around the time that TW was planning/designing a Dubai course. Brad wrote a long impassioned open letter that highlighted what the best architecture has always been about and how that type of design best serves the spirit of the game, and urging TW to move in that direction. At the time I got into a pleasant debate about the letter's value and validity with Lynn S. Well, Lynn (and Brad, of course) were right, and I was wrong. TW's team went on to create Bluejack National, which I was just reading about again. I am comforted by the belief, however naive, that words and ideas still matter. I just wanted to note that,with kudos to Dr. Klein.

[Niall C]

Peter


I know nothing of Brad's letter or indeed Bluejack National, but do you think Tiger managed to design this without a bunch of seasoned professional design team round about him, and if not do you not think they would have their own ideas already ? None of that is a knock on Brad BTW.


Niall

[Peter Pallotta]

Niall - yes, like you I believe that TW gathered around him a cracker-jack team of professionals; but, precisely because they are professionals (and not amateurs with an ax to grind), I have little doubt that they saw their main role as helping TW manifest *his* vision for the design/course, not necessarily their own. I also think that TW is a bit of a nerd/wonk and that he always does his due diligence (eg equipment), and that he probably worked closely with his design team and solicited opinions (or at least ideas) from many different sources. The language he uses to describe his gca philosophy, and the subsequent write-ups on Bluejack National, suggest to me that Brad's letter captured/summarized/highlighted very well - and in a relatively high profile way -- the 'spirit of the age', as it were, i.e. it helped shape the narrative re: the kind of courses TW should try to design.
Peter     

[Dan Kelly]

It was several years ago . . .

Peter --


Don't look now, but it was 10 years ago.


Couldn't find it, but found discussion of it at Shackelford site.


Dan

[Kirk Gill]

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,27132.msg513292.html#msg513292


I think this is the one.....

[Peter Pallotta]

Dan - OMG! (Was that a thing 10 years ago?)
Kirk - Thanks. Yes, I read it here and debated on Shack's site.


My goodness....10 years. Even the *original* Renaissance didn't last this long!

[Dan Kelly]

Dan - OMG! (Was that a thing 10 years ago?)

Don't know, Peter, but "a thing" was definitely NOT a thing 10 years ago. (And with any luck, it won't still be "a thing" 10 years hence.)

[Steve Lang]

Peter,


I remember it, and was thinking, did jack Nicklaus ever have someone mentor him when he started doing courses... his way?  Did Arnie?


ps As I catalogued back in Jan 2015 (only two years ago), TW got to build BlueJackNat'l on the bones of a real gem of a course (Blaketree Nat'l) laid out by Coord & Crenshaw and finished by Mr Blake.  So while TW did build some new holes and reuse/reverse the old corridors with some new twists, it also is like "interior/exterior" design work, bringing the Augusta look..


s

[glenn.hackbarth@gmail.com]

Steve


Didn't Nicklaus work with Pete Dye on Harbour Town and Desmond Muirhead on Muirfield Village?

[Connor Dougherty]

ps As I catalogued back in Jan 2015 (only two years ago), TW got to build BlueJackNat'l on the bones of a real gem of a course (Blaketree Nat'l) laid out by Coord & Crenshaw and finished by Mr Blake.  So while TW did build some new holes and reuse/reverse the old corridors with some new twists, it also is like "interior/exterior" design work, bringing the Augusta look..

True, but by most of the accounts I have seen his work at El Cardonal in Cabo is pretty good and that was a new build.

[Steve Lang]

Steve


Didn't Nicklaus work with Pete Dye on Harbour Town and Desmond Muirhead on Muirfield Village?

Yes, that's true on-the-job-training, mentoring in the flesh... I'm not sure he really listened other than perhaps to the physical construction aspects; i've walked all over Murfield and don't remember much clear Pete Dye influence per se, and don't have any reference to Muirhead's work..  so am open