Earlier this year I had the chance to sit down and talk with Jack Nicklaus (who was on Vancouver Island) for an interview. The topic of Sebonack came up, as did his take on seeing sites created by his peers. I found his comments interesting, especially when it came to Doak and strategy:
Do you think you bring something unique to golf design because of your experience as a player?
JN: Let’s put it this way, Tom Doak is not necessarily a golfer. Let’s just say I don’t think he understands what a golf shot should be. That’s not a criticism. He just doesn’t know. And that’s what I bring to a project. That’s why Sebonack turned out to be a nice golf course, because most of the strategy there is what I did. Most of the look I let him have because I like that look too. It is the combination of putting those two things together that make it work. Tom did a beautiful job of that and it turned out to be a very nice golf course. But I’ve now done that. Frankly I learned from that and I think you learn from that any time you do something like that. It is the same every time I play at St. Andrews. I always say, ‘Gee I’d like to do more things like St. Andrews.’ Every time I play Augusta I say I’d like to do more courses like that. Same with Pebble Beach. You are influenced by everything you see and do. There’s nothing new. It is just how you apply it.
His other interesting remark was about not going to see Sand Hills, which has been discussed here before, but here's a direct quote on the subject:
ScoreGolf: Are there any current golf designer’s you consider peers?
JN: I think Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, aesthetically do a very nice job. I think Tom Doak does a nice job aesthetically. But as that relates to design, I don’t worry about what anyone else does. I don’t think I’ve even gone to see someone else’s golf course in the last 20 years. What I’ve done is my own stuff, strictly on my own plan. My competition is the land.
I find both remarks extraordinary. First, I don't think there's any indication pros have the pulse of what makes a golf course strategic, but that said, I've not been to Sebonack. But if his logic rings true, then many of the best golf designers in history also don't "get" strategy.... of course there are also lots of pros that have created awful courses.
The second remark is more bothersome. I know there are lots of demands on Nicklaus' time, but I think one risks irrelevency if one doesn't pay attention to the best work being done in their profession. I know I try to read writers that I think are outstanding and I constantly learn from them. The perception must then be that Jack feels there is nothing he can learn from other designers -- which is interesting considering his work with Dye, Cupp and Morrish.
I know Doak has been careful not to be critical of Nicklaus as Sebonack was finished and opened -- but apparently the Golden Bear isn't holding fast to that rule.