Phil Mickelson 'designed' courses

[Thomas Dai]

What do folk reckon of the courses 'designed' under the Phil Mickelson badge?

I'm curious to know what folk think as it seems to me that someone who can win majors with 2 drivers in the bag, or even no driver in the bag, and normally carry's a 64* wedge seems like the sort of person who could come up with some pretty different kinda designs.

All the best.

[Pete Lavallee]

Thomas,

Do you really think the courses designed under the "Mickelson badge" are designed by Phil?

[Carl Nichols]

I think that's why he put "designed" in quotes.

[Thomas Dai]

I think that's why he put "designed" in quotes.

No Pete, I don't think that, which is exactly why Carl is spot on. And that's exactly why my use of the the word designed was in 'quotes'.

Admittedly from a great distance he seems like an interesting character,, highly intelligent and with a rather different approach to the game, equipment use being one example, which was why I was wondering if the design business, or any of the courses, that have his name attached to them, exhibit any well, unusual/unique design/construction/maintenance characteristics that have perhaps percolated from him to the others in his 'team'.

All the best

PS - I should have mentioned it earlier, but it was a terrific victory for him in The Open at Muirfield, on a great course and one playing F&F as well. Well done PM.

[Lester George]

Gary Stephenson did Whisper Rock.

Lester

[David_Tepper]

The Whisper Rock course designed under the Mickelson brand has generally gotten good reviews.

http://philmickelson.com/whisper-rock-golf-club/

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Whisper Rock was with anarchitect, but I know that Phil was there quite a bit before and during construction and had walked the property several times before they came up with a routing.  He seems to be a target for those who are envious, but he is a true golfer who posseses a passion for everything golf.  Years ago when playing with him, a good several holes were spent discussing how bottlneck bunkering took strategy away and made for brain dead golf.  He understands how angle of attack matters to good architecture--you will find that at Whisper Rock. Phil oftentimes takes one day during tournament week to go play an architecturally interesting course with Bones.  At some point he will help create some courses that are worthy of major GCA discussion.

[Thomas Dai]

Robert,

Thank you for this. Most interesting what you have to say, especially your mention of him and Bones taking time off during a tournament week to play an architecturally interesting course nearby. I wonder which ones they've play? It would be very nice, one day sometime in the future, to hear of them playing not just the obvious candidates but some of the perhaps lessor older/unique/different/eccentric courses built in the UK in yee olde times, places like Painswick, Kington, Perranporth, Cullen, Minch' Old, and others of a similar ilk elsewhere around the globe too. Fun places but with architectural merit to them as well. I wonder what they'd make of them? Played not with 14 clubs though, more like with say 6 clubs, a putter and no lob wedge! I hope he and his team follow your prophecy and one day do create courses that are worthy of major GCA discussion. In the meantime, it'd be nice to see him win some more tournaments, especially this side of 'the pond'. His support of the Scottish Open has been appreciated, so glad to see him win it this year.

All the best.

[Tom_Doak]

Robert,

Thank you for this. Most interesting what you have to say, especially your mention of him and Bones taking time off during a tournament week to play an architecturally interesting course nearby. I wonder which ones they've play? It would be very nice, one day sometime in the future, to hear of them playing not just the obvious candidates but some of the perhaps lessor older/unique/different/eccentric courses built in the UK in yee olde times, places like Painswick, Kington, Perranporth, Cullen, Minch' Old, and others of a similar ilk elsewhere around the globe too. Fun places but with architectural merit to them as well. I wonder what they'd make of them? Played not with 14 clubs though, more like with say 6 clubs, a putter and no lob wedge! I hope he and his team follow your prophecy and one day do create courses that are worthy of major GCA discussion. In the meantime, it'd be nice to see him win some more tournaments, especially this side of 'the pond'. His support of the Scottish Open has been appreciated, so glad to see him win it this year.

All the best.

Thomas:

Don't confuse Phil Mickelson with Tom Watson.  Now that he is more comfortable with links golf, Phil may start exploring other links courses prior to the Open, as he did this year by playing at Castle Stuart, but there was a large group of pros who took side trips to Ireland or Scotland before the Open a few years back -- even Tiger Woods -- but Phil was not among them.

I know Phil and Bones went to play Stone Eagle 4-5 years ago before the Bob Hope.  Never heard what he thought of it.  It's pretty short for somebody like Phil.

There's a new project I've been pursuing where one of Phil's representatives stopped in to throw their hat into the ring as possible designers.  With a quoted fee of $5 million, their proposal did not go so far.  The only way this project works is if the whole course comes in below that number, as it should.

[Mike_Young]

Perhaps the word should be changed from "designed" to "marketed".  That would be a more appropriate description for most professional golfer affiliated courses.  When I read most architectural comments from these guys such as the "bottleneck bunkering " comments etc I realize these guys are just throwing their catch phrases out there and in reality they have never had the time to "work" at learning design.  Now this is not to say they may not have an organization with qualified people but that five million dollar fee is not for that qualified person's expertise.  JMO