Another year passes in the rearview mirror and GolfClubAtlas chugs into its fourth (!) decade as a non-commercial venture. Who would have thunk it?!
In 2019 the importance of golf course architecture was reinforced to me during two playing experiences with the same man, our own Neil Regan. First, we played Ballybunion, which is so outrageously well-suited for golf that it makes your head spin and 60 days later at Winged Foot West, restricted to 8 clubs per man. For fans of golf course architecture, the unsurprising thing is that both rounds were equally engrossing. For others, it may be hard to imagine that a clay-based course on Winged Foot's raw property could compete with the sandy loam across Ballybunion’s heaving landforms but that's great architecture. These experiences highlight the importance of the subject matter that we have engrossed ourselves in since June, 1999.
The metrics of how people look at courses will ever shift with the times. Personally, I have recently become fixated on evaluating courses by the parameters of how quickly I wish to return and how frequently I would I like to play there. One course that I saw this year that does well on both counts is Rhode Island Country Club - its members are truly fortunate to have a course that strikes that elusive balance between fun and challenge. Similarly, I was thrilled to return to Gamble Sands in late May, noting to Derek Duncan and Carr Harris what a delight to be back after four years. Upon leaving the property two days later, we all agreed a return trip was in order. The desire to play somewhere is a simple but worthy litmus test.
In a hilarious article on raters for the December issue of GOLF, Evan Rothman penned:
'For the most interesting golf architecture discussions on the Internet, with the least profanity, visit the granddaddy of such sites, Golf Club Atlas.' Always wonderful to receive a compliment, especially since I also receive the 'report to moderator'
emails. Two points piqued my interest, 1) GCA is actually known for exemplary behavior relative to other websites and 2) the term, 'granddaddy.' The second point, first. That word makes me think of the Rose Bowl and Keith Jackson; no matter how you slice it, The Rose Bowl has lost significance. Has the same occurred to GolfClubAtlas? You tell us. As always, we rely on people to contribute thoughtful prose, be it in the Discussion Group or In My Opinion pieces. For several years running, only a few people have contributed IMO pieces. Meanwhile, knowledgeable people bustle away furthering their own brand on Instagram, Twitter etc.. What are the ramifications long haul for GolfClubAtlas? I am biased but I don't think we are missing a beat, but you tell me. We can adjust and embrace good ideas post-haste and I realize that I am a dinosaur in that I enjoy/prefer long form writing over ‘tweets.’
Regarding the first part of Evan's sentence, we are the generators and custodians of quality content. I - foolishly - tried to read up on Punta Espada elsewhere online and the first review I came across said, 'This gym of a design ...'. Well, evidently, a bunch of fit people play there!
Back to GCA I went and fortunately, 95%+ of the posts on GCA enjoy a fine tenor and Evan was gracious to say so. Still, we need to be vigilant. I get that people have a perverse thrill when there is a 'pile-up' on GCA. That's human nature. As we grow older together, people may travel/see less and spend more time at their keyboard. That is a double edge sword as it can be beneficial (we love on-topic, good content) and detrimental (lazy behavior kicks in and you post to show how clever you are). There is no room at the GCA table for poor and/or belittling behavior. There is, however, room at the table for me to be a more active participant in various DG threads in 2020.
Off-topic threads are a blight as they dilute the quality content that the DG otherwise enjoys. It is easy to discern who enjoys furthering the topic of golf course architecture versus promoting a personal agenda. People contend that a laissez-faire management style has been employed to run GCA for 20 years and I am happy to alter that in 2020 if people think that would be best. After two decades of organic growth, GCA’s voice is now heard around the world and we are in a great position to do good by disseminating useful information. Let’s not blow it. As always, I will be deleting threads in January, this time about 1,000 or so, that add minimal value going forward. Again, the DG is run with a view of maintaining a capped number of 50,000 threads, meaning we annually delete the weaker ones while preserving the best.
Speaking of poor form, there is my golf game. Doug Smith, local swing guru, has pinpointed the problem to … my swing. Yet, happily, for 20 years running I haven’t lost an 'official' match, meaning that my only real competition resides in North Korea. Shall we ever meet? I don't know but it would need to be on neutral ground (or is it common ground like Old Minchinhampton?!). However, there is someone in Cary, a loathsome creature void of redeeming qualities, with whom I was embroiled in seven 'unofficial’ matches
that warrant no elaboration. Rather, let's dwell on happy thoughts in this new year like the conquest below.
Was it my steely glare or the ruckus from the vessel ~2000 yards away that made this worthy opponent wilt?On the local front, the conversation has increasingly become,
'What kind of match today?' What is meant is
"Will we play with 8 or 9 or 10 clubs?” There is no doubt that such a set leaves gaps and necessitate some intermediate shots. Seven clubs are a bit draconian but limited sets herald more fun and interest than knowing you have a club for every shot. The Mid Pines Mafia along with many other kindred spirits like Chris Buie and myself seem to agree and our numbers are growing.
Another playing aspect that seems to be gaining momentum is the glory of dormant Bermuda grass. To play at Congaree, Ohoopee, Pinehurst No. 2, Dormie or Streamsong during the cold season is a supreme treat. Nothing screams
'this is a place run by golfers for golfers' louder than faded Bermuda. Winter has become a
spectacular time of year to live and/or visit the southeast of the United States and its sand-based sites.
An impeccable playing surface: dormant Bermuda. Looking across the 7th green and down the ½ par 8th at Congaree.
As always, Joe, Ben and I beg people to share in-depth pieces. Fawning over the same few architects is wearisome when other architects offer a diversity greater than people realize. Avoiding the trap of stereotyping is a must. I recently played The Dunes in Myrtle Beach for the first time since they re-grassed their greens with Champion in 2013. The greens were as fast and as firm as any I saw all year and RTJ Sr's green contours shined. I was stunned to see how many balls hit ~20 feet into the green, only to depart the putting surface such as off the back right side of the 1st, the front to back contour at the 3rd or the soft sides that doomed one of us left off the 6th and right at the 7th. Add in several false fronts and these greens were both exacting and exciting. I have always been a huge admirer of RTJ Sr's early work and wish someone with more knowledge than me would contribute an IMO on the man who touched over 500 courses.
On the educational front, I remain enthralled by Peter Lewis's book,
Why Are There Eighteen Holes?. In the early days, the Scots found ground that had interesting hazards and soil conducive to good golf. Whether there was enough room for 6, 8, 12, or 18 holes was immaterial. People routinely ask,
'Do you think 9-holers will gain acceptance in North America?' I don't know but I hope (!) that non-18 courses proliferate. The notion of building great holes on land well-suited for golf is hugely appealing, even if that means it becomes the world's greatest 5-hole course.
Where to this year? We just kicked off with a Feature Interview about Donald Ross and will soon add an IMO piece on William Flynn. The next two course profiles will be on Ballybunion and The Dormie Club. Then we head overseas for a Feature Interview in England for February. Restoration projects will play a major theme, and this year I am most keen to see the completion of the work started 20 years ago at Beverly CC.
Our journey continues, at least for most of us but sadly not for Rich Goodale and that's how I will remember 2019. For over 20 years, he provided great insight while simultaneously giving me grief about the
'cracking GCA search engine.' I just instructed our hosting company to enhance our woeful search engine for a third time. Thank you to everyone who has made donations so that we can perform such upgrades. One donor asked to remain anonymous but suggested a pseudonym - see if you can guess it!
Hopefully, you feel as we do about GolfClubAtlas that it remains fun, educational and beneficial while forming tons of friendships along the way.
Less than 1% of the world's courses (call it 340 courses out of ~34,000) enjoy what I would loosely describe as 'great' architecture. Therefore, as they say on Wall Street, there is 'a huge addressable market' for courses that would benefit from better thought and care. GolfClubAtlas’s goal remains to give voice to all that is good and needed in architecture and in the process, point out that which is bad and unnecessary.
On we march.
Best wishes for a great year from,
Ben, Joe, and Ran