Feature Interview No. 2 with Mike Nuzzo is posted

[Anthony Butler]

Mike:

2.  The tough thing about building a "private" course is that you don't get any marketing value out of it.  David Kidd is still bummed that no one gets to see Nanea.  Don't forget to keep looking for your next project while you're building this one, because no matter how good this one turns out, you won't get much attention for it -- sad but true.

Tom: I'm not familiar with Nanea (which I guess proves your point to some degree), but two 'private' courses that come to mind have certainly attracted a lot of attention on 'launch'.

The first example is a course in Australia called Ellerston which resides on the property of the late Kerry Packer  (Australia's richest man at the time of his passing late last year) about 130 miles from Sydney. It was designed by Greg Norman, so not exactly a low profile pairing of owner and architect.

It debuted at Number 5 in the Golf Digest ranking of the best courses in Australia-behind RMW, NSWGC, and Kingston Heath + Royal Adelaide. This course along with National Moonah had a large role in rehabilitating the Shark's reputation as a course designer in Australia after a couple of high profile disappointments. (I wish I could add my opinion of the course to this post. But I've never played it.)

Since nothing happens in the media in Aust. without the Packers having a hand in it, no doubt some of the early guests were those who serve on the magazine ranking committees and felt 'compelled'  to rate it ahead of all the other sandbelt courses and the tracks on the Mornington Peninsula. I wonder if over time it will suffer a similar slide down the ratings as Shadow Creek, which seems to get rated lower the easier it becomes to get a tee-time. In SC's case it might be familiarity breeding contempt. In the case of Ellerston, I'm not sure that Packer Jnr. cares enough about golf to keep it up there.

[Voytek Wilczak]

I LOVE the idea of a 200 yard-wide first fairway on a windy site.

To me, it's a nod towards, and an acknowledgement of, The Old Course, and the history of the game.

Not to mention the great fun of being able to tee off without fear of losing the ball (there should be some penalty for spraying it too much, though).

Good luck with the project.

[RJ_Daley]

Can anyone cite courses that are strictly owned and run for the personal enjoyment of an individual and his friends.  

Of course the Sheep Ranch is sort of in that category.  What about the course Kenny Rogers built some years ago?  In fact he was at the Las Vegas show with Fazio and Wynn when Shadow Creek's story and construction program was presented to the GCSAA.  As I remember, Rogers course was already built at that time.  Then of course there was Willie Nelson's course that I think the IRS disposed of.  Could the course (possibly named the Farm) built by the fertilizer family in Alabama or Mississippi be considered in this private owner-private personal use category?

There was that so called hidden course in Georgia that several folks (including me) didn't believe existed.

What about the existing course that Celine Dione bought for her hubby?  

Mike, you can cement the legend and lore aspect of this project if you can locate a ghost of Sam Houston or some other such Texas historical artifacts buried under those live oaks.

[Anthony Butler]

Mike:

...a course in Australia called Ellerston which resides on the property of the late Kerry Packer near a town called Scone. (about 130 miles from Sydney). This course could only be played with express permission from the "Big Fella" (Australia's richest man at the time of his passing late last year.) It was designed by Greg Norman, so not exactly a low profile pairing of owner and architect!

Still, it debuted at Number 5 in the Golf Digest ranking of the best courses in Australia-behind RMW, NSWGC, and Kingston Heath + Royal Adelaide (?). With all due respect to Mike Nuzzo, he doesn't quite cut the same swath as the Great White Shark, but this course along with National Moonah had a large role in rehabilitating the Shark's reputation as a course designer in Australia after a couple of high profile disappointments.

Here's the most relevant link to the above course-several good pictures:

http://www.ausgolf.com.au/ellerston.htm

[Don_Mahaffey]

Mike,
Well done on the interview and on the selection of a Green Keeper

Seriously, it's very nice to read all the good wishes and believe me when I say that I feel very fortunate to be a part of the project.

All I'll say for now is I believe Mike has done an exceptional job so far. I will be very surprised if the course doesn't turn out to be something very special. We are both very lucky to work for such an exceptional client. The standard response I get when I ask a question of the client is, “I don’t know, just do what you think is right”

I'll have more to say once I start cutting some grass

[Bob_Huntley]

Walter Annanberg had a private course in Palm Desert years ago. I am not sure what happened to it after he died.

Bob

[Mike Nuzzo]

Scott,
Thanks for the opportunity... isn't it rewarding when the pupil comes out from under the tree?  I look forward to a round.

Tom D.,
Thank you.
1.  You are right.  I've tried to get lots of help... the owner is seeing things a little different.  He sees a lot of people as costing a lot more.  
Having Don is a great start.  One he is great, Two he will help insure the vision for the course is carried out - if the owner never fully appreciates the details - that I learned from you.
I don't see the down side yet given some particulars including I have all the time I need to finish and see below.

2.  We do have an agreement or a like minded thought that we would both like this course to do as much for me as it will for him.  And you are correct it may be impossible - he does like his privacy.
I don't have a refined value for % of upstream projects that eventually come to fruition, but I think I have enough upstream that one will swim down by the time I'm finished with this one.  And yes I do keep looking too...

I may not be swiming in the same channel as Great White - but I can say I did beat him out for this job - in an way - The client specifically said he didn't want GN for the project.  
I also did place above him on another project - unfortunately I was still not first.

George - lets just say it is in limbo right now...  Barney has already sent me my hillbilly tour badge at hopes of inclusions - just kidding - although I would be disappointed if he doesn't.

Voytek - Thank you.  It is a good thing I haven't done a lot of shaping yet - because otherwise after my visit to the Old Course I would have had to redo everything...

RJ - I can honestly say I hope I don't run across any artifacts.
I would like to get a list of personal courses.  T&L Golf had an artical a few issues back with a list of personal courses.  On a couple were listed as full 18s.

Anthony - I did send that Ellerston article to my client some time ago - he doesn't have that much land...

Don - thank you - it was good spending the day with you yesterday.

[MarkT]

Congratulations Mike, sounds like a great opportunity and I wish you the best.

I drive by land like that all the time and think "what if, what if". No more "what if's". I've always thought the Texas coastal plains were ripe for the pickings with the right architect. Good luck and hope to be able to follow your progress.

[Tom_Doak]

Anthony:  I've heard of Ellerston, naturally, but if the Packers were not so well followed by the media and if Bob Harrison hadn't touted it as their best work, no one else would have heard of it.  Mr. Norman doesn't exactly need to establish his name in the same way Mr. Nuzzo does -- Ellerston is well known BECAUSE Greg did it.

As for Shadow Creek, its early-years privacy was a p.r. bonanza, whether it was intentional or not.  If Mike does as good a job as that, and his client lets him play the privacy card however he wants, maybe he can achieve similar success.  But I think Mr. Fazio's involvement and Mr. Wynn's well known name and the fact the course was in Vegas all probably contributed to the success of Shadow Creek, too.

Same for The Sheep Ranch.  If it wasn't within sight of a very busy and very highly publicized course, probably no one would care -- but it is, so everyone wants to know about it, and the more they try to hold people off the more people drool over it.  I can only assure you that is not being done for publicity's sake -- Mr. Keiser wishes it would just go away.

There's also an article in GOLF Magazine this month about Tim Blixeth's course on his estate in Palm Desert -- sort of like Annenberg's with another zero on the end of it.  Maybe you are right after all -- does anyone build a private course just for themselves or do they do it to tease others?

[Anthony Butler]

Maybe you are right after all -- does anyone build a private course just for themselves or do they do it to tease others?

By limiting anything today, access, choices... you're telling everyone you're loaded. Your success is a result of discipline... making the hard decisions.

Walk into a diner they hand you a 6 page menu. At a $100 a head restaurant they give you a sheet of paper with three lines between each entreé.

[George Pazin]

There's more of these personal courses out there than one would think (and hopefully someday there will be at least one more...).

I think Schwab had one in Montana, though he may have opened it up to other members since. There's a guy somewhere in Cali like Palm Springs (not Annenberg, someone else) who has a course he uses mostly for himself and a few charity outings. They do articles in Golf, GD, etc., every few years giving us sneak peeks at these courses. The ones that intrigue me most now are the small ones that have only a few greens and tees and can be played in multiple ways to total 18.

Can't believe Matt hasn't asked for the yardage and slope rating from the tippy tips yet.

Mike -

I have my name picked out for my personal course. I even shared it with one other GCAer because it'll probably never happen, and I thought the name was too good for no one to ever hear it. Then again, it's probably one of those things that's only funny to the person who thinks it up (as too much of my humor is).

[Mike Nuzzo]

Mark,
Thank you very much.

There was a Lohman personal course in last years Digest rankings... Lohman and Benkusky's Canyata

Anthony - I personally like when the menus only have a few very good items - I always ask the waiter their recomendations anyway.  

As for the project - If you could see the nearest course to the property - at 30 minutes - you would want your own course too.  He is a very private man - he is going to have a very nice golf course - pretty simple in principal.

[Anthony Butler]

Anthony - I personally like when the menus only have a few very good items - I always ask the waiter their recomendations anyway.  

Whenever my father visited me in the US, he said that's why Americans are crazy... too many choices. I think a waiter had just mentioned six different countries & regions (French, English, German, Dijon..)  in response to his request for some mustard.

Anyway, it sounds like your guy is doing this for all the right reasons. Besides, if you have property in South Texas, it's a good idea to put a couple of acres between you and Dick Cheney holding a shotgun.

[Brian Phillips]

 David Kidd is still bummed that no one gets to see Nanea.  

Yeah, I feel really sorry for David that no one gets to see Nanea.....

Just joking David but you get my point...

[A_Clay_Man]

I had to leave the country because I doubt I could've kept the secret any longer if I hadn't.

Two nicer more generous gentleman you wont find.
Good Luck to both of you

[Jason Topp]

Mike:

Congratulations.  It looks like a dream project.

[Evan Fleisher]

Mike,

Another round of CONGRATULATIONS!!!...from the Heartland.

I wish you nothing but the best of luck, this looks like an incredible personal and business opportunity for you and your design company.  I hope you will continue to keep us all informed as things progress.

[Will E]

This is excellent news! Sandy and I are so excited for you Mike, what a wonderful opportunity. I can't wait to see what you come up with.
I hope that it's challenging off of the tee

[Mike Nuzzo]

Adam, Jason, Evan and Shooter - thank you...

Shooter:
You are correct the fairways are huge and that is one of the things I think of...
I am currently working on the 10th hole - 290 yards long (325 back tee)  - 80 yards wide - across the straight edge of the lake.  The closer you hit it to the lake the better the angle.  If you play safe - left - you will not make a birdie without a great shot.

After seeing you play - I know you will never miss this fairway - I probably woudn't either?

Would that be demanding off the tee?

Best

[Pete Lavallee]

Mike,

Congratulations, nice to see one of the good guys get a well deserved break. I'm sure you'll make the most of it. It will also be great to work with Don; definetly one of the most informative members in the history of golfclubatlas.com.

Try to convince the owner to come up with a catchy name and I will christen my next brewing creation in its' honor!