Feature Interview with Jim Urbina is posted

[Ran Morrissett]

From Yeamans Hall to The Valley Club to PacDunes, Jim Urbina is the guy in the dirt making it happen behind many of our favorite restoration projects and/or new courses.

And with Tom Doak's Renaissance Design on a tear in terms of signing deals with very promising sites, Jim will continue to get to work on many more inspiring sites - which is good news for all of us.  

Starting out 20 years ago as a shaper for Pete Dye, Jim's passion for the art of hand work shines through in this Feature Interview. As he notes, "I just don’t understand why people are comfortable drawing plans in the office and then hand it over to someone else and say, 'here…build my idea for this green or that bunker'. "

Hope everyone enjoys getting to learn more about one of the most talented - and nicest - guys in the business.

Cheers,

[Paul_Turner]

What a fine interview, very insightful!

I've met Jim-during the Pacific Dunes construction-he's a real gent.

Jim

Having just got back from Pacific Dunes I must say I was amazed at what I think is fairway shaping on the 3rd,12th and a 15th.  I would never thought this, if I hadn't seen a couple of those holes in the dirt.  Just the right amount of randomness in contour and I particularly liked the ridge short of the 12th green, which shrugs the slightly pulled approach to the left behind the greenside bunker.

But the best quality I remember was playing with a short hitting golfer in the mist.  He couldn't believe the carry at the 9th and was convinced he'd never make it.  But he gave it a good hit into the gloom, and had a real look of glee/shock when it sailed over with room to spare.  

True to your interview, it was great design for the average player; he'll be back for more!

[Mike_Cirba]

Jim;

Thanks for a wonderfully insightful and in-depth interview.  I'd love to hear your essays some day.  The topics you mentioned seem particularly timely and thought-provoking.  

[Brian Phillips]

I had the honour of meeting Jim at Archipalooza this year at Sand Hills and is a very nice man.  My only regret was not cornering him to talk architecture.

On the Sunday evening when nearly everyone had gone home we were left with Jim and the crew, Ben Crenshaw, Jeremy Turner, Graeme Webster and David Kidd's team.  Tom was showing slides of the courses he had visited from Britain and the world.

Jim was sat at the front listening to Tom.  Jim has probably seen these slides before but he was still sucking information out of Tom.
Here was a man who has seen most of everything and he was still asking questions as was Ben.  That evening was a big lesson to me.  In GCA you are never, ever finished learning and there is no place in this business for a large ego.

One of the nicest moments in my career.  Ben smoking, me having a beer and Tom Doak showing off his personal slides!!

Brian.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Ran/Jim,
Thank you both.

Ran for giving Jim his due credit and the forum (no pun intended) to share his thoughts and stories.

Jim for sharing your insightful answers with us.

It makes me feel like I have just scratched the surface with my own knowledge of architecture and look forward to many years of figuring out more.

I am more excited than ever for my trip to Pacific Dunes in four weeks.

Regards
Ben

[John Bernhardt]

Jim is one of the best and brightest I have had the privilege of meeting. Thank you for having the interview. John

[George Pazin]

Tremendous interview - thanks so much for putting so much time & thought into your responses, Jim.

I'll second Mike's request for a copy of your essays, & I'll throw in an additional request for your book on the construction of a golf course.

I find it very refreshing how many of the interviewees focus on the positive aspects of their work & don't simply resort to complaining about owner/committee involvement or environmental regulations hampering their work - I envy their passion & we are all happier for it.

[Jeff Mingay]

I have to agreed with the above. A wonderful interview -- perhaps the best the site has to offer to-date (?).

Jim is one of the "unsung heroes" of golf course archtiecture. It's a treat to read his insights.

Thanks to Ran for putting the interview together, and to Jim for his insightful and detailed responses.

GolfClubAtlas.com does it again  

[Scott_Burroughs]

I know I was certainly stunned.  He mentioned the highest compliment coming from the girlfriend of the guy at Pacific Dunes.  That's how I felt about the unsolicited comment on the aerials (I had to re-read it several times to make sure I was reading it right), the highest compliment.  It's stuff like that that keeps me doing it.

[Ted Sturges]

I have known Jim Urbina since 1995.  I still have video tape of Jim driving his bulldozer up the hill toward the proposed site of the 4th green at Quail Crossing in Boonville, Indiana with my 5 year old son on his lap.  I had a great time watching Jim, Tom and Bruce Hepner build Quail Crossing.  For those of you with an interest in golf architecture, you really must try to get to the site of a course under construction.  It was a great education for me, and watching Jim build the golf holes there was a highlight in my golf experience.

I enjoyed Jim's interview and agree with someone's comment above that Jim is one of the industry's unsung heroes.  I challange Ran to go find more folks like this to interview for this website.  This is a great way to learn more about golf architecture.

TS

[SPDB]

I'd be curious to know who the upcoming interviewees are.
ran?

[Doug Wright]

Colorado boy makes good! Congratulations Jim on a fine career to date and best wishes in the future.

I suspect I can tell which holes at Riverdale Dunes you and Tom Doak did (eg 5 and 6) and which you didn't do (eg 15).  

All The Best,

[Matt_Ward]

Ditto what everyone has said -- a insightful interview and a great way to really see what goes on "behind the scenes."

Congrats to Jim for his candid remarks on the varied people he has been with in the golf industry.

[Ted Sturges]

Great idea for Ran......

Ran,

Your next GCA "get together" should be held at a place where: (1)  there are a couple of excellent golf courses to play, and (2) a course is under construction (from an architect who GCA has featured) close by where we can all go observe and learn in the construction field.  What a great "field trip".

It's up to Ran to find this place.

TS

[Scott_Burroughs]

Hmmm... Doak's Stonewall 2 and Hanse's French Creek are neighbors and both under construction.  Pretty decent golf nearby too.  

[Lou Duran]

I had the good fortune this past June of riding and walking around the Red Raider construction site with Jim.  He comes across in person as he does in this interview- full of enthusiasm and energy.  While he shared his knowledge freely, he also asked for opinions and perceptions.  Talk about multi-tasking, Jim is a flurry of activity.  And he is quite right about the value of seeing a site under construction.  His self- characterization as the bandleader is probably shrouded in modesty.  I am pretty sure that he can play all the instruments, and I have a feeling that if he had the inclination to do so, he could write some real good music.

[brad_miller]

Thank you Jim, thanks Ran. Can't wait to see SFGC, who did the work at Cape Arundel in Maine?

[SPDB]

Brad - I think Hepner did the work at Cape Arundel.

[Slag_Bandoon]

Terrific interview.  Perhaps someday we'll get the lowdown on "The X Factor", "Triangle Golf", "Nothing Burgers", and "Formulas", etc.  

[Tom Doak]

Jeez, I'm out of the country for less than a week and this shows up!

Actually, I knew it was coming and am glad to see Jim getting some of his time in the sun ... although now everyone else in the company will be jealous a bit.  I was showing Kelly Moran around Stonewall a couple of weeks ago, and I think he was shocked to see how many guys I had out there ... Don P. and Eric Iverson and Brian Schneider and Kye G. and Dan Proctor (on loan) and Kyle Franz.  But all that talent and all those man-hours are going to make the place special, not just my ideas.

That said, I've learned as much from Jim Urbina as he's learned from me ... about people management, about thinking in three dimensions, about not being afraid to move earth when there's a better result in sight.

I'd be really curious to see what he'd design on his own ... but don't any of you encourage him to do it.  I need his help on some really cool things to come.  More on those later.

[TEPaul]

Tom Doak:

You should talk about some of the conceptual thinking on some of the holes at Stonewall2. Hole #12 (?) looked very interesting in its fairway bunker placement, green slope, shape etc. Obviously the wind will be a factor on the new course and I hope the course (in that ridge section of 10-whatever) will remain treeless.

This idea of the course tipping out at 6400yds, if that's true is very interesting too. I hope that is true!

[RJ_Daley]

I am in awe of how much insight and detailed information this one interview has produced.  I had been away for a month and had many things to attend to upon returning, and didn't get into reading the interview for a week.  Now that I have read this interview once thoroughly, I'll go back over it a time or two.  One of the most revealing things to me was the early recognition by the Dye's of this neophytes raw talent.  How did a guy with zero previous knowledge of construction techniques (apart from building fire lines in the forest) or golf design theory or playing skills rise so fast in a premier golf design organization?  What allows a guy to be discovered in that business when he shows up for work the first day in flip flops, rather than being sent home with a polite; "no thanks, we don't think this work is for you"?  What sort of luck, serendipity, and being in the right place at the right time spawns such opportunity?

Also, the real world atmosphere of getting the design ideas done in the dirt, not on CAD produced documents is a sort of reinforcement in my mind to that age old debate we have had so many times before on this forum.  

Also, I am happy to see that Brian Schneider and Dan Proctor are keeping such good company and staying active.  I wonder if a 53 year old washed-up ex-cop could start hanging around as a camp cook or something, and perhaps get some of that serendipity working...  Maybe, Jim could give me a ride on the dozer like Sturges's kid...

[Dave Wilber]

I'm really happy to see this interview here!

Jim has been talking about it for some time and I know he worked very hard to come accross as himself here.

Working with Jim is a real pleasure. He's a friend. When I show up to a site he is on I expect two things: A long day and to give as much as I've got to help him.

He really has done drainage plans over dinner!! I've seen it more than once.

Thanks to Ran for getting some real world spice in the interview stew of GCA!!

[Dave Wilber]

I'm really happy to see this interview here!

Jim has been talking about it for some time and I know he worked very hard to come accross as himself here.

Working with Jim is a real pleasure. He's a friend. When I show up to a site he is on I expect two things: A long day and to give as much as I've got to help him.

He really has done drainage plans over dinner!! I've seen it more than once.

Thanks to Ran for getting some real world spice in the interview stew of GCA!!

[SL_Solow]

A belated response; I spent a wonderful afternoon walking around my home course about 5 years ago with Jim and Tom Doak just to pick their brains about possible renovation/restoration.  It was a cold damp day but their knowledge and enthusiasm made it special.  By the time we were ready to go to work they were too busy on a small project called Pacific Dunes but the time spent was terrific.  Jim is not only very talented, he is a great guy with a real love for golf and a golf courses.  Its good to see someone like that get recognition and the interview was effective in conveying what its like to meet Jim.