GCA story of the year: 2010

[Dan Herrmann]

What do you think will be 2010's golf course architecture story of the year?  

Will it be an exciting restoration, the bottoming-out of the recession, shifting of GCA work to Asia?   Will it be turf science/environmentally related?    Will it be exciting new historical research?

What say you?

(Personally, I think it'll be the opening of Old Mac)

[PCCraig]

Hasn't already been the opening of Old Mac?

[Dan Herrmann]

Pat,
Old Mac officially opens in June..

Let me rephrase the question - on Dec 31, 2010, what story will have been the biggest - the one that'll stand out over time?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Dan,
I would say the shift to Asia will be remembered for a long time, as that 'storyline' was related to the same one that affected golfers and non-golfers alike.

Actually, I think it might also be the biggest story in '11.

[Anthony Gray]

   I would say "GET TO KNOW GARLAND BAYLEY".

   Garland Bayley

[Jud_T]

Kingsley moving up with a bullet in the GD ratings thanx to Matt Ward's efforts! .  Or Old Mac.  

[Tom_Doak]

For column inches this year, it will definitely be Old Macdonald.

Fifty years from now, looking back, I think the story will be the development of golf in Hainan Island, China ... even if my course doesn't get started this year.  Either that, or the guidelines produced by the Golf Environment Organization for sustainable golf development.  I'm a big enough believer in what they are doing to lend them an intern for a couple of months to help out.

[Mac Plumart]

I think the GCA story of the year in the U.S. might be the focus on maintenance via reduced budgets and how the supers adapt and adjust procedures.

As a side note, I think another story will be the disappearance of quite a few courses to reduce the number of available courses and the reduction in costs to either join a club and/or attend a resort style course.  If Pebble drops their prices, part two of this prediction is coming true.

As weird as this might sound, these occurences might actually lead to an increase in the number of golfers.  Time will tell.

[Garland Bayley]

Let me take a lark on this. Tiger continues to be repentent and announces he is dropping GCA in order to stay at home even more and mend fences.

[Peter Pallotta]

Dan- I think that, in the decades to come, what will prove to be the story of 2010 will be Old Mac.  But while its opening has one meaning now, it will have a different meaning 30 or 40 years from now. Much like Pulp Fiction, in 1994, seemed to herald a brave new world of independent cinema but 20 years on proved to be the last great gasp on interesting and independent work (before the system/corporations figured out how to co-opt it); so to, perhaps, will Old Mac (and the 4 course rotation at Bandon) be seen as the final piece of the final retail-golfer-quality-resort-destination-model financed and built in the United States.

Sorry, a very pessimistic view, that - not based on anything at all but a gut instinct. 

Peter

[Chris Buie]

The restoration of #2 by C&C would have to be one of the main GCA stories of the year, I would think.
It's looking really great so far.

[John Moore II]

Dan- I think that, in the decades to come, what will prove to be the story of 2010 will be Old Mac.  But while its opening has one meaning now, it will have a different meaning 30 or 40 years from now. Much like Pulp Fiction, in 1994, seemed to herald a brave new world of independent cinema but 20 years on proved to be the last great gasp on interesting and independent work (before the system/corporations figured out how to co-opt it); so to, perhaps, will Old Mac (and the 4 course rotation at Bandon) be seen as the final piece of the final retail-golfer-quality-resort-destination-model financed and built in the United States.

Sorry, a very pessimistic view, that - not based on anything at all but a gut instinct. 

Peter

I think you are on the right track there, sad to say. But then again, who knows. There is certainly land available in the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, etc., that could be used for a golf resort if someone had enough guts to build one there. But I am not certain anyone would ever take the risk to do it. In all truth though, how many true 'destination resorts' really exist (with 3+ courses)? Pinehurst, Pebble/Monterey, and Bandon are the only ones that really come to my mind. Maybe PGA National, but they don't have a world class course like the others. I think there will be another destination resort built in America, but who knows where it will be and when.

[Scott Warren]

If Pebble drops their prices, part two of this prediction is coming true.

Is that on the cards?

I ask as someone spending three days in Monterey in October!!

[Bill_McBride]

If Pebble drops their prices, part two of this prediction is coming true.

Is that on the cards?

I ask as someone spending three days in Monterey in October!!

I don't know - a couple from our club is going to Pebble Beach for a big birthday.  She told me they are paying $3,000 for two nights in the Lodge and two rounds each on Pebble and Spyglass.  Caddies are extra.

[Dan Herrmann]

Peter - wow - that's quite a statement.  I can definitely see where you're coming from.

[Ron Farris]

It is a bit early, but the Prairie Club might be a dark horse in this race.  A lot of Star Power at Old Mac - so a foul ball would have been like a strike-out.  Two touring professionals designed courses at The Prairie Club.  No I have not forgot Gil Hanse and the Horse Course.
I think the combination of the land, the designers, management, and the ownership of The Prairie Club make it a very compelling story.
It is not a Sand Hills Golf Club, it is not a Dismal River, it is not a Wild Horse, it is not a seaside links, and it is within a few hours drive of my house - yeah.

I say this without having been to Old Mac, Hainan Island, or other compelling contenders this year.

[Bruce Katona]

The story of 2010 wil be spun around Tiger and his transgressions and if he overcame these to win a major in 2010.  While many on this site ate interested in Old Mac, John Q. Public is interested in Tiger.

Just my $0.02

[Alex Miller]

Is GCA standing for Golf Club Atlas or Golf Course Architecture in this thread? I say we focus on the latter. 

[Dan Herrmann]

Bruce,
I'm looking for GCA, not TMZ type stories

GCA - Golf Course Architecture

[Joe Bausch]

Bruce,
I'm looking for GCA, not TMZ type stories

GCA - Golf Course Architecture

Well, that pretty much ensures this thread goes no more than a page or two!   

[Ash Towe]

Old Mac for the northern hemisphere.

Lost Farms opening for the southern hemisphere.

[Guy Nicholson]

The turning of the tide away from overwatering and excessive maintenance.

[Ben Sims]

Matt Ginella and many others are doing their best to make it Old Mac.  Quite frankly, it should be.  It will be the most unique resort course on the planet and the closest many golfers will ever get to TOC, NGLA, and others.  It'll probably be one of the more polarizing courses opene in the past decade--outside of this DG.  Mr. Keiser hits homeruns, but he's never built anything like this.

The more intriguing question is, what is second?  I think it'll be the next tier of private courses that will allow public play or turn public entirely based on financial hardship.  I'm not saying that Maidstone is going to allow public play tomorrow.  But some of the second and third clubs in places like Florida, the Coachella valley, some of the newer less established clubs in the "summer" towns in the northeast; these are all looking for reduced-rate new members and may eventually be forced to open to the public.  

Third may be this new RFP "team" process in Laredo, TX.  If it "works", many other municipalities and developers may look to this model.  

[Dan Herrmann]

Looks like Old Mac will be #1.

I'll pitch that #2 will find 2010 as the year that golf catches the "green" religion.....  But for economic reasons, not necessarily because it's the right thing to do. 

Once the economy kicks back into gear, oil prices will rise.  Let's say oil gets to $120/bbl, you'll see uge increases in things like fertilizers and pesticides as well as the costs associated with routine golf course maintenance.

This will affect existing and future architecture by getting us to more of a "benign neglect" model of maintenance.

The days of slow and soggy are over (unless you ave a lot of rain, of course).

[Tim Martin]

Dan- I think that, in the decades to come, what will prove to be the story of 2010 will be Old Mac.  But while its opening has one meaning now, it will have a different meaning 30 or 40 years from now. Much like Pulp Fiction, in 1994, seemed to herald a brave new world of independent cinema but 20 years on proved to be the last great gasp on interesting and independent work (before the system/corporations figured out how to co-opt it); so to, perhaps, will Old Mac (and the 4 course rotation at Bandon) be seen as the final piece of the final retail-golfer-quality-resort-destination-model financed and built in the United States.

Sorry, a very pessimistic view, that - not based on anything at all but a gut instinct. 

Peter

I think you are on the right track there, sad to say. But then again, who knows. There is certainly land available in the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, etc., that could be used for a golf resort if someone had enough guts to build one there. But I am not certain anyone would ever take the risk to do it. In all truth though, how many true 'destination resorts' really exist (with 3+ courses)? Pinehurst, Pebble/Monterey, and Bandon are the only ones that really come to my mind. Maybe PGA National, but they don't have a world class course like the others. I think there will be another destination resort built in America, but who knows where it will be and when.

John-I think Kiawah has to be considered a destination resort and unlike Bandon you could bring your wife and kids if you wanted and everyone would have something to do.