Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Don Mahaffey on July 30, 2016, 09:59:54 PM
-
Al Stanger, 79, the visionary behind the golf course at Wolf Point died today.
Al was as fit as any person his age I'd ever seen. He walked miles everyday, ate right, and most importantly he played golf almost every day. His only vice, if you care to call it that, was a few cups of Knob Creek bourbon each day. As is his way, Al was out trimming some trees around his house last week when he suffered a serious fall from which he never recovered.
I first met Al in late 2005 when Mike Nuzzo arranged a trip for me to Wolf Point to talk about being the Superintendent at a new personal golf course. I had no idea what to expect, but what I didn't expect was a down to earth self made man who said he wanted to build a golf course so he could play golf every day. Even after I was hired it took me months to realize that what Al REALLY wanted was to just play, everyday. When was the last time someone built a course just because they wanted to play golf? Not for business, not for rankings, not for some status BS, just to play interesting golf?
Al hired Mike Nuzzo to design the course. I've heard a few explanations for that but what I believe is he knew Mike was close and he liked the fact Mike was eager. He talked to some other firms, but dismissed them when he felt condescension from them. Whenever Al hired someone he rarely argued over price, but he wanted their attention, and he knew he'd get that from Mike. Later he told me that these other firms tried to sell him with their golf clubs (they were players) but Mike sold him with his computer.
After we had a design from Mike we had some golf contractors price the project. I'll never forget the meeting at Al's house over beers where he looked at me with those piecing blue eyes and asked me why he should pay so much to build a golf course. "Can't we just do it?" he asked, I said I thought we could and off we went to building what we have now, at 40% of what the contractors bid.
I could go on and on, but I just lost a friend and Golf just lost a champion they don't even know about. One of my fondest memories was when Mike Kaiser came to play. Al didn't play with us but he met us after in his little clubhouse. He and Mike K. were soon off in a corner talking. They had different interests but they had some common bonds and I remember setting back out of ears reach just watching them carrying on.
I'm very sad right now and I already miss my friend. I've watched him time and time again bring out the best in people, just as he has done with me. I doubt Wolf Point will be in the golf history books 100 years from now and I'm almost sure the name Al Stanger will not be there as well, but this was Al's course and he demanded that Mike and I turn it loose during the creation stage. Al would watch construction from a distance, but he would never allow us to guide him around and discuss holes or strategy. He said he see it when he played it, just make it outrageous, and we did, because he believed we could.
-
Your loss is our loss and our hurt Don. Al was always generous to me, and gruff, and funny, and just, Al. May he rest in peace and Dianna be comforted by the memory of a great man.
-
Thank you for sharing, Don....you were lucky to have known each other...and in the end, that's really what it's all about.
-
Don and Mike,
You lost a friend and a very interesting man. My memories of him are fond...especially when stopped mid sentence to ask me "What the f*** happened to your nose?" A classic Al Stanger moment!
Thanks for putting to words a wee bit of who Al is and why you enjoyed him so much. My condolences.
-
My deepest condolences to the Stanger family, and to Don and Mike.
I suspect that 100 years from now in the golf history books, Wolf Point will be quite well known.
Something built with that much love must live on.
-
Don,
Really sorry to hear this. His vision and choosing the right guys built something really special. He deserved far more years to enjoy it.
-
I'm sorry to hear this news.
Don, I'm thinking about you and Mike and his family.
-
Don,
Very sorry for your loss. Wolf Point strikes me as one of the more interesting stories in the world of golf architecture.
-
Don, you have written and explained very well for the golf world, folks who are passionate about these things like GCA.com contributors.
But, I suspect there is an even deeper story with interesting twists and turns about Mr. Stanger due to his 'self made man' achievements and his own apparent passion for the game. To have gone to the lengths he did to build a place to make golf his daily regime and apparently very willing to share the experience with other like minded folks suggests a fellow that really should be sketched out in more detail via a book. I am sure I'd buy it and enjoy it, even the more so if it was written with as much love and respect as you have just shared, Don.
-
Thank you for sharing, Don. Heartfelt condolences to the family, and a warm hug to you and Mike. We're blessed in the others we share this journey with. And so you are...
-
A lovely heartfelt post Don.
I'm sure the work you, Mike and the rest of the team contributed to Wolf's Point made Mr Stanger a very happy man.
-
Don
So sad. Tom and I were so lucky and appreciative to be able to play the course a couple of weeks ago with you. It's a tremendous place and hopefully it lives forever. It's so different and important in it's own way.
-
Let's revisit these iconic videos. Long may they stand alone.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/best-of-golf/golfclubatlas-com-conversation-with-don-mahaffey-part-i/
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/best-of-golf/golfclubatlas-com-conversation-with-don-mahaffey-part-ii/
-
Don,
Jeez, I'm terribly sorry to hear this. Sorry for your and Mike's loss as well as for Mr. Stranger's family.
It is indeed a sad loss for golf and I too sincerely hope the course lives on. It's such an amazing place.
-
Al had a down payment on an island until his wife found a working ranch near Port Lavaca, TX.
His golf clubs were a surprise gift from her on their way to dinner in Houston.
It was as much of a surprise because he hadn't played in many, many years.
The golf course was her idea too - thank you!
He always had a pair of beautiful black Giant Schnauzers (Diablo and Demonio during construction, who were the real inspiration behind the name Infierno, not The Old Course).
He hired the animal trainer from The Ringling Brothers Circus to help take care of his horses, cattle, Watusi, zebras and the friendliest camels ever.
Al enjoyed westerns, politics and bourbon.
He admired a man with "a lot of hard bark," one of his favorite lines from Paul Newman's Hombre.
Al taught himself and became fluent reading a Spanish newspaper to better communicate with his crew.
He liked owning cattle, especially because it permitted a whole new language with his fellow cattlemen.
He read books every night and scoured the internet for answers to interesting questions.
One day he found me.
Al loved his family and friends and loved to play, especially his daily match at his course.
He and Don played a bunch of golf together, and they surely played more on their "other" betting games.
When it was on Don's turf, like whether their local John Deere agriculture store was allowed to sell golf equipment, the bet went in Don's favor, only after they went to the dealership together for proof. And if it was anything else, the odds were always against Don, even if the lamp near the evening hang out was going to flicker during the storm in the next three minutes.
During my first working meeting back at his home after lunch, I was giving Al a slide show on his TV of great golf courses around the world to see what peaked his interest. After two minutes of me talking and showing great bunkers, I turned around to see if Al had any input. He was fast asleep. I tip-toed out, and we never had another indoor meeting about design.
Al was the definition of loyal: giving firm and constant support, and patient: able to accept delays or problems without becoming annoyed or anxious.
He tried to adopt his long time employee, our own bunker guru.
Carmen was looking for a job, and he offered her one at the course during construction; she's been in charge of the greens ever since.
Al had several businesses. His oilfield man, who supplied equipment, suggested when the golf course was half finished, it could be done without me at considerable savings. Al disagreed, and that guy didn't last much longer.
Al, to beautify the cattle ranch, used to clear the trash trees himself in his backhoe.
He was so good, that when the backhoe really got stuck, he was last one called for rescue, and he got it out every time.
Before the golf course, the backhoe arm was jammed, and his helper had climbed up trying to release the debris.
Al identified it as a dangerous situation and swapped places with him to keep his helper safe.
Unfortunately, Al was correct, and his hand was smashed, breaking many bones.
He lost significant use of that hand, and you would never know it in a match against him.
Most construction days at 5:00pm, Al wanted us to come to his house to have a beer with him. He knew we could get in another 3 hours of work before dark, and he would rather hang out with us until dinner time.
Al enjoyed his guys so much that he decided to build a separate clubhouse for everyone, so when dinner time came they could stay, and he would leave!
Initially, Don would bring Al on site during construction, in part, to make sure we were headed down the right path.
All he ever said was, "It just looks like dirt to me. I'll let you know how I like it when it's finished. If I don't like it, we'll just bulldoze the whole thing."
We were playing together soon after it was complete, Al, Dale, Don and I, when Al & I were alone in the middle of the 13th fairway - Don still blocks it right on #13.
I remarked to Al how great everything was at the course.
Al looked at me with his twinkling blue eyes and said, "I really don't care how good the course is; I'm just thankful you brought Don into my life."
You are most welcome Al and thank you for everything.
Peace
-
Very sad news. I enjoyed a couple of very fun days at Wolf Point's great course, just said hello to Al once, but always felt grateful for his vision and his respect for the team he put together to design, build and maintain the fine course. RIP Al Stanger.
-
I am also one of the fortunate people to have enjoyed Wolf Point Ranch.
Thanks to Mike Nuzzo and Don Mahaffey for sharing. Sorry for your great loss.
-
Mike and Don, thanks for the sad news and nice personal comments. I know that Al has been a big part of your lives. He seem to lead a full and robust life.
Two things I won't forget. One, the site of about 8 dozen Pro v's stacked in his "locker room." He was loaded and ready to go.
Secondly, the site of Al coming out in his car, across the fairway to stop and say hello one day when I was playing there with you. Not an everyday site for most of golfers, but nothing unusual no doubt for him.
-
My condolences, Don and Mike.
I'd like to believe that Neil Regan is right -- that something built with love (yours and Al's) works the best and lasts the longest.
Peter
-
Condolences Don and Mike. Thanks for sharing your memories of Al. Wolf Point Ranch is certainly a special place. RIP Al.
-
Don and Mike,
My condolences to you and Al's family and friends. I did not have a chance to meet Al when I was at Wolf Point and wish I had had the opportunity, because his love of the pure joy of the game is evident in your recollections. What a great project to have been a part of (and not just the building of the golf course) - something you will never forget.
Warmest regards,
Mike
-
I don’t jump into these threads because of a pathological dislike of death rituals. In this case, I am moved by a guy who wanted to build a golf course, had the means to do so, and had the moxie to find the best people to do it. My dad did that, however imperfectly, and I respect and value that for what it is: put your money down, get it done, and make it work. It isn’t easy. To the architects who know what it takes to do it well, my respects. To the crew workers, who labored in the dirt, to see the finished product emerge in harmony with the vision of the design. To the many people who make it work on a day-to-day basis. To those who enjoy it for their purposes, hopefully friends and sympathetic souls. It’s a big undertaking, a work of landscape art over a vast tract of land, and a canvas of incomparable scale. To those that pulled it off, we owe a measure of respect, and to those who they trusted to pull it off, a equal measure and hopefully the satisfaction of the mission accomplished.
-
Very sad to hear! Don and Mike, you knew him better than anyone, thanks for sharing on this site. Great man who had a great golf course right outside his front door. He will be missed greatly!!
-
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/donmahaff/al_zpsekz53k5r.jpg) (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/donmahaff/media/al_zpsekz53k5r.jpg.html)
We will be celebrating Al's life later this month with a gathering of family, friends, and employees, at his golf course. Our plan is to play golf, tell stories, and make a few toasts.
The company Al and I formed, Greenscape Methods, will create a scholarship in his name and we plan on funding with an annual gathering to do what he love best, play some golf. I'll keep you all posted on that. We are not quite yet sure what criteria we will use for the scholarship, but it will be based on need (Al says the Salvation army was a big part of his youth) and somehow linked to golf, and/ or vocational education.
While Al says he was a terrible student, he did go to trade school to learn to be a machinist where he learned to make aircraft engine parts. He went from the shop floor to management to eventually ownership of the company.
Al was the most optimistic man I knew. He believed in the possibilities of people and used his own life story to prove that if you were willing to dream big, and then work hard to support that dream, all things were possible. His word meant everything to him and if he made a deal, he held up his end and expected you to hold up yours. I've seen him overpay because an error made in the paper work was not in his favor, but he completed the deal anyway because he had agreed. I know him to make a deal, travel a long ways to finalize, and turn around and leave when the other party thought they could add a little at the end. They chased him all the way back to the plane, but the deal was the deal and as soon as they started playing games he was gone.
Thanks for all your emails, texts, and calls. We really appreciate it and please know that Al's golf course will live on. He will no longer play it everyday, but we are working on some plans to keep it going long into the future.
-
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/donmahaff/al_zpsekz53k5r.jpg) (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/donmahaff/media/al_zpsekz53k5r.jpg.html)
We will be celebrating Al's life later this month with a gathering of family, friends, and employees, at his golf course. Our plan is to play golf, tell stories, and make a few toasts.
The company Al and I formed, Greenscape Methods, will create a scholarship in his name and we plan on funding with an annual gathering to do what he love best, play some golf. I'll keep you all posted on that. We are not quite yet sure what criteria we will use for the scholarship, but it will be based on need (Al says the Salvation army was a big part of his youth) and somehow linked to golf, and/ or vocational education.
While Al says he was a terrible student, he did go to trade school to learn to be a machinist where he learned to make aircraft engine parts. He went from the shop floor to management to eventually ownership of the company.
Al was the most optimistic man I knew. He believed in the possibilities of people and used his own life story to prove that if you were willing to dream big, and then work hard to support that dream, all things were possible. His word meant everything to him and if he made a deal, he held up his end and expected you to hold up yours. I've seen him overpay because an error made in the paper work was not in his favor, but he completed the deal anyway because he had agreed. I know him to make a deal, travel a long ways to finalize, and turn around and leave when the other party thought they could add a little at the end. They chased him all the way back to the plane, but the deal was the deal and as soon as they started playing games he was gone.
Thanks for all your emails, texts, and calls. We really appreciate it and please know that Al's golf course will live on. He will no longer play it everyday, but we are working on some plans to keep it going long into the future.
Don, Mike
I am sad that you all lost a great friend. When the time comes, please let me know how I can help with the scholarship fund.
Praying for you all,
Paul
-
Don, Condolences to you, Mike, staff and family of Mr. Stanger.
-
Don,
it is always hard to lose someone special such a Mr. Stange. The pain of their loss is a counter balance to the joys brought by them during in life.
Jon
-
Al looked at me with his twinkling blue eyes and said, "I really don't care how good the course is; I'm just thankful you brought Don into my life."
Thanks for introducing me to Al when you had the chance.
It was nice to say thank you in person.
I'm sad to hear the news ... for all of you.
-
Sorry to hear this. I thought of you guys without really knowing you a few weeks ago when I had to take a deposition in the Brazoria state prison. I thought about calling and running over to see the place but decided I wouldn't make my flight. Wish I had tried to visit now.
-
So sorry for your loss. Nothing harder than losing a loved one.
Wonderful stories and a great pic, please keep us updated on the scholarship fund.
-
A friend at Boston Golf Club who is an architecture aficionado told me the sad news this past Sunday.
My very best to the Stanger family, and to Don and Mike who provided me one of the greatest golf experiences of my life, an awesomely fun day at Wolf Point in December 2012.
Wolf Point etched into my memory on that gray, windy, day playing with Don, Mike, Paul Jones, Lynn Shackelford, and several others in an alternate shot competition.
Though Mike Nuzzo's excellent photos at his website convey something of the course, you have to experience its strategy, behold its beauty, and enjoy the intelligence of this great design personally in order to get a grip on what a unique and precious thing the Stanger's nurtured. I've been lucky enough to play a number of the world's great courses. Wolf Point has some of the best conceived holes on the planet. The third hole is one of golf's great par 5's if the hole is subject to wind, as you must pick your route and have multiple options on the drive and 2nd shot. 5 is the only non tidal Par 4 I know of that is designed to handle annual flooding; most design teams would have spent a fortune on a levee or dike, not Mike and Don. 6 is an out of this world semi redan style Par 3 that ingeniously employs ground slope and a natural jog in the river bend, a gorgeous and dangerous creation; 8 and 18, share an enormous Biarritz green. Not to dismiss 10 through 13, as there are no indifferent holes at WP, but the way the course concludes is absolute brilliance and beauty. 14, a par 5 with trees in the fairway, perfect obstruction on the 2nd shot, requiring a heroic carry to get home in two, if you dare; 15, another Biarritz or double plateau influenced ground level green; 16 a medium length par 4 that is alluring and looks so simple until you discover the danger of the river to the left and one little tiny bunker right of the green; 17 a super strategic long 4 with bunkers and the river requiring careful negotiation; and 18 back to the huge Biarritz, a hole for concluding a tight match where both long and short player are in the game to the end.
God bless you, Mr. and Mrs. Stanger. Your vision and confidence created one of golfs greatest architectural achievements. Wolf Point is part of golf history, an educational and artistic legacy. I pray it will endure.
-
I remarked to Al how great everything was at the course.
Al looked at me with his twinkling blue eyes and said, "I really don't care how good the course is; I'm just thankful you brought Don into my life."
Mike - thank you for sharing this quick story. It is a great tribute to show the character and values of this man.
While I have never played Wolf Point, I have great respect for this man solely from this one story.
May he rest in peace and may God comfort his family and friends.
-
So sorry to hear this! Don, my day with you at Wolf Point would have been memorable regardless but it was all the more so for having briefly met Al. You'd never know he owned the place!
-
One of the most interesting golf stories I've read, here or elsewhere. For some time, I've wondered about the backstory of Wolf Point and its owner. I finally stumbled across Mr. Stanger's name upon reading Tony Dear's feature on Mr. Nuzzo.
Thank you very much for sharing.