Feature Interview with Jim Goff & Mark Mungeam is posted

[Ran Morrissett]

Golf has had a dearth of good news over the past few weeks   so it is with particular pleasure that we post this month's Feature Interview which is a happy news story of a man giving back to a game and community that he loves.
 
While Jim Goff may not be a familiar name, he is doing exactly what many of us wish we could: buy a course in a beautiful setting unmarred by outside disturbances and set about enhancing the playing experience. In this case, Jim and his architect Mark Mungeam are improving Waubeeka Links in the Berkshire Mountains outside of Williamstown by improving the strategy of the holes in a variety of ways.
 
As a graduate of Yale, it is understandable when Jim says ' I hate vanilla' for he appreciates that golfers like to be challenged and to be given the opportunity to accomplish something. He is looking at each hole critically all the while balancing the need for strategy with the fact that this is a public course that already enjoys a loyal following. Push the envelope too far and some locals will become disenchanted with the severity.
 
As detailed throughout the Feature Interview, good work has already occurred and the introduction of a much improved seventeenth green complex with a boomerang green in 2010 is a sure sign that the best days for Waubeeka are ahead.



The players and spectators at this intercollegiate fall match were appreciative of the work that has already taken place at Waubeeka.
 
Hope you enjoy this joint Feature Interview with Jim and Mark.  

Cheers,

[SL_Solow]

I had the good fortune and great pleasure to work with Mark Mungeam on the renovation of Briarwood in 2001.  We have retained Mark as a consultant so I have been able to maintain our contact as well as our friendship.  I believe that he is one of the truly underrated talents in golf course architecture.  In particular, on renovation projects, Mark has a way of making changes which add to a hole without making it appear that the hole has been "redone".  When a new hole is added, it often becomes one of the best holes on the course.  Those who have played the 14th at Briarwood know what I mean. Additionally Mark is a real pleasure to work with and at least in our case brought in the job under budget and on time. I now have another reason to sneak over to western Mass. when I am in Boston.  Thanks for the interesting interview.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Waubeeka has always had the reputation for good, relatively fast greens and a friendly management. I think that at times
the course has suffered from being unfairly compared with it's neighbor, Taconic. I say that in the same context as the recent comparison of Aiken CC to Pacific Dunes.
I'm happy to see that someone with a vision for improving it is the new owner. It's a beautiful spot, very convenient to get to, and it has always been fairly priced.
Good luck to everyone at the club and keep up the good work.


edit: good interview, too!

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Am I missing something here, why the sticky topic?

[Jeff_Mingay]

“It is amazing what can be accomplished when it does not matter who gets the credit.” (John Wooden)

What a great quote; one that resonates with me, based on my experience at golf course design and construction.

Very cool.

[Cliff Hamm]

Great to have another New England course to look forward to playing.  I have posted before about the superb job that Mark did at Connecticut National (formerly Putnam).  He maintained the corridors and most greens and yet the course went from off the radar to one of the best values in the region.

[Garland Bayley]

Am I missing something here, why the sticky topic?

I think all of Ran's topics should be sticky topics until he decides they have been up long enough.

[Doug Wright]

A great story and a fine interview. I played Waubeeka only once--back in the late 1960s shortly after it opened. I remember it was a really beautiful course in a beautiful setting with the creek and white birch trees galore. Congratulations to Jim Goff for living the dream!

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Am I missing something here, why the sticky topic?

I think it's sticky because the topic stays at the top of the discussion group list. All other topics with more recent postings lie underneath it.

[Norbert P]

Thanks again Ran for another fine installment.  This type of project is something I dream about for a special place that I've golfed for years.  I salute you, Mr Goff, for jumping in with both feet and doing it.  Love over gold, indeed.

   Onward Rocinante !


BTW, I just ordered the "Secrets..." book you spoke of.

[Ronald Montesano]

Where's Sancho?

If you'd like to see a bunch of unlabeled photos of the course in 2008, go here:

http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/Waubeeka%20Golf%20Links/

[Willie_Dow]

Wasn't this course owned by Crane paper company, for its employees ?

[Ken Fry]

Wasn't this course owned by Crane paper company, for its employees ?

The Cranes were involved in Wahconah CC in Dalton, MA not far from Waubeeka.  Wayne Stiles did a routing for 18 holes in the late 1920's with 9 opening in 1930.  Geoff Cornish finished the other 9 working off of Stiles original plans in 1959.

I grew up in Pittsfield and played Waubeeka often.  Thank you Ran for a wonderful interview with Jim Goff and Mark Mungeam.  I spent many an afternoon playing Waubeeka with my Dad.  The vistas of the surrounding mountains and the enjoyment of the course made for wonderful father-son times.

It's been about 25 years since I've been back and the 9's were reversed when I use to play but the photographs demonstrate some wonderful improvements.  I'm looking forward to a return trip to experience the new 17th and 18th holes.  The old 8th and 9th holes, as I played them, were pushovers.  8 was a very short and reachable par 5 and 9 was a very short par 4.  Now, it looks like a great deal of character was added to both holes challenging players to execute a well thought out strategy.

Congratulations and thank you to the Goffs for going beyond saving a fun golf course to greatly improving its future.

Ken

[Jim_Kennedy]

Ken,
What a nice place to share with your Dad.
About Waconah, I think that Rowland Armacost worked with Geoffrey Cornish on the second nine. RA's hand is everywhere in W. Mass.   

[Ken Fry]

Ken,
What a nice place to share with your Dad.
About Waconah, I think that Rowland Armacost worked with Geoffrey Cornish on the second nine. RA's hand is everywhere in W. Mass.   

Jim,

You are correct.  Armacost is credited with quite a bit of work around Berkshire County including Waubeeka.

Ken

[Tim Gavrich]

Very cool.  Waubeeka was the site of my first victory in a junior golf tournament.  I shot a cool 88-82 at the age of 10 to claim victory in a PJGT event there.  Sure, I was one of two kids in my age group, by who's counting? 

[Jim_Kennedy]

Played Waubeeka today and I think they did a really nice job with the new work that was done, along with what I believe (it's been a while since my last visit) has been some freshening up to other parts of the course.

A few favorites:
 
#10, a 230/197/170/148 yd. par 3 with a perched, well bunkered green that's open in front to accept a running shot. The green is the 'right' size for a hole of this length.

#11, a 420/369/315/282 yd. par 4 that reminds me of Taconic's 13th,i.e., slighthy downhill tee shot, fairway sloping away to the right, then an uphill approach.  I ended up in the 8' deep greenside bunker and needed to carry my shot 25 yards or so the the pin that was located on the back 'tier' (a very subtle tier).

#16, a reverse Redan like par 3 of 162/145/120/105 yds. Two distinct tiers split the green in half but the upper one has shoulder like qualities that will funnel the ball towrd the lower half.


The Superintendent, Greg Tudor, has the course in great shape. The greens were firm and reasonably fast, but not overdone, and the same goes for the fairways. The Head Pro, Ryan Callahan, is a very friendly young man and has the shop in fine order.

The new owner has chosen wisely with these fellows and the improvements that he has commissioned have really added a nice flair to an already solid golf course.

Almost forgot, it's very affordable.