16 at Pacific Dunes (and 16 at Bandon Dunes)

[Tom_Doak]

Ryan:  Thanks for answering my question.  That is exactly what I was trying to get at:  an architect gets to do a lot more things and take more credit on a course that isn't played much, than on one that is.  Perverse, but true.  And that's one reason Sand Hills IS a sacred cow.  They could do a lot of things differently because there wasn't any traffic to worry about.  And, you bet I took advantage of that at Barnbougle and at Ballyneal and at Sebonack.

As to your question, I would hate to do it, but if it's perceived as a major issue we could easily do some regrading work on the fairway at Pacific in order to lessen the collection problem.  The green site is so good that it really doesn't need the choppy contours in the fairway to make it a good hole.  [The first fairway has a bit of the same issue, but I would prefer to leave that, to tell the first-time visitor that he is in for something different today, and because that green really isn't that tough.]

And if I was building another linksy course that was about to be famous and get a lot of play?  Yes, I'd probably do a little more selective grading in the fairway.

[paul cowley]

Tom....I enjoyed #1 fairway contours for reasons that you have stated....they let you know right away that this is going to be not your normal experience and they work really  well....until I returned to #16 and these same contours were a little jarring, out of cinque a little, even though they share they same character of those on #1......not enough for me to ask for my money back, but it was enough for me to think about how I might soften them a touch....but then I also thought about the simplicity of leaving them undisturbed and natural....and then I went back to thinking about how I would of maybe routed the back nine differently....but to no avail [and all those thoughts cost a lot of strokes].

The course did join my rather elite list of courses that I would pay the freight to just walk without clubs [but while making air swings and adding whooshing sounds when appropriate].

....so take that Tom ...pow kablam

[Tim Bert]

I wouldn't complain if you leveled out at least a portion of the fairway.  You identify which angle leaves the easiest angle of attack (the left side from my recall) and leave a few of the bumps over there, and allow the other side of the fairway to mellow out a bit in order to compensate for the already more difficult approach.

That slight alteration might not look as natural, but I remember looking at the 16th fairway and thinking it was one of the lesser natural looking features around the course.  I was surprised to hear you say it was pretty much as is.

Now, if you would just finish up your book, then I might have known.