[Mike Hendren]

(or more likely about me) that a Doak course on the coast that hasn't even opened draws 147 replies and 2249 views while a profile of Ron Pritchard's restoration of a Donald Ross design in flyover country has drawn 9 replies and 266 views (admittedly during a shorter period of time).

Wondering, not whining.

Bogey

[Tom_Doak]

Mike:

I would guess that has about 5% to do with me or Ron Prichard, and 95% to do with the difference between a public-accessible course in Bandon and a private club in Kentucky.

But, if I've underestimated the above, more power to me!

[Garland Bayley]

Hey Bogey,

When is the last time you saw Donald Ross post on this site?

 

[Anthony Gray]

  Simply put it's press. I am familiar with Bandon but have never heard of the other course. Tom Doak has expressed his views on some of my comments but the other guy Donald Who?

  Anthony

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,

Slag Bandoon's equally intriguing "Wine Valley" thread is suffering a similar non-brat slippage down the page, despite similarly captivating pictures as yours.

On a related Prichard-note, I've played Jeffersonville a few times recently and I always marvel at what  tremendous job he did there.    I hope I don't offend too many purists when I say that the course today is certainly better than what Ross built originally.

[Phil Benedict]

Mike,

I actually considered a similar thread on this obsession with Old Macdonald, which is sort of the Brad/Jen/Angelina of GCA.  It's weird.

[John Kavanaugh]

Where and when a round of pipicaca ping pong breaks out has nothing to do with the architect.  The OM thread would have been better with one third the replies.

[Kalen Braley]

Forget those two chop-liver courses....how about the back 9 at Bonneville? 

Its way more available to the common joe golfer than anything at Bandon and far cheaper at $27.   

[Jordan Wall]

Michael,

If that says anything about the site it is simply that people are taking advantage of being able to interact with a very successful architect (Mr. Doak), who has proven with past designs that his courses are great. 

Why would Old Macdnald be any different, and why not take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity to engage with the architect?

With respect to each course, I'm certainly intrigued more by Old Macdonald then any redesign in Kentucky.

Cheers,
Jordan

[Garland Bayley]

Kalen,

Which Bell? Elder or Younger?

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,

Which Bell? Elder or Younger?

Ummm, not sure, I'll defer to mike.  The info I found just said William and Bill....

[Garland Bayley]

Kalen,

Which Bell? Elder or Younger?

Ummm, not sure, I'll defer to mike.  The info I found just said William and Bill....

And you think we should discuss it over Doak, Ross, or Pritchard?!?!?!?
You don't even know who done it.

[Tom Huckaby]

I don't think there's any obsession with Old Macdonald... it's just that many have been to Bandon and few have seen Idle Hour.  It's tough to comment much more than "gee that looks cool" on a course one has never been to, no matter how nice the pictures are.  Though obviously very very few have seen the OM golf holes as constructed, many have seen the site and played the other courses.... making comments natural.

On top of that, George Bahto asked a valid question which spurred a line of posts that might bother one malcontent, but proved interesting to me and a few others.  On top of that Doak himself chimes in, which as Jordan says does add to the interest.

So I'm not sure this makes any great comment on the site, Mike - though I understand it must be frustrating to you having gone to the trouble of posting all of this pics.

Thanks for doing that in any case.  It does look very cool to me.  And enjoy your time with Trojan retreads.

 

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike - partly it's me, partly it's you. For my part, I can't post knowledgably about either Idle Hour or Old Macdonald, but it feels less embarrassing to spout off about a course that hasn't opened yet; for your part, that was a very fine post with much specific detail on IH, so there wasn't much to add. 

Peter

[Kirk Gill]

To show how truly lame I am, I opened the Idle Hour thread thinking that it was going to be about something that Donald Ross did with a spare hour that he had at some point - perhaps a picture of him reclining on a hammock with a glass of lemonade.

I loved the pics.

[Eric Smith]

 And enjoy your time with Trojan retreads.

We will!

[Tom Huckaby]

 And enjoy your time with Trojan retreads.

We will!

Though he's off to a rocky start thanks to Spurrier, I do think you will.  Lane can coach, and the Raider experience will benefit him. More importantly he sure as hell can recruit.  It will be a bit different in the SEC, but USC hasn't exactly stuck to CA for players so he'll be just fine there also.  You ought to have high hopes.  It's just a drag that schedules are set so far advance as a USC/UT game is a natural now...

Now back to golf, sorry for the tangent.

TH

[Tom_Doak]

Bogey:

What does it say about this site that THIS post now has almost twice as many views as your real post about Idle Hour?

[Anthony Gray]

  The H E double hockey sticks with golf , I love the ping pong.

Anthony

[Mark Bourgeois]

Mike

As measured by interest on this board, Donald Ross courses in the South generate interest ranging from mild to none at all.

The advice here says if you've got pictures of a Ross in the South, expect as few as 0 replies or don't bother.

Remember though you are posting for the youth of today's generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterwards.

[Mike Hendren]

So I'm not sure this makes any great comment on the site, Mike - though I understand it must be frustrating to you having gone to the trouble of posting all of this pics.

 

Tom et al, I am not frustrated in the least.  In fact I should devote more time on this site contributing to architectural discussions (and less cracking half-witted hillbilly references), particularly where/when I have something to share that perhaps others have not seen.   Moreover, Idle Hour's professional encouraged me to post the photographs and comments and I share his opinion that this course has significant architectural merit, regardless of the faithfulness of Pritchard's restoration (which appears to be the genuine article to this non-expert).  

Tom Paul's "big world theory" resonates along both coasts and in places in between where sexy bunkers dot thrilling landscapes.  Not so much where Ross brilliantly routed a golf course on a topographical map and his "farmers" dug it out of the ground in flyover country.  

Cheers.

Mike

[Bill_McBride]

Mike,

I actually considered a similar thread on this obsession with Old Macdonald, which is sort of the Brad/Jen/Angelina of GCA.  It's weird.

There is really something for every GCA.com fan at Old Macdonald -- NGLA, Charles Blair Macdonald, redans, biarritz, Short, George Bahto, all that really cool early American golf history, and THEN you get into the whole Bandon thing which is the most accessible of all the great modern American golf.

And then the Doak thing with all of our favorite courses.....

So this fascination for members of GCA.com is really not that hard to grasp.

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike:

Fair enough.  I just don't believe you can make a strong argument that lesser posts or views about Idle Hour means "Tom Paul's "big world theory" resonates along both coasts and in places in between where sexy bunkers dot thrilling landscapes.  Not so much where Ross brilliantly routed a golf course on a topographical map and his "farmers" dug it out of the ground in flyover country."

I continue to believe the explanation is far more what I stated before, and which others have explained also.

But I'm glad you're not frustrated in any case.

TH

[john_stiles]

Mike,

I'm not sure why you even worry or care.

Enjoy what you will, post, and don't give it a second thought.

Oh, and give thanks to Ran.

John

[Mike Hendren]

John, looking forward to teeing it up with you Saturday.  I'm just having fun here and hardly worried.

I do believe we can be consumed here with the next big thing far afield when there are real gems right in our back yards (or at least within up and back in a day distance), and I'm as guilty as the next. 

Consumerism is the culprit.

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