Many of us are armchair architects, or at least we were until we realized what a tough, tough business golf course architecture can be. Shock of all shocks, it turns out that golf course architecture is not all about designing golf holes through dunesland property. In fact, the great majority of projects will be on mediocre sites and will likely be poorly funded. If someone decides to put out a shingle today, the odds are such that he will NEVER get to work on an 18 hole original design on sandy soil free of any housing considerations.
Thus it is of particular delight to post a great news story whereby architect Mike Nuzzo has been awarded and has begun work on just such a dream project.
Located in Texas, this month's Feature Interview delves into the architect's initial impressions on the pros and cons of the site, the factors that Mike thinks will make this design a success (which in part revolves around an understanding on why golf in Texas has largely failed to capitalize on its potential), the project's/course's new Green Keeper (a great friend of this site), and other topics germane to a project just underway.
Following this project as it takes shape in the months to come should be quite interesting. There is a lot of pressure on Mike as so many of the key attributes for a great course are present. Can he combine them to create a course that is fun to play time and time again? The various conservations that Mike and I have shared at GCA.com events in New Mexico, Canada, and the Dominican Republic lead me to say yes but time will tell. Hopefully, in a couple of years, GolfClubAtlas.com can have a gathering here and see for ourselves how will Mike took advantage of this great opportunity.
Cheers,