Tom Doak's "Column" in The Met Golfer magazine

[Scott Senior]

Mr. Doak is a contributing writer in The Met Golfer (not sure if this is new....)
But...
He teases that his upcoming articles will be on honoring the less-sung architects of the Golden Ages.
Looking forward to reading about Banks, Emmet, Park, Strong, and Travis. Especially their contributions to the Met area!!


Great stuff!!!


(i can't get the link to copy to this site-sorry)!!

[Tim Martin]

Scott-I would be interested to hear him discuss Travis contemporaneously with Mike Cirba’s IMO piece on Travis and C.B. MacDonald currently at the top of the board.

[Phil Carlucci]

I'm interested in that cliffhanger re: Timber Point.

[Peter Pallotta]

Contribution unread, I will nonetheless call out Mr. D on this!
How is it, sir, that you can claim to assiduously avoid rating *architects* (and instead only their *courses*) and yet at the same time frame an article about said architects in precisely those terms?
By your lights (though not mine) there *can* be unsung (i.e. under-appreciated/less highly rated) golf courses, but there *can't* be similarly unsung architects, i.e. no particular architect's talent/skill can actually be *under-rated* if no such 'ratings' are even possible/warranted 
Explain yourself -- if you can!
(I doubt, however, that you will even try. This apparent contradiction will be embarrassing for you, and you'll want to sweep it under the rug. I do regret any embarrassment I've caused -- but this is gca.com, sir, and here at least we look for truth!)
Awaiting with eager anticipation your response,
I remain
respectfully yours,
Peter       

[Jeff Schley]

Cant' locate the article.... which issue is it in?  What page for the last several months don't list Tom anywhere I see.

[Scott Senior]

Cant' locate the article.... which issue is it in?  What page for the last several months don't list Tom anywhere I see.

The The Met Golfer April/May 2018 issue pages 14-16

[Kalen Braley]

Go here, and you can either download the PDF or view it with flash or Flipbook.


http://www.metgolferdigital.com/t/10032-the-met-golfer


Enjoy!

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Here's the direct link: http://www.metgolferdigital.com/t/10032-the-met-golfer/14

[Tom_Doak]

Hi Peter 


If I used the word "underrated " to describe these architects (and I'm not sure I did, but I might have), then you have me dead to rights, because I used the wrong word.


The word I should have used was "overshadowed."


Just like today, there were a lot of architects who built some fine courses 90-100 years ago.  But the tendency today is for people to believe ever Course by Ross or Tillinghast or (gasp) Raynor is sacred and must be restored, whereas courses by Emmet or Travis or Park are dismissed.  I'd guess 90% of golfers don't even know that Olympia Fields North is a Willie Park design,nor could they name any others.  That seems kind of unfair in comparison to courses that are revered because Donald Ross passed by on the train one day.

[Ed Homsey]

After reading the first installment of Tom's "Column", I am looking forward to those that follow.  I appreciate and respect the perspective he presented regarding the "overshadowed" architects.

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks, Tom. I know I couldn't/didn't goad you into answering, but it was fun to try


It is an interesting topic (and reality) to me - this overshadowing, ie what people are seeing and valuing in a golf course (and architect) and what they're not.


In baseball, you get someone like Stan Musial -- whose career numbers were remarkable (objectively) but who has been under-rated and overshadowed (subjectively) because he played in St Louis instead of NY, Boston, Chicago or LA.


But in gca, it's different -- no objective 'numbers' to compare, but on the other hand they 'played', ie built their golf courses in the MET area, just like the better more famous architects....

[Dan Herrmann]

I love the last paragraph: 


"Not all great courses survive; they can pass out of existence for a number of reasons, most of them economic. But unsatisfying courses don’t survive, and the architects who laid out grounds that have delivered satisfaction for a century or so did something special. Championship venues bring brand-name recognition, but the main job is to provide an enjoyable challenge day in and day out. In the months to come I want to shine some of that Golden Age limelight on the less-known great designers of the Met Area so we can appreciate them and learn from what they did so well" (Italics are mine)


Tom is correct - never forget that the main job is to provide an enjoyable challenge day in and day out!