Mike S
Thanks for adding the link to this thread.
If I may throw in a few thank you's to all involved in a very unusual year in golf.
First off, I want say as I have said many times before, when the Golf Course Superintendent has a passion for the Golden Age of design and the green Committee as a whole has faith in the project, you have way more chance for success. Mike Manthey spent countless hours on this project to make it happen. I know for a fact that when he went home, the energy for his Seth Raynor designed golf course never turned off, never! It was infectious.
His maintenance crew gave everything they had even though they were not trained in golf course construction, after the project was done, I know they could do as good a job as anyone out there. You see when you lead by example the project steam rolls, even the bad days are good ones.
The two guys helping me create the look and feel of this Seth Raynor design were also a big positive. Joe Hancock and Zach Varty were as important to the success of the work at Midland Hills as I was, maybe even more. Without the eye for scale, design intent and craftsmanship of the work of the designers / shapers, some of these projects are simply updates to drainage and sand quality and not designers intent.
The reason for such a renewed interest in the revitalization of these masters of design are simple, the quality of each hole becomes more evident. The variety within each hole becomes more apparent and in the overall scheme of things the holes give a sense of wonderment, kind of a what's next anticipation.
The Alps at Midland Hills, I guarantee you will not see anywhere else in that configuration.
The Knoll is a one-of-a-kind feature not seen in modern day designs.
The Punchbowl is a perfect use of the topography given the designs of that era.
The 15th hole is as elegant a green site as one could ask for.
The Eden couldn't be any finer of an example than of its namesake, complete with a body of water acting as the estuary and remember Seth Raynor never saw the original.
I could go on and on, you see even though some would say these template holes are over used I don't think so. They reveal an era of design not governed by the terms of fair and the dreaded U word, Unfair.
Happy New Year!!