Angels Crossing, Big Jim Thompson

[RJ_Daley]

While the gang was baking to a toasty crisp in the desert, I had the common sense to go somewhere beautiful, comfortable, hospitable, and where the golf is a true modern classic. That would be, Angels Crossing, just a few minutes south of Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Our own avid contributor, Big Jim Thompson is "the Man" there because he helped develop the iidea of the course from it's inception, with his brother Bob and some friends, designed by Bruce Mathews, architect, with inputs on design from Jim, with serious construction work from rough grading all the way through to fine tuning the grow-in, Jim Thompson was there every step of the way.  

I spent a very enjoyable 3 days playing Angels Crossing, arriving at twighlight for my first round Sunday.  I played alone and practically had the course to myself. It was a golden lit, gentle breese "perfect" afternoon that I can honestly say was one of the most tranquil and special times I have ever spent on any golf course. My second day I again played alone on light user Monday.  I took video of every hole that I will share with those of you who would like to preview the course (not a cinematic masterpiece, but pretty good scenes)

The last day, I had the honor to be invited to play in the Western Michgan Golf Course Superintendent's spring meeting and golf outting.  Yes, our own "grandpa" Joe Hancock was there, and he sure don't look like no grandpa.  I was expecting a Grandpa Jones older type guy, and I got a youthful looking guy that should have his own show on the comedy channel.

The course is set on large rolling sandy loam terrain islandlike series of structures, amidst wetlands and a crystal clear stream that 'runs through it' another mile to a lovely lake.  The views from anywhere on the course are special and one of the nicest golf properties I have seen.  There are housing sites outward and away from the first completed 18 holes of the soon to be 27 hole course.  The third nine will be the only real loop that you will see homes on the course.  It is so good, I am bringing up with my wife the thought of buying one of the last remaining lots (as I did at Wild Horse).  For those of you that know me, that is a ringing endorsement of how good this project is!!!    There are a few isolated views through to the outskirts of the property where you will eventually see some homes - a quarter mile away from the course through the surrounding woods or on only one hole, 5 sites across a substantial span of prairie.  

I don't have time for a hole by hole of the course right now.  I just wanted to get this thread started, and will add to it later.

But, I ask that anyone interested to discuss this course, who hasn't already read it, to go to Jim Thompson's "my home course" first, and read it.  It is a very well and accurately written article, by Jim (who developed and participated in design and build).  I'm here to tell you that while one may think Jim is tooting their horn describing his own course, it is a modest assesment of how good the couse actually is.  

http://www.golfangelscrossing.com/default.asp?active_page_id=1

I have been communicating with Jim Thompson on GCA.com for several years now.  Jim has always been one of the most knowledgeable contributors to this site.  When you finally meet him and see him in his element, you will come to really respect just how credible Jim is on all things involving golf design, construction, management of the facility from club house to maintenance shop.  Jim is a human dynamo of activity, and I hear several townspeople refer to him as just that, a dynamo!  He is one of "those" guys that only sleeps a couple hours a night.  You will find Jim on the course early or late, working with the crew at any level of job, to welcoming prospective members and out of town guests and golfers, to participating in one of the many other agricultural, and community projects they are involved in.  That includes the renovation of an emense old papermill into residential and commercial space. They have a substatial part of the 3rd nine rough excavated, and soon ready to go forward.

They are working currently out of a model condo, with a pro shop.  The club house is yet to be built, and there are some minor hold-ups with liquor licensing.  So, they still have a big item to deal with as the all important profit center is essential in the long term.  Yet, they have a large party tent, and use a caterer for gatherings like the super's meeting and golf outing.

But, how to physically describe Jim?      Well, his name helped me as I thought about that, as I was driving back through that hell hole of a Chicago, they call a toll way system.  There in the windy city, it hit me that our Jim is quite like Chicago's famous Jim, with similar looks, humor and temperment, Jim Belushi!    


the best thing is that our Jim will also give you his ideas, "According to Jim" just like the hit TV show that Belushi stars in ...  

But, this isn't telling any of you yet, what is up with the golf course.  I'll fill that in when I have more time.  The link to My Home Course should get you started.

And, I will say this...  If this group doesn't seriously think about a GCA.com poster gathering at Angels Crossing, then we would be completely missing a real life example and the very reason this on-going discussion has been taking place for several years now.  Jim Thompson has absorbed some of the great thoughts that have been expressed within these cyber walls, and he lived the life and experienced the issues we speak of everyday.  He directed the birth and overall management of this course with every classic notion, and inspiration of all the great design concepts we have considered here within the ongoing discussion.  He gives great credit to many people that helped him to refine his thinking.  And, he knows he is blessed with a quality superintendent in Roger Barton, who has been around the turf game for many years and manages the turf to the highest quality standards, with firm and fast always an operational goal.

I'll leave this to be continued later with this thought, Angels Crossing is worth a trip from anywhere to be experienced!  If you are in Michigan anyway, with ability to spend a day or two, don't hesitate, do it!

[PThomas]

I played with Jim last there DIck and agree:  it's a great place and Jim is a great guy

but Jim Belushi?  nah, Jim is better looking and much funnier!

[David Kelly]

I am really impressed by the pictures and the write-up that I have seen of Angels Crossing and I definitely intend on playing it the next time I am in the area.

[David Neveux]

RJ, Well said!!!!  I had the pleasure of playing there about a month ago.  Brian Cenci, Jim, and I played 36 holes.  I was really wowed by the course, it definitely exceeded my expectations.  Being a novice when it comes to archictecture, I felt as if everything had been said in Jim's "my home course."  However I will say Angels Crossing is one of the few courses where it seems the only really thing anyone is there for is the GOLF!!!  I loved it, and am planning a return trip soon.  Hopefully I'll find it playing firm and fast, last time it was quite wet.  Don't miss this one if your in the area!  MORE COWBELL!!!!!!!!    D.P.N.

[Joe Hancock]

RJ,

I notice you "conveniently" left out the fact that your team won the stinkin' event! You drive 6 1/2 hours to Vicksburg (no one in their right mind goes to V-burg!...Big Jim is exhibit "A") and you take money from a bunch of destitute grass growers. Shameful.

I had a great time, and it was nice meeting you. Oh, and tell me more about this Comedy Central idea of yours. I think I can make it work! If not, I have a greeting card business I want to start.....

Joe

[RJ_Daley]

Joe, I'm going to do some family math for you... because I know all you supers do all day is figure out square footage and acreage areas, spray rates, granular applications and gallonage, and your fantasy league stats...

First, as for the team that let me play with them... ... and for what I contributed, I'm lucky they let me even stay after the first 4 holes.  I went double, quad, double and bogey...  While the gentlemen from the Toro irrigation company was an 18 and shot 81, to my 12 and shot 89!  Chris went eagle on the 17th, and shot  below his handi too...

Now the family math thing.  You remember that you even drew me a map to go an hour north of Angels Crossing to visit you and Mike DeVries at your media day at your Mines Golf Club, to be held the following day.  Well, you noticed I was all set to renew old acquaintences with Mikey D., but thought it the wiser to call the home office just as I was driving out of AC lot.  The home economics CEO/human relations and recreation director there at home pointed out that last week I played Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thursday Men's club (which turns into a late evening arrival back home) Madison Italian festival Fri., trip to Michigan for rounds Sun. Mon., Tues, and now I was asking if she wouldn' t mind if I got home a day or so later because I still had to go play "a little golf with some other friends".  Did you know that 'she who must be obeyed' can get so frosty that she can actually send chill waves over the telephone enough to freeze your eardrum?  I told her that this was different, it was with grandpa Joe and a really great golf course architect.  Thus my return to the parking lot, map in hand and a sheepish offering of regrets that I wasn't going to be able to follow you to Grand Rapids after all....

[Ken Fry]

RJ,

I'd echo all comments about Jim and Angel's Crossing, but there's no need to inflate his head!  

As for Joe Hancock, Grandpa?!  Only in status, not in physical stature.

Ken

[RJ_Daley]

Ken, sorry I didn't get to meet you this trip.  

I thought I'd start to mention a few of the design aspects of Angels Crossing that I noticed, and that were very exciting to find in a modern course built to evoke a classic presentation.

First, the "my home course" begins with Jim and Bruce Mathews statement that their goal was indeed to pay tribute to the classic features of a list of golden age architects, mentioning Ross, Flynn, Stiles and VanKleek, C.B. MacDonald, and Seth Raynor.  Well, I haven't played a Stiles and Van Cleek, nor a Flynn.  But, I will absolutely confirm that the heaviest influence I saw was Rossonian fairways with several ridges both natural and masterfully graded, set at angles of play to offer strategic placements that can open a green or present elements of blindness in a second or third approach shots.  There are turbo boast slopes from one LZ to another advantaged or disadvantaged settling area galore, which I think would make Tom Paul squeel with joy.  The owner and superintendent's underlying phylosophy is to present a firm and fast course that take advantage of those fairway contours to the max.  

They have had a consistently wet, but healthy turf growing spring, and I found the course moderately firm, way firmer than one would expect due to much rain, yet due to the nature of the subsoil structure of glacial gravelly till, covered with sandy loam this course drains excellent.  There were only miniscule low run areas of need for a bit of french drain line, that for a new course are remarkably few and it appears that Jim has them slated for those minor adjustments this year.  I don't think there are 15000 sq ft of drainage problem areas on the whole course!

To discuss the bunker style, that we on GCA perhaps focus on a bit too much IMHO, rather than the playing surface of fairway contours and angles of approach... Because as I mentioned above, I don't know Flynn nor Stiles and Van Kleek, I can't say what influence they might have in the bunker styling.  I do know Raynor and Ross.  I do see that the bunkers are expertly crafted, all of them drain very well as there were no soggy or clayey low spots, the sand was excellent, and the placement of the bunkers was masterful to set up the strategic game.  The collection areas around the bunkers were also very well graded, and the grass slopes were expertly maintained and healthy.  I'd say the bunker work is perhaps a tribute to the architect Bruce Mathews in that they are mastercraftsman work.  I don't know any of Bruce's other design work.  But, I have to believe that he was at the very top of his game with this work.  

The routing is very interesting.  It procedes to cross the wetland-river drainage ways a number of times over wooden bridge eco walkways.  I can't believe how intelligently yet minimally they routed around the wetlands.  None of the walks from green to next tee are too far.  The furthest may be about 250 yards.  Yet, on two of my rounds that I walked, I felt that the effort was not great or strenuous.  Perhaps it equals about 22-4 holes at my own home course that I walk always, often playing 27 holes a day.  The longest walk (although the staff gave me a lift) is from the current clubhouse to the first tee area, about a quarter mile.  The routing has a great pace to the par of holes progression.  Walking through the wetlands on the boardwalks is part of the absolute charm of this course, and in no way is too much.

The opening hole is not difficult, yet it gets your attention.  As you see in the course diagram, there are two waste bunkers in the shape of Buffaloes (I didn't actually see the buffaloes   ) that you see a generous LZ that favors the draw.  Yet, those waste bunkers just pinch in at the end of the LZ enough to make you think of perhaps 3W or driving iron, if you tend to be long.  I hit driver, but could easily have placed a 3W in a good approach position.  The green is very large earthworks built up structure and inviting, open in front and fall away slopes in back, yet the bunkering and mounding require you to hit the large green with your mid to short iron approach if you want to get off to that good start.  The one criticism I have is that the buffalo waste bunkers with a couple of other waste bunkers that I never got close to are the only ones on the course that have too many stones that one doesn't want to hit your shot to avoid club damage.  I got in one between 1 and 9 on an errant drive on 9 and broke the rules by picking stones infront and behind my ball.

Now, the all important greens complexes, their styling and what I think are among the best set of modern greens I have seen.   I include Wild Horse, Kingsley Club, BallyNeal (I saw grow-in only there) Rustic Canyon and Dye courses.  Now hear this, the greens complexes at Angels Crossing are world class!  The string of golden age architects that the home course and web page pays tribute to as their inspriration has left out perhaps the giant of greens design, Perry Duke Maxwell.  Without a doubt, no one could see these greens without first shouting out the name, Seth Raynor.  It is nearly a tribute course to Raynor in that there are the template green designs, the Biarritz 6th (better than Blue Mound or Yeaman's Hall) and the Redan 12th.  When in construction, my understanding is that Jim Thompson had to push Bruce Mathews a bit to get even more bold than orginally drawn in the design process.  That is not any slam to Bruce.  But, I think Bruce may have been at one comfort zone as to slopes and contours on greens, that may be a result of years of conventional wisdom and working for owner developers that may not have wanted to get bold, in fear of going over the top.  

Jim on the other hand is a bold and forward man.  I would like to think that his participation in GCA.com may have inspired him to look deeper into the golden age styling.  Jim's bible on this project appears to be George Bahto's, "The Evangelist of Golf".  Jim literally pointed out Raynor and C.B. drawings of greens contouring that he wanted.  He was particularly enamored with the depression feature referred to in various ways including the horseshoe, soap dish and toilet seat.  Jim loves the Raynor style, double plateaus, multi-terrace and segmented greens.  He encouraged Bruce to do them in spades.  They are fabulous!  Most of them are designed on large earthwork platform structures, with a few greens more at even to ground approach and surround grades.  The real stunner, and curiously what is not mentioned on the home page for Angels Crossing is that the Perry Duke Maxwell influence absolutely jumps out at you.  There are several greens that have internal rolls that also follow Maxwell's repeating front to back general slope.  Some of the rolls are across the Raynorlike features such as soap dishes, yet there are enough front to back slopes that Maxwell can not be left out of the mention.  I attribute this observation to further study of Maxwell through Chris Clouser's excellent book on Maxwell.  I have only seen Crystal Downs personally, yet the rolls are there, in the unmistakeable style.  One of the outstanding greens may evoke Maxwell, but with a modern and fresh approach is the 10th at AC.  The green has now become referred to is the TV dinner plate.  It is made with a ridges clearly segmenting 3 distinct green portions.  One can place multiple pin positions in either the "peas and carrots", "mashed potatoes", or "Salisbury Steak".  The ridge is also referred to as the "peace sign".  It is set to really give the approach shot some heavy thought as to club selection and distance.  

In a modern approach to design, AC has multiple tees.  The turning points are on a sliding rather than fixed scale.  Like Mike DeVries 1rst and 9th at Kingsley Club, AC has a few holes with tees set at varying distances from as much as 90* angles to the approach.  Mike's 9th at KC and Bruce and Jim's 3rd have this 90* concept.

I will fill in particular hole details later.  But, the classic themes, Cape, Redan, Biarritz, Road, and other modern interpretations of various themes are all there, and are without a doubt crafted into a full 18 holes that never lets down on any single hole.

[Brian Cenci]

RJ....again...good description of the course.  I experienced Angel's with Dave Neveux and Jim a few months ago and was really suprised at how well the course plays.  The thing that I felt was very unique about the course was that the holes were designed from the greens back (where most courses set up the other way).  I was amazed out how well the greens set up.  Very large (which I love) and the grass was mowed tight around them so I could ATTEMPT to put from well off the green (which I also love).  I would say that only Crystal Downs and the Kingsley Club had more interesting and challenging green complexes in the entire state (from what I've played, which is most of the good courses).  

Jim was also a character...Dave and I still joke about him driving a golf cart full speed at the geese  I don't know much about golf architecture and hearing what Jim knows, I know even less then what I thought I did.  The staff is unbelievable there and Dave was right, the course is all about the GOLF!  It's the type of course you could play 100 times and still find new and interesting aspects of each hole.

I hope to make it back down very soon...and play with Jim...DOUBLE PRESS!!!!

[Jim Thompson]

WOW!  Where to start?

It was a real genuine treat to finally get RJ over to see the course.  We've been talking about it since the beginning.  As you can tell, I think he enjoyed it.  I'm sure he'll have more posts regarding the individual holes.  Can't wait to see how he interprets them.  I wish I had taken my camera out to get a couple shots of RJ video taping his second round.  That was priceless to see.

As for the course  and my/our end.  One of the great joys we have at the course is when somebody comes out and "gets it".  I am very honored that so many gracious words have been set forth about the course and myself, however the course, in all of its aspects, really is the byproduct of a fantastic team.  I am just fortunate to be one of its members and all of the praise really is a compliment for all of us at Angels Crossing.  Larry Aylwood did a nice piece on us in GolfDom a while back that probably captures it better than I ever could.
Link-
http://www.golfdom.com/golfdom/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=89782

As for design and Bruce's role or my role or however you want to put it.  I think the best way to put it is that Bruce was finally given a setting and an ownership group that was willing to let him push the envelope and express some of his bigger ideas in the design of Angels Crossing, not so much pushing the design process as liberating an architect.  Granted we may have tweaked a few things here and there, but in the end they are more like the sprinkles of the golf course sundae then the ice cream itself.  Bruce makes great ice cream!!!!  Maybe corny but that's how I think of it.  We did collaborate on some of the flavors and all but a great deal of the credit does need to be given to Bruce for dealing with more then a couple of very opinionated individuals.  Bruce's ability to work within that environment and maximze the end result may very well have been his greatest accomplishment during the project.

The course is a bit thick right now in the outer rough areas due to unseasonable rains and wam temps, but that always works out over the season.  Just don't hit it in the long stuff right now !  Oh RJ I did knock down your spot on ten after you left.

I'd love to say that we examined Maxwell's work when building our greens, but that just wouldn't be true.  I new nothing of Maxwell's rolls until after we started grow in and I did the final on all the greens and had pretty significant input on the greens basic design elements.  Maxwell's name never came up.  Bruce's grandad's name came up often and as we all know W. Bruce Matthews I worked for Stiles and VanKleek.  The fronting rolls and humps really are tribute to grandpa Bruce's ideas, the fifteenth in particular.  A for the rest of the rolls,we just put the in where they made sense to us.  On most greens we tried to combine aerial and ground game values as is the case of the ninth whose left half is a ground gamers delight and the right is very receptive to high irons.

The idea for the bunkers actually came from Thanksgiving at my folks.  In the fall of 2002 Bob and I were filing our plates for dinner when he asked, "What does the perfect bunker look like?"  To which I picked up the butter knife and carved a bunker out of the butter stick Mom had set out next to the roll basket.  Thus the butter knife bunker was born.  It was the cost effective compromise between stacked sod face bunkers and maintenance costs that mimicked the look of Macdonald and Raynor.

I'd like to say that I've never heard the Jim Belushi comments before, but that would be lieing too.  Luckily, I get a kick out of Courtney Thorn Smith so it doesn't bother me that much.  For what its worth RJ does have those scary Bobby Knight eyes when he gets serious.

Anyway,  can't wait to see more of you at AC.  Perhaps RJ's words can get some of you motivated.  Shivas, Wigler, Kavanaugh, Goldman, DeVries you really do need to see this place.  I think you will also get and enjoy it.

Cheers!

JT

[Jim Thompson]

Oh, I almost forgot.  If RJ ever comes to your house to visit, remember the redder the wine the better and make sure you open your screen door for him on the way out.

Cheers!

JT

[Nate Golomb]

RJ,

Was great to meet you last week when you were out on Monday. Extremely glad you enjoyed yourself, the course, the staff, etc. Having worked for Jim and at Angels Crossing the past three years I've seen the holes develop and course mature into something pretty special IMO...and have met some great GCA people.

That said, I would like to thank you on Jim's behalf for the kind words you've said about him and the work he has done for Angels Crossing...He does NOT receive enough credit for what he does around here on a daily basis. Hope to see more GCA'ers out this summer at Angels Crossing!

-Nate (The Gecko)

[RJ_Daley]

Nate, it is folks like you that would make anyone in your area who is looking to join or participate in a first class golf club a no brainer by selecting Angels Crossing.

As for Jim's invitations to the gang to get yourselves up there to see it, well as stated above, I would seriously question whether a person has a pulse if they didn't dig it, and revel in the Angel's Crossing experience with all of its' design concepts.  After a week of thinking about it, I fired up the old video last night to go through it.  I taped every teeball and LZ and green.  I am damn near ready to jump back in the car and go again, right now!  

I have no question in my mind that Mike DeVries would get it and highly pay tribute to the course.  Bold green complex design is what I saw in Mike's work at Kingsley Club, and AC is certainly all that.  While the bunkering is not the same style that Mike presents at KC or what I've seen in photos of Greywalls, they are excellent bunker design work, well placed and absolutely integral in the strategic presentation of the course.  

I would say the string of holes starting from 3,4,5,6,7,,8, are one of the strongest.boldest series of holes I have seen on any golf course.  I will return if for no other reason than to master the tee ball on 4!  It is a demanding bite off tee shot, that I am incredulous that the agressive line across the wetland to an aiming bunker with very much the turbo boast back side of that bunker sloped to a garden spot LZ or could run through to native and bunkering back side of FW if the draw isn't just right.  I didn't carry the bite off on any of my agressive line tries.  I would have sworn an oath I didn, but....  yet there is a safe route to the near side of the bite off, which I was relagated to hit provisionals, even though there is a drop area on the far FW side of the wetlands, I was too stubborn to use it.    The remaining hole will never be a go for me distance wise to try making the par 5 green in two.  But the center line bunkering with a double fairway in the 2nd LZ, with the emense double tiered wide green dictating from which side of the centerline bunkering would be most advantageous for the lay-up, and the hogs back that divides the wide green, is just great stuff.  The green falls away precipitously, like some of the earth works platforms at Lawsonia in the rear and sides.  I could play that hole over and over all day and hit a multitude of different shots and strategic options on every attempt.

I forgot about "Golfdom's" article, but have all the old copies of the magazine.  

Te link didn't work so here it is again.
http://www.golfdom.com/golfdom/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=89782

I also found Jim's inside stories on managing some of the construction budget very interesting.  Jim's accounting education came in handy when sourcing various materials. Those are stories I think Jim would prefer to share in person rather than internet open forum, but an education non-the-less.

[Jim Thompson]

I don't think there are 15000 sq ft of drainage problem areas on the whole course!

RJ,

You can take 14500 square feet of your list.  15 got done today!  Knew you'd want to keep on on the progress.  

JT