There is no doubt that Tom Doak deserves this job so much. This will certainly be a golf course to rival anything built in the last 25 years or possibly ever.

Congratulations Tom.

Somebody should make a documentary.

Mahzel Tov!

Very good suggestion, Tom Paul. I must assume though, Doak's way ahead of you!

Congrats Tom. And, amidst all of the simple congrats, I have to ask, have you and Jack had any type of a previous relationship?

If not, it's good news to me, indicating Jack actually pays attention to what's going on in golf architecture these days. I mean, otherwise, he probably wouldn't have agree to collaborate.

This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting projects to go ahead in the history of golf architecture. All the best,

Tom,

Let me add my congratulations as well. A.W. Tillinghast wrote, "Long Island, particularly out near its end, appeals to me as one of the most fortunate sections imaginable for golf course creation, or probably it would be much better to say - course development from natural creation... As Findlay Douglas once remarked to me - 'There are thousands of natural golf courses out toward Montauk Point.' And I know he was right."

What a privilege you have to design and build where great architects of the past desired to and could not.

Hmmmmm . . . . . . That is a lot of ego for one project. . . . . There is hope however, because Mayacama works very well. Maybe Jack is improving. It is just hard to envision how the ultimate maverick outsider is going to work hand-in-hand with a man known to be extremely sure of his opinions.

The challenge of buidling a course to stand up to the two next door is a daunting one. If I were the owner, I would put Jack's name on the project and tell him not to come back until opening day.

Tom, while you are at it, maybe it is time for somebody to restore Southampton CC.  With a Raynor pedigree, there is plenty to work with and you and your fellow magicians will be on-site anyway.

Good luck . . . . . may Jack be busy with other things.

The whole approval process of this project has been textbook stuff and very well documented in the Southapton Press and in the public hearings.

The environmental issues were huge, but a sensible and pragmatic approach to them has meant that this project was approved in record time. There are no environmental issues remaining and this is all on record with Southampton Town.

The property was purchased some time in the middle of 2001 and the project has already been approved by the town. No mean feat anywhere, let alone in a place as difficult as Southampton.

One environmental group stated during the hearings that this project will be held up as an example to the world as to how to do things and could change peoples attitudes about turf maintenance worldwide.

I would guess that Tom Doak's minimalist approach was very well received by the environmental community also.

Tom P and Adam, I really think this would be a place where a fellow like Ken Burns (or his now expanded team of documentarians) could begin a fabulous series on GCA.  They could then use the new project and its relationships to Long Island to look back at the history of GCA with retrospectives to the beginings at NGLA and Shinny, and the lost Lido. Does anyone doubt that this would be fascinating public broadcast viewing fair regardless of if you are a nut case on GCA like most of us?  If Burns & Co., could do it with baseball and expansion bridges, he sure as hell would have enough material with all the historical stuff available on GCA history.  And, he'd have George Bahto to consult with to boot!

Ed.

I don't know how Tom Doak will rate this, but for a raw piece of land, Bayberry takes some beating. It may be superior to National and Shinnecock for that.

Does anyone have an overhead photograph of Bayberry?

Ed.

I don't know how Tom Doak will rate this, but for a raw piece of land, Bayberry takes some beating. It may be superior to National and Shinnecock for that.

Does anyone have an overhead photograph of Bayberry?

Islander2,

The raw land is probably better, with large frontage on Peconic Bay and the smaller Cold Spring Bay, but it has some issues:

1. It has been stated that the golf is limited to 100 acres, is that total or cleared land ?

2. Are they going to be limited in clearing trees? You can see from Scott's aerial that it is filled with trees for the most part. The Town of Southampton has some very strict rules on clearing trees. Over near The Bridge where I used to have a house, 5 acre parcels of land can only clear 15% of the property for houses. Rees Jones was obviously limited by the amount of trees he could clear and it did not help the project. They also more open vistas to start with at The Bridge because of the raceway. Do you know the specifics of how much they can clear?

3. It is flatter terrain, but that may be a good thing.

I think we should let Doak & Nicklaus do their jobs before we launch the course into the Hall of Fame. Tom clearly does not need a PR person here at GCA, are you the PR guy for The Nicklaus Organization?

I have no doubt that Tom will achieve his often stated goal of building the best course that the land will yield for his clients.

RJ, interesting idea. Interviews, pictures, film (new and old), music.... It is art isn't it?

I suspect after this is done it will be even clearer where the worlds best golf is, to bad we don't have a longer season.

I was compelled by the client to wait until today to officially confirm this, but the rumor is true:  Jack Nicklaus and I are going to co-design the Sebonack Golf Club on the Bayberry property next door to The National Golf Links of America.  We are hoping to start on the construction early this summer.

This collaboration will only work well if everyone involved remembers to put the project first, instead of worrying about "who did what."  Consequently, I'm not going to have much to say about the latter subject during the course of this project, or afterwards.  For now, here's what I've had to say as part of the press release:

It’s hard to imagine a project bigger than this one.  We’re starting with the kind of property every architect dreams about, with perfect sandy soil and a lot of frontage along the bay.  Creating a great golf course is the first and only priority.  It is an honor to be working alongside Jack Nicklaus, and I’m sure I will learn a lot from picking the brain of the greatest golfer ever.  And if we’re ever short of inspiration, we can peek across the fence at two of the best golf courses ever built.  I can’t wait to get started!  

Tom:
Let me add my congratulations and wish you the best with the project.  Don't let Jack use any range finders.(Grin)
Best
Dave

Tom:
Congratulations.

I suggest we could name this "The Golden Doak era of Architecture"

Dick

Sounds like an awesome opportunity......I'll peak across the fence at you this summer!!!