Max Behr Golf Architect

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Max Behr is admired by many for his theoretical views on golf architecture. Was he as good an architect as he was a theorist?

[Rick_Noyes]

Does a golf course have to be built or just designed to be considered golf course architecure?

[TEPaul]

If Max Behr's greens are anything like his writing style I would imagine they would be extremely hard to read. And if his overall courses and architecture were anything like his writing I would imagine they'd take years to understand. But if and when you ever did understand them--well, then, you as a golfer would have arrived at the very epicenter and everlasting essence of the game of golf!

Excluding Rich Goodale and Pat Mucci, of course.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom, It is sad that the only thing we have to go off of now is pictures, and not very good ones at that, to show Behr's works. There just isn't enough on him, and just my luck, probably wasted-away in the bottom of one of the local dumps is probably one of the greatest of all time, manuscripts written on the game .

Hacienda is so far-gone, and it is getting even worse since the addition of a ridiculous fairway bunker that existed, as well as soem shaping by a "new to the business" shaper that has made the ninth green complex look like Seth Raynor had desigened it.

Also, I can't forget to mention that the GREAT Award Winning Golf Architect, Theadore "Ted" Robinson has done MUCH work at the course.

Montebello GC which was Behr's only public course is a complete shadow of its former self, with only the original routing left. that work was had a steady flow of Award Winning Golf Architects too, the last being MacKenzie Specialists, Rainville and Bye, from just a couple of years ago.

Rancho Sante Fe has been further destroyed by Perry Dye.

There are more.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom, By the way, I forgot to mention that from what it looks like to me, that Billy Bell oversaw construction of most if not all of Behr's designs.

I'm going to try to get over to Oakmont CC in Glendale on Thursday and see what is left there.

[TEPaul]

"There just isn't enough on him, and just my luck, probably wasted-away in the bottom of one of the local dumps is probably one of the greatest of all time, manuscripts written on the game."

TommyN:

What does that mean? What manuscript of Behr's? Tell me where that local dump is an I'll be there like a pig rooting for truffles.

[TEPaul]

TommyN:

There must be some photographs of some of his original work somewhere. Do you have any or have you seen any? I think I've only seen one photograph in one book of a green that was Behr's. Geoff says he thinks he may have had more of an influence on Mackenzie than has been previously recognized. Did Thomas and Behr know each other well or ever do anything at all together? Behr was a helluva player too you know.