Thanks for all the nice comments from everyone. One of the satisfactions of this work is that you can occaisionally create something worthwhile. I do plan to have them reserve a few extra spots at grand opening next year for "friends of Keff" and hope a few of you can make it. Dan, Rick, Jeff, RJ and mayber John Conley would seem naturals.
Mike,
I just got in from a trip and I actually eyeballed the cover of the new Golf at the airport, but didn't open it up, figuring our subscriber copy would be waiting at home. Did they say what hole the picture was?
To answer your question breifly, regardless of anything else I may or may not do, I DO spend too much time at GCA!
You may recall that I was designing the Quarry when I first discoverd GCA. I asked whether to keep a blind shot on the ninth or blow through the hill. After discussions with the Owner, we blew a narrow valley through it, but you guys encouraged the blind shot!
Dan,
Until Texsport posted, I was pretty sure you hit the first shot at the Quarry the day we played. That is your story though, and I think you should stick to it.
The fourth green, affectionately dubbed the "liberty bell" by the locals was inspired by none other than a tour of TEPauls Gulph Mills with fellow archie Jim Blaukovitch. We noted the squared off green front on three, Jim said he had started doing some, and I promptly sketched a new plan for that green and faxed it up when I got home. They didn't build the green right away, seeing the straight line, and figuring it was a break line, or match line, and the other half of the plan was coming later! (Okay, that may not match Golden Age stories, but I thought it was pretty funny at the time)
Other influences were the ASGCA trip to Ireland just before design, and my observation that the dramatic spoil piles kind of looked like Ballybunnion and Lahainch. The 14th (which may be featured in Golf) is inspired by the Dell hole, although this is a par 5.
Too much to write down, but I did put up 14 installments on Cybergolf over the last year covering what I was thinking during design (or what the hell was I thinking, to some). I will say that the course slope rating came back, and we are tops in the state of Minnesota! We wanted a bit more difficult course than the first one, and perhaps overshot the mark a bit.
I am working at putting up Quarry pictures on my web site, thanks to Carol Coffey, a Canadian golf photographer. I will let you know when they are up, if you don't mind some shameless self promotion.
If you don't mind further, and more shameless self promotion, I just started a new weekly piece for them, which they will call Brauer on Design. I don't know if I can explain architectural questions any better than others, but in internet format, I will sure as heck explain them shorter! (each peice limited to about 500 words)
Tom H.,
Another name I have heard for 3 under par is Albatross, which seems especially appropriate for your friend, since the word has double meaning as something people just won't let you forget! The few times I have played Canterberry, the management does tend to place the tees well forward, because of all the native areas.
TexSport,
Actually, FB will cost about $2M more than the Quarry, owing to solid granite below, and the need to import topsoil. It is a quality course, more along the lines of the Legend at Giants Ridge. Rock ledges, more fairway chipping areas and a par four on the shores of Lake Vermillion will differientiate this course.
It also has a good Biaritz green (my first, luckily it got built before they hired the superintendent, who kids me about it) and a reachable par 5, only using the alternate, "Turbo Boost" fairway, an ode to TEPaul!
To be fair, I built a reverse slope fairway to assist driving a par 4 in Texas a few years ago, so I can't say GCA influenced that one as much as my own ideas, and the GD granite ledge. But, I didn't have a catchy name for the first one!