20 Minutes With Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

[David_Tepper]

https://www.barrons.com/articles/20-minutes-with-golf-course-architect-robert-trent-jones-jr-01604953890?mod=hp_PENTA

May be gated!

[MCirba]

I had the opportunity to play golf with RTJ Jr. a few years back at the Turning Stone Resort in upstate NY.

About halfway through the round he started reciting poetry while we were all putting on a green, and later told us how he spent days meditating in the woods near a natural pond with an native American spiritual guide before deciding the routing of his course there.

He was quite enjoyable to spend time with and you could tell he had been quite the good player in his prime, and whether you are keen on his beliefs or not, he certainly seemed to walk his talk.

[Matt_Cohn]

I played a nice RTJ Jr. yesterday (Granite Bay) and spent a few minutes looking through a book of his designs in the golf shop. I was struck that of all the golf course designers in the world, he’s the only one who got to build two courses inside 17 Mile Drive.

[Tom_Doak]

I played a nice RTJ Jr. yesterday (Granite Bay) and spent a few minutes looking through a book of his designs in the golf shop. I was struck that of all the golf course designers in the world, he’s the only one who got to build two courses inside 17 Mile Drive.

I was out there two weeks ago and had the same thought, but maybe with a different emotion attached

[Joel_Stewart]

I was struck that of all the golf course designers in the world, he’s the only one who got to build two courses inside 17 Mile Drive.

In the early 1980s, Spanish Bay was actually awarded to Jack Nicklaus by Marvin Davis who owned it at the time.  Jones was pissed and called Sandy Tatum. He told Sandy that if he could get Tom Watson involved, there was a chance he could convince Marvin Davis to switch architects.  Sandy had no idea if Watson would be interested and to his surprise Watson who was in his prime, agreed.  Nicklaus was really mad and I'm not sure if those two have ever talked since.  It's ironic that Jones was at one time on some type of ethics committee with the ASGCA yet has tried to undermine other architects when competing for jobs. 


Take the Poppy Hills renovation.  It was awarded to another architect (Gil Hanse??) but Jones literally cried to the board at the NCGA and pleaded not to ruin his reputation by using another architect.  He agreed to waive his fee for the renovation and was given a second chance.   


If you ever meet someone with inside information, find out how Jones tried to undermine Kyle Phillips at Menlo CC which is Jones home course.

[PCCraig]

I was struck that of all the golf course designers in the world, he’s the only one who got to build two courses inside 17 Mile Drive.

In the early 1980s, Spanish Bay was actually awarded to Jack Nicklaus by Marvin Davis who owned it at the time.  Jones was pissed and called Sandy Tatum. He told Sandy that if he could get Tom Watson involved, there was a chance he could convince Marvin Davis to switch architects.  Sandy had no idea if Watson would be interested and to his surprise Watson who was in his prime, agreed.  Nicklaus was really mad and I'm not sure if those two have ever talked since.  It's ironic that Jones was at one time on some type of ethics committee with the ASGCA yet has tried to undermine other architects when competing for jobs. 


Take the Poppy Hills renovation.  It was awarded to another architect (Gil Hanse??) but Jones literally cried to the board at the NCGA and pleaded not to ruin his reputation by using another architect.  He agreed to waive his fee for the renovation and was given a second chance.   


If you ever meet someone with inside information, find out how Jones tried to undermine Kyle Phillips at Menlo CC which is Jones home course.

Well at this point, Joel, why don't you just drag the guy through the mud some more and tell us all about Menlo CC while you're at it.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Good to know in these troubled times that at least one Democrat has often refused to accept that another individual won (a design commission)


The Jones family has always been known to be competitive, and they probably aren't alone.  It is a tough side of the biz that the sometimes wanna be gca's are often surprised at.  Not sure of all the details in the examples given, but politicking is a part of almost any high profile commission, and even some of the lower profile ones. 


I wonder about the Menlo CC story, only because RTJII was kind enough to get me on what he said was his home club.....SFGC.  Maybe he belongs to both.

[Adam Lawrence]

I wonder about the Menlo CC story, only because RTJII was kind enough to get me on what he said was his home club.....SFGC.  Maybe he belongs to both.

Bob is certainly an SFGC member, because I had lunch there with him once. He introduced me to Condi Rice!