Why have a lot of golf course architects stopped posting here?

[paul cowley]

Why have a lot of golf course architects stopped posting here?

[Mac Plumart]

Such as...

[Jim_Kennedy]

Because most of them are in China, and stuck behind "The Great Firewall"?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I have not noticed a drop off. Mike Young, Jeff Bauer, Tom Doak and Mike Nuzzo have always been active. I am sorry if I forgot to mention a few other very active guys. However there are many who read but do not post for various reasons.

[John Kavanaugh]

What was most interesting were those who posted when they thought they could crucify Ran over the MacWood fiasco.  Where have they gone?

[Peter Pallotta]

I hear there's this girl down around Austin, and, well, she's got a thing for architects...and, you know...

I'm amazed anyone in the business posts.  Imagine if this was a discussion board about open heart surgery, and a heart surgeon posted on a new technology, and we started shouting him down: "Sell out!! That's not surgery! The old guys used to operate with just a rusty scissor and two screw drivers..."  

Peter

[Mark Bourgeois]

Comedy gold, Pallotta -- gold!

[Brock Peyer]

It could be that they are busy looking for work or possibly working second jobs...

[Kalen Braley]

Jim Engh was on for a bit.  I must admit, I'm embarrased the way he was treated by some...

[Ronald Montesano]

I know that Scott Witter had to leave the biz as a full-time enterprise...he is our local guy and is working as an engineer for a firm nearby. I'm sorry to hear that Jim Engh was treated poorly...who has the right to do that?

I guarantee that if we had a bunch of parents on a listserv who critiqued my teaching style, it would grind my gears...oh, that's right, they're called "helicopter parents."

[Garland Bayley]

Because with the recession there are fewer GCAs than there used to be?

[Bill_McBride]

Why have a lot of golf course architects stopped posting here?

I played Shell Landing with my wife and another couple Saturday and wanted to ask you about the 9th and 17th holes there, which, as far as I can tell, are unplayable for ladies with skills less than Natalie Gulbis.  What's up with that?

The Saturday was saved by Tony Bennett's performance later that night!  OT - anybody who has a chance to see the 82-year-old Tony should not miss the opportunity, great, great show at the Beau Rivage.

[Garland Bayley]

Why have a lot of golf course architects stopped posting here?

I played Shell Landing with my wife and another couple Saturday and wanted to ask you about the 9th and 17th holes there, which, as far as I can tell, are unplayable for ladies with skills less than Natalie Gulbis.  What's up with that?

...

Because they get called on the carpet here?

[Mike_Young]

I don't think it 's just architects....there is just a different content on here presently..not much interest me and so much of the stuff I read is just pure golf dork stuff....when nothing is being built then there is not as much to talk about and when it is being built in countries where most will never see it and the maintenance conditions will never be up to par....well..you just sort of take a break....there will be less and less golf architects....or at least people making a living from golf design....

[Mike_Young]

Why have a lot of golf course architects stopped posting here?

I played Shell Landing with my wife and another couple Saturday and wanted to ask you about the 9th and 17th holes there, which, as far as I can tell, are unplayable for ladies with skills less than Natalie Gulbis.  What's up with that?

...

Because they get called on the carpet here?

Garland....BS...I don't think so....1500 guys 24 million golfers..cheers....

[Chris Burgard]

Hi Paul,

Maybe I have not been paying enough attention lately, but there still seem to be a number of architects who still post here frequently.

Other fine contributors that I can think of who have posted in recent months besides those previously mentioned include:

Paul Cowley
Mike DeVries
Tim Nugent
Lester George
Ian Andrew
Kelly Blake Moran
Mike Clayton
Tim Liddy
Neil Crafter
Jim Urbina
Ryan Farrow
Brian Phillips
Dick Kirkpatrick
Forrest Richardson
Jeff Mingay
Robin Hiseman

I am sure that I have missed some.

A number of architects who post infrequently, only seem to post in order to defend their designs, or when they have a project to promote. Those who continue to post seem to have a genuine interest in adding to the conversation.

As a serial lurker, I will say that there are not many practicing archies who no longer contribute that I can say that I miss their participation. However, there are a few that I wish would post more than they have recently....Paul Cowley being one of them. 

Chris

[DMoriarty]

Jim Engh was on for a bit.  I must admit, I'm embarrased the way he was treated by some...

The only ones I recall treating Mr. Engh badly were his "friends" who essentially set him up by pretending for so long that he was something that he really wasn't. If anyone else was rude to Mr. Engh I'd love to see those posts because I don't recall it that way. 

[paul cowley]

Hi Paul,

Maybe I have not been paying enough attention lately, but there still seem to be a number of architects who still post here frequently.

Other fine contributors that I can think of who have posted in recent months besides those previously mentioned include:

Paul Cowley
Mike DeVries
Tim Nugent
Lester George
Ian Andrew
Kelly Blake Moran
Mike Clayton
Tim Liddy
Neil Crafter
Jim Urbina
Ryan Farrow
Brian Phillips
Dick Kirkpatrick
Forrest Richardson
Jeff Mingay
Robin Hiseman

I am sure that I have missed some.

A number of architects who post infrequently, only seem to post in order to defend their designs, or when they have a project to promote. Those who continue to post seem to have a genuine interest in adding to the conversation.

As a serial lurker, I will say that there are not many practicing archies who no longer contribute that I can say that I miss their participation. However, there are a few that I wish would post more than they have recently....Paul Cowley being one of them. 

Chris

Good post Chris....It just might be that I have not been here enough to realize who has.

Oh, you missed Brian Curley.

[paul cowley]

Bill McBride

My apologies to the ladies! I was responsible for most of the routing but not the day to day. The course, as I am sure you noticed, has a large quantity of wetland "fingers", that when combined with permit restrictions and the need to provide for...no compete for...enough real estate acreage to make the development economically viable necessitated a few forced carries. We normally shy away from forced carries that do not have a safe alternative path for the short hitters, but Shell Landing is an exception on the two holes you mentioned.

Let them know they can choose from either an autographed swamp tupelo fruit this fall from my river swamp sanctuary, or a drink on me at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach if we can figure out how to get our schedules to collide.

[Bill_McBride]

Bill McBride

My apologies to the ladies! I was responsible for most of the routing but not the day to day. The course, as I am sure you noticed, has a large quantity of wetland "fingers", that when combined with permit restrictions and the need to provide for...no compete for...enough real estate acreage to make the development economically viable necessitated a few forced carries. We normally shy away from forced carries that do not have a safe alternative path for the short hitters, but Shell Landing is an exception on the two holes you mentioned.

Let them know they can choose from either an autographed swamp tupelo fruit this fall from my river swamp sanctuary, or a drink on me at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach if we can figure out how to get our schedules to collide.

Thanks, Paul, we could see it was unavoidable. Kathleen was chuckling when I read your note!  The Red Bar is a great spot, do you get there often?  Let us know!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Guess I don't count with Chris....

Good to see David Moriarity now telling us he knows who Jim Engh "friends" are, that they "essentially set him up" and of course, were "pretending for so long that he was something that he really wasn't. "  I guess David seer powers don't just apply to the olden days!

That said, I agree with him in that I don't recall Jim getting treated badly here.  When he wasn't posting, some of his courses got pegged by a few individuals as overshaped and over drained (if such a thing can be true) by using pictures that showed nary a catch basin in the photo, but nonetheless were held up as examples of bad catch basin useage.

And, I remember that one because I got tainted in the same thread!

Back to the original question - its because they are saner than I am.  Really, people in this business have no reason at all to post here. Period.  Those who do, like me, simply happen to like the medium, much like everyone else who posts here.

[Brett_Morrissy]

Jeff,
You were mentioned in Tigers reply #3 - which Chris mentioned in his.

[Brett_Morrissy]

I for one hope you all continue to post here, the more information, knowledge shared, questions answered from the people in charge or at the coal face, the greater the understanding of what it is all about will continue to spread and hopefully help grow this amazing thing called golf.

[Jud_T]

And Frank Pont.

[Ben Voelker]

Randy Thompson is another one.