"Trials In Renovation"

[David_Tepper]

Clubs would be great if it weren't for the members.


https://www.lyingfour.com/conversations-blog/2021/2/5/voices-trials-in-renovation

[Tommy Williamsen]

Those of us that grew up on tree lined courses will resist cutting down trees. It just makes sense. It is what we are used to. Members that are not well travelled might want their course to remain as it is. I played Baltusrol Lower this past September. I have played it a dozen times over the years. I have always liked the course. I loved what Hanse did to the course. Yet, when I spoke with a few members some hated it. Some beautiful specimen trees were cut down and they mourn their loss. My wife didn't much like it either. She said that now you can see guys on the next tee and it was distracting for her. 


Years ago the little resort where I had a second home called in Tom Clarke to look at our Ed Ault course. We got to the second hole and the first thing he said was to cut down the five trees on the left side of the fairway to open up the sight lines. I resisted. The hole is easy enough. The trees offered more interest off the tee. Fast forward fifteen years. I am playing in the member guest. My partner hits his tee ball down the middle and has 120 yards in. I hit mine in those trees on the left. My first thought was, "I should have let him cut down the trees!" My four handicap partner chilly dips his second shot into the creek fronting the green. It was our last hole and I figured we needed a birdie to win. I found a little hole in the trees and thought I could find it with my 8 iron from 135 yards out. My partner says,"punch out and try to get up and down for par." I couldn't resist and went for it. It was the best shot I ever hit. One four foot putt later I had my birdie and we had the win. If we had cut down those few trees the shot would never had been so much fun or difficult to pull off. When my son would hit a shot into an impossible lie I'd tell him, "Now you have the opportunity to be exceptional." I had that opportunity.


I love what was done to Baltusrol, but certainly can appreciate that not every member loves it. I can't wait to see what he does with the Upper Course, I know full well that not every member is looking forward to the changes.

[Joel_Stewart]

I've dealt with quite a few boards and committees and learned a lot.


A few years ago I tried to buy a run down struggling private club in California using Tom Doak to  renovate the course and Mike Keiser as a limited investor and consultant.  7 of the 8 board members had never heard of Tom Doak and those 7 had never been to Bandon Dunes. All 8 had never heard of Mike Keiser but most had heard of Bandon Dunes.


I decided to research just a little more and found only 2 of the 8 had ever played Olympic Club and none had played San Francisco or Cal Club.


I learned a tough lesson when I called the club a dump as most club members think their club is just fine and have no idea of the financial health of the club.  I don't know what percentage of members travel but learned that a high percentage only play their home course. Nobody wants the club closed for renovation and of course nobody wants to pay dues when its closed.


Another lesson is that board members are just volunteers and want to enjoy the club with fellow members.  Its no fun being accosted by another member.

[Mark_Fine]

I learned very early on that telling a member their club was “less then perfect” is like telling them their child is ugly or wears too much make-up or is not well dressed,… You need to (sometimes delicately) help them to figure it out themselves.  It is actually rewarding when they do.  After doing some education, a member explaining to his three playing partners during a Saturday morning round why it makes sense to take down a tree or remove a silly bunker that was added by some past committee can be more compelling then some architect saying they should be gone. 

We had a silly willow tree planted on the corner of a slight dogleg right next to a stream that meandered along the entire left side of the hole.  The tree pushed all play away from the stream to the right.  There was huge resistance to take down the tree as members felt it would make the hole easier.  We took a group out to look at the tree and talk about what would happen if it was removed.  After some back and forth discussion someone said, “if that tree is removed I won’t have to go as far right and can play more on a direct line to the hole and closer to the stream”.  It was like a light bulb went off.  The tree was removed later that evening.  Many more balls now end up in that stream even though the right side remains wide open as it alway was.  Just what the original architect had in mind.  Amazing but they figured it out themselves (sort of) 😊

[David_Tepper]

Tommy W. -

Here in the SF Bay Area, Gil Hanse has already begun work on Lake Merced and will take on the Olympic Lake in the next few years. I will be interested to see how things turn out and how his work is received by the memberships and the cognoscenti.

DT