[John Kavanaugh]

besides Ken Kavanaugh. Who has a 100% success rate for building sustainable courses that not only profit their owners, the surrounding environment and each and every golfer lucky enough to enjoy the grounds upon which they walk.  Take him out of consideration because I have worshiped the ground my older brother has walked upon since he tortured me as a young child. And so in turn could be biased. So besides Ken.... Is it Nicklaus, Dye, Hiils, Coore...or one of the dead guys?  Or even another "obscure" name.


Better yet, define successful.

[BCowan]

Mike DeVries

[John Kavanaugh]

Mike DeVries

A worthy choice. He has one hell of a superintendent at Kingsley. Thanks.

[Tom_Doak]

There are likely many winners, each of whom has his own definition of success.

[Peter Pallotta]

Fascinating question - define success.
I've told the story before: Frank Capra, who'd made a string of box office winners and garnered a number of academy awards basically walked away from Hollywood after the box office failure of It's A Wonderful Life. As he recounted in his autobiography, his confidence was shattered by the failure - he'd always deeply believed that he knew what "worked" for the audience, and when what he thought was a terrific film failed so badly he was unable to ever it that again.
And yet It's a Wonderful Life is seen now as a classic of golden age filmmaking and has touched the lives of countless millions.

I once tipped my hat here to Rene Muylaert, a virtually unknown Ontario architect from the 60s and 70s who built some 25-30 modest courses (St Andrews Valley might be his most famous, and maybe best, and more ambitious than most -- and he had a good site); no awards, little acclaim, probably not even much money....but many (most) of those courses are still here -- not being renovated, not being 'restored' -- and still providing solid affordable golf for thousands every year, after almost 50 years.

[Richard Fisher]

Arthur Croome
Pretty much a 100% strike rate - responsible for just one lovely course, Liphook, which has consistently bemused and challenged for nearly 100 years, and was perhaps even better when first opened, before the growth of local traffic and the subsequent reversing of the two nines
and - important note for Brits - he played county cricket with WG Grace.

[Tim Martin]

I think it's Donald Ross. No one came close to building as many "good" golf courses over such a sustained period. People love to play them and clubs relish the idea of putting his name on the scorecard. Although Ross only visited some of the sites once he did an outstanding job of drawing plans and hiring construction crews. His legacy lives on by what is still in the ground and the movement afoot to restore as much as possible to original. So many of his courses are regional and local favorites that don't get their due. My two cents. Thanks.

[Adam Lawrence]

I think it's Donald Ross. No one came close to building as many "good" golf courses over such a sustained period. People love to play them and clubs relish the idea of putting his name on the scorecard. Although Ross only visited some of the sites once he did an outstanding job of drawing plans and hiring construction crews. His legacy lives on by what is still in the ground and the movement afoot to restore as much as possible to original. So many of his courses are regional and local favorites that don't get their due. My two cents. Thanks.

American mindset. Never heard of Harry Colt?

[Adam Lawrence]

As posed, this question is impossible to answer sensibly. What does successful mean? Total number of courses built? Most money made? Highest number of courses rated good/very good/great (which? by whom?). Highest proportion of total courses rated good/vg/great etc? Happiest marriage? Most sexual conquests? Most courses built while drunk? There are probably different answers to most, if not all, of these questions.


And that's before we even get onto 'what is a golf architect'?

[Tom_Doak]

As posed, this question is impossible to answer sensibly. What does successful mean? Total number of courses built? Most money made? Highest number of courses rated good/very good/great (which? by whom?). Highest proportion of total courses rated good/vg/great etc? Happiest marriage? Most sexual conquests? Most courses built while drunk? There are probably different answers to most, if not all, of these questions.

Just take a stab at answering each of your questions and John's work will be done 

[Tim Martin]

I think it's Donald Ross. No one came close to building as many "good" golf courses over such a sustained period. People love to play them and clubs relish the idea of putting his name on the scorecard. Although Ross only visited some of the sites once he did an outstanding job of drawing plans and hiring construction crews. His legacy lives on by what is still in the ground and the movement afoot to restore as much as possible to original. So many of his courses are regional and local favorites that don't get their due. My two cents. Thanks.

American mindset. Never heard of Harry Colt?

Colt did not produce the volume of quality work that Ross did. My understanding is that Colt collaborated on roughly 300 courses of which 115 were original designs. Ross had over 400 original designs to his credit. Hell you can claim Ross as one of your own too as he was born in Scotland although his work was in the U.S. with a small part of his portfolio in Canada. It really doesn't have a national slant for me as the question was most successful and not where was someone most successful.

[John Kavanaugh]

As posed, this question is impossible to answer sensibly. What does successful mean? Total number of courses built? Most money made? Highest number of courses rated good/very good/great (which? by whom?). Highest proportion of total courses rated good/vg/great etc? Happiest marriage? Most sexual conquests? Most courses built while drunk? There are probably different answers to most, if not all, of these questions.


And that's before we even get onto 'what is a golf architect'?

Adam,


How bout just naming which architect you would most like to have left your personal legacy. It's never about only the work.

[Tim Martin]

From a geographical standpoint I agree with Adam that Colt was the most successful designer across the pond.

[John Kavanaugh]

Better than Old Tom?

[Tim Martin]

Better than Old Tom?

Both have incredible bodies of work but I think Colt wins due to a bigger resume. Maybe Adam can comment?

[Ira Fishman]

Marion Hollins.

[John Kavanaugh]

Marion Hollins.

Not that far fetched... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Hollins

[John Kavanaugh]

Playing in the Curtis Cup in 1932 seems like a "Let them eat cake" moment. That's the golf movie I'd like to see. A feel good depression era story.

[JMEvensky]

Henry Fownes

[Joe Bausch]

Robert Sterrett.

[John Kavanaugh]

Robert Sterrett.

Joe,


How did you know Robert? His obit is classy in it's conciseness. http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20151117/obituaries/151119563

[Joe Bausch]

Robert Sterrett.

Joe,

How did you know Robert? His obit is classy in it's conciseness. http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20151117/obituaries/151119563

Robert Sterrett designed only 2 courses in his life and rested on his laurels.  They are Linfield National and Split Rock (in the Poconos, not the New York one).

He must have done something right as both courses are lacking in architectural significance, at least to my eyes.  Yet both places seem to be thriving.  I think it shows what good service and a fair price can do for you!

[Mike_Young]

Overall it would be very difficult for more than one or two guys to have successful architecture businesses if all they did was architecture.  And those one or two would be cyclical.  Using that analogy Tom Fazio would be the top dude IMHO.  You would be surprised what some of the big signatures need to operate....

However, there are some of guys who have been in the business designing courses, building courses and even developing or speculating on such who most will never know.  For most who are looking for the "glamour image" of the business and trying to do nothing but design...it won't happen...

[Jim_Kennedy]

Unk.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Unk.

Lots of good discussion.  Do we dare flip the question to "What good architect has the highest strikeout rate?"

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()