My take on Golf Architecture

[Tim Liddy]

Just finished 3 months in the Coachella Valley desert working on two commissions, living and working on the Stadium and Hideaway Golf club every day. Sweating over details with people that don’t speak English but always happy to please. Having worked directly with Pete Dye for 3 decades I understand the lonely sacrifice as well as the pure joy of creating something that represents the best golf architecture you can provide. Giving it all every day on details that matter. This is not romantic grading drawings done on the 20th floor. Instead it is building the bunker for the third time because the Spanish speaking shaper does not quite understand your sketch in the dirt. But you realize it is OK, and important, to spend the morning standing in 110 degree heat to get it right. It is why we are here. It is sculpture based on the vocabulary of Scottish golf. Not high art sculpture by any means but sculpture nevertheless that represents a shot value as well as supporting maintenance and accessibility by an older member. It has been a fun summer. A lonely summer as only others that do this for a profession understand. And rewarding, hopefully for a few decades to golfers that truly understand and enjoy the game.

[Joe Hancock]

Tim,


If this writing is a product of being out in the sun too long, I want you out in the sun even more! Well done in describing what is a behind-the-scenes look at hard working people figuring it out together.


Thanks for writing this.


Joe

[Mike_Young]

Tim,I've been doing the same for last two weeks.  To add one thing to what you mention in your post.  I'm not sure the caliber of golf courses today would be what it is if we did not have the Hispanic contractors.  They don't get enough credit....
Joe, Kirk Kirkpatrick who has been doing my sod says he is working with you some...

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:


That was a lovely post.  For those of us who had a good mentor, it’s not about being a genius, it’s about doing good work.


It can indeed be a lonely job - this is my 99th day on the road so far in 2024 - but I have the privilege of working with a bunch of people who are equally passionate about what we’re doing, which makes it less lonely.  I’m just heading home from three weeks in Scotland, playing in the dirt with Clyde Johnson and Chris Haspell and Brian Schneider - and squeezing in a bit of golf at places like Durness and Iona and The Machrie, to remind us the goal is for everyone (including us) to have fun out there.


And yes there are lots of other people who put in hard days to make the dream become reality - though not many of them speak Spanish in Inverness!

[Ronald Montesano]

Tim, I fly back from Madrid tomorrow. When you need me to come out and translate, I'm happy to do so. Fluent in both golf and Spanish.

Also, do you mean Spanish-speaking or an actual contractor from Spain? There are 20 countries beyond Spain where Spanish is an official or major language.

[Thomas Dai]

Like the use of the word ‘sculpture’. Seems a very apt description in many instances.
Atb

[archie_struthers]

 


To think the "force is strong" in GCA's is not a stretch at all. Now architects may be able to shift some of the work onto trusted shapers and design associates but even that has taken years of nurture to find a complimentary hand that can follow your lead. My personal experience building Twisted Dune was pretty much all consuming , and I had the luxury of sleeping in my own bed every night and being with my family.


There aren't many construction events where the devil isn't in the details, but a golf course requires some on the spot fixes and on fly decisions on a daily basis, at least in my opinion.


How Donald Ross was so prolific and still produced so many good to great designs is beyond me , as it doesn't seem like building a home off a set of blueprints would suffice time and time again ?   When I know guys like Tom Doak and Dana Fry are seemingly always "on the road" it makes is truly a Kerouakan adventure. Maybe it is akin in many ways to an Indiana Jones foray , save the the gun fire and danger inherent for the protaganist.


Nonetheless when you are in the desing and birthing process it is really fun and competitive, and it can't just be themoeny that brings so many skilled people to practice the art!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Tim,


Nice post. I agree that very few, if any, of us got in the biz for money first and art second. 


For perspective, when my enthusiasm for site visits (and even some plans) dropped from my typical 110-120% to "only" 98-99% (at least for the renovation projects that are prevalent now), I figured it was time to let the next generation take over.  It takes 110% effort to be good and maybe 120% to be outstanding. Most architects have that energy and passion for their projects.


I still remember a few occasions when the bunker edging crew would never understand what we were going for......or didn't care.  There were a few where they took off with just limited instructions and did a great job.  They probably had outlined more bunkers with different architects than I ever had and once they got my basic style, probably applied all those lessons learned to mine, to great effect.

[Forrest Richardson]

Nicely written Tim. You have always been about the art and passion. I recall fondly touring some Wright buildings in Oak Park with you — and musing whether what we do is as important as building architecture. I think so, but in different ways.

[Bruce Katona]

Well; to add my own $0.02 to Forrest's post above - architect's design buildings and intereior/interior courtyard spaces or rooms.  Landscape Arachitects/GCA's design exterior spaces/rooms.


I learned that one immediatwly after: Water always flows downhill unless pumped - you idiot.

[Tim Martin]

Tim-We were playing this morning and one of the guys said that he played Wintonbury recently and how much he enjoyed it. I’ve always been a fan of the course and played it often over the years. The features on the 16th with the canted fairway and the landform that obscures the green sited behind and below makes it a terrific hole and provides a level of intrigue as to where your approach finished.

[cary lichtenstein]

You guys do not get enough credit or paid as well as you should be.


 99% of the golfers have 0% appreciation of what you do. I understand and commend your efforts

[Philippe Binette]

Hi Tim


We often ironically called it " the glamorous life of golf course architecture "


Nobody is a genius out there, some just spend more time than  others out the field trying to figure things out...