Minimalism in the US that beats them all

[Jonathan Cummings]

Quiz time.

There is a 9-hole course on a private farm in Kentucky.  The farm's owner designed and built the course.  He used only mule drawn plows to rough in the holes.  He built everything else with hand shovels.  He built it by himself.  He tasks his sheep to keep the grass in check.  He installed electric wires (aka Brora) around the putting surfaces.  He has a farmhand mow the course with a field mower a few times a week.  It's only ten years old.  There are only a hundred or so rounds of golf played here annually.  If you are invited to play the owner gives you 2 gutta-balls (the second one in case you break the first one) and 3-4 grooveless faced old clubs.  You don't carry a bag.  There are no scorecards.

Name the architect and for extra credit name the course. 

JC   

[Phil_the_Author]

I know Keith Foster lives in that area so that's my guess. Don't know the name of the course even if my guess is correct...

[Jonathan Cummings]

Right you are Phil.  Keith calls his course "Morris" after Old Tom.  Pretty neat story.  I interviewed him for an hour for a piece I'm doing on River Bend CC.  Enjoyable guy.  JC

[Chris Buie]

Nice thread Jonathan.  I had heard this story a while back but had forgotten it.

http://www.keithfosterdesign.com/twigmore.html

[Chuck Brown]

These kinds of stories are interesting, and fun.  I just wonder what it is like to putt on something as minimalist as that. 

And where do you go, to buy a rstocking supply of gutta percha golf balls?

[Jonathan Cummings]

These kinds of stories are interesting, and fun.  I just wonder what it is like to putt on something as minimalist as that. 

And where do you go, to buy a rstocking supply of gutta percha golf balls?

I didn't ask him where but I did ask him how much.  (I think I remember Ran - in his hickory era - telling me that gutta balls cost about $25 a piece).  Foster told me he had a guy who sold them to him for $11-12ea.

[Roger Wolfe]

Kastle Greens, Midland, VA.  Built by a farmer, by hand, in his "lower forty."

[Bruce Katona]

sounds like a great bit of fun to play !

[Carl Nichols]

I interviewed him for an hour for a piece I'm doing on River Bend CC. 

Any tidbits you're willing to share about the River Bend renovation? 

[Eric Smith]

http://www.keithfosterdesign.com/twigmore.html

I quickly perused the GCA Feature Interview tab...no Keith Foster.  Pity.  I'd love to learn more about the evolution of Twigmore Farm.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Carl - $14M complete redo.  Schedule to open for play late next spring; traditional looking course with smaller greens, squared off tees, firm and fast sod grown on the eastern shore by River Bend's super (that's got to be a first) and MUCH MUCH more open area (1000 trees were removed).  Old time stonewalls and handworked bunker.  The place looks fabulous.  Foster very much seems to get it and kudos to the members at River Bend who recognized a course in bad need of a redo and voted 85% to support the project.

[Jud_T]

http://www.keithfosterdesign.com/twigmore.html

I quickly perused the GCA Feature Interview tab...no Keith Foster.  Pity.  I'd love to learn more about the evolution of Twigmore Farm.

I agree that Keith should be on the short list for an Interview Feature.  The only course of his that I've played is Shepherd's Crook,  but that's only whetted my appetite to learn more of his work and philosophy....

[Phil_the_Author]

Jud,

There is a wonderful inerview with Keith Foster in a back issue of Tillinghast Illustrated. You can access it and read it at www.tillinghast.net.

Keith has an interesting hobby. He likes to spend his winters restoring old farmhouses...

[Mike Nuzzo]

Carl - $14M complete redo...  Foster very much seems to get it.

Seems high.
If that is the real price - how would that be getting it?
Cheers

His redo of Westwood here is Houston was a very big improvement.