Video Feature on Doak & Polk Co, FL - AshworthGolf.com

[Nick Church]

I've been an Ashworth guy since my junior days.  Ashworth revamped their website & I found this video on their site...

http://www.ashworthgolf.com/episodes/72/course-architecture

I assume that Polk County, FL is the much-discussed project that also features a Coore-Crenshaw design.

[Mike Tanner]

Very cool. But what's the connection between Ashworth/golfman chronicles and Tom D? Thanks for posting, Nick.

[Jaeger Kovich]

The bit about the moisture content in the sand was pretty cool. I'll definitely have to remember the squeeze test!

[Jim Colton]

I wonder if any GCAers at the PGA Show ventured down to Polk County this week to take a peek.

[Tom_Doak]

Very cool. But what's the connection between Ashworth/golfman chronicles and Tom D? Thanks for posting, Nick.

I've known John for a dozen years.  He was trying to put a deal together to develop what is now The Renaissance Club and Archerfield in Scotland, and we did a layout for him, but his financing fell apart.  If I didn't have him on my short list of "my favorite people in golf," it was a glaring omission.  He has come out to visit us on three or four different construction projects over the years, and it's always fun to have him around and get his perspective on what we're building.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tom,

Is the sand at the site usable for your bunkering, how well will the fairway grass take to it, and what will have to be added for the greens, if anything?

[Tom_Doak]

Tom,

Is the sand at the site usable for your bunkering, how well will the fairway grass take to it, and what will have to be added for the greens, if anything?

Jim:  We will definitely use the native sand for the bunkers, although a few of them are in mixed material and will require bunker sand to be imported from another spot on our site.  We won't add peat or anything to the mix ... just some starter fertilizer to get it going.

 It was the same for our work in Bandon and Barnbougle; a bit of chicken manure gets the grass started, and after that, being in free-draining sand is a GOOD thing.  I know of other projects where they mixed heavier material into good sand, and screwed up the drainage in the longer term.

[Bill Hyde]

I thought this video was cool - well shot, not boring and technical...as an "ad guy" I think it is smart marketing, too. They did not exploit Tom, nor did they put everyone in some blatant Ashworth ensemble. They figured the people they want to talk to already know who he is (and maybe even about the project.)

However, that being said, I have yet to wear an Ashworth shirt that fits my torso without the sleeves reaching halfway down my forearm!!