Who is the most underrated architect of all time?

[Dan Herrmann]

In his review of Huntingdon Valley, Ran wrote, "For no good reason, William Flynn has become the most underrated architect in the game’s history. Now that it has become fashionable to sing the praises of Seth Raynor (and well-deserved the praises are), Flynn is mysteriously overlooked in discussions of the noteworthy designers."

After playing and examining HV, Rolling Green, Lancaster, Lehigh, and others, I think I agree that William Flynn is indeed the most underrated golf course architect of all time.   

I'm curious to see who you think would be the most underrated GCAs of all time.

[Phil McDade]

Tom Bendelow.

For this crowd, I don't think you could call Flynn under-rated. His work is generally appreciated around here.

[mike_malone]

 Dan,

   I think Flynn has a very high percentage of his courses in the Golfweek Classic 100 . He has 10 of the top 100 and I think his designs number fewer than 50.

[Dan Herrmann]

Phil - good page on Tom Bendelow:  http://thesandtrap.com/b/profiles/tom_bendelow  Thanks for bringing him up...

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Yes, I think we all agree that Flynn was world-class, but many who don't concentrate on GCA would have little idea of who he is. 
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Mayday - that info kinda shores up my point.  He has 10% of the best, but is mostly unknown outside the GCA community as a whole.  Most every golfer knows Ross, MacKenzie, and Old Tom, but few know Flynn.
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PS - I'll pitch another underrated architect - Stanley Thompson, who, outside of Canada, tends to be almost invisible in the mind of today's world of golf.

[mike_malone]

" Unknown" and "underrated " may be the distinction here Dan. The average person likely doesn't rate Ross or MacKenzie they just heard of them. The Golfweek panel is all about rankings so I see their assessment as a high level of recognition. Many who play the top Flynn courses for the first time may not even ask "who designed this course?" but most all of them say " Wow! this is a great course!".

[Lou_Duran]

Underrated and unknown, without a doubt, Ralph Plummer.  Great ability to build challenging courses which have stood the test of time on poor sites and with poorer budgets.  He was the type of architect and course builder that would fit well in today's difficult golf environment.

[Mitch Hantman]

This obviously depends on how you define underrated.  For gca'ers?  or the general public?  

Add William Langford to the mix, for the general public at least...

...or Joe Burbeck?

[Phil Benedict]

Aside from MacKenzie, because of Augusta, and possibly Pete Dye because of Sawgrass, what other architect has made it into the generral golfing consciousness?  Ross?  RTJ Senior?

[Bill Shamleffer]

James Foulis is worth considering.

[Ronald Montesano]

Underrated by which audience is the key...

Ask the common person to name 10 building architects, 10 landscape architects, 10 bridge architects, and you'll get little in return.

Remember how long everyone assumed that the turtlebacks of Pinehurst #2 were a Ross trademark?

Golf course architecture is not a recognizable field...many golfers have no idea who designed the course on which they find themselves.

One can determine who gets the most press...does that correlate to rated, overrated or underrated?

Are we speaking of living or dead? The dead have less chance to promote themselves, I'm told.

Food for thought on a Friday afternoon...

[Anthony Butler]

If it's not Jim Urbina, it might just be Tom Doak. 

[Jason Topp]

Langford is a solid candidate.

[michael damico]

Tom Bendelow.

 

[Jeff_Mingay]

Vernon Macan, who literally spread a proper understanding of golf in the Pacific Northwest through his revolutionary work beginning in 1913, but is essentially unknown elsewhere... and, still, in some golfing circles in the Pacific Northwest? 

[Garland Bayley]

Vernon Macan, who literally spread a proper understanding of golf in the Pacific Northwest through his revolutionary work beginning in 1913, but is essentially unknown elsewhere... and, still, in some golfing circles in the Pacific Northwest? 

I was wondering how long it would take you to post this. I didn't want to steal your thunder by going first.

[Sean_A]

For me it is hands down, no questions asked, no brainer - Herbert Fowler.  Fowler was more daring as a true minimalist designer 100 years than any pretender today.  He actually practiced what he preached in building courses which relied on the terrain for their interest, character and challenge.  I think it a shame that his style(s) of architcture didn't become the prominent influence that Colt's was.

Ciao

[Marty Bonnar]

God/Mother Nature/Time/Natural Geological processes/Weather/SHEEP!!!
Pick any one/two/three of the above list and you win the goldfish.
F.

[Dan King]

Marty Bonnar writes:
God/Mother Nature/Time/Natural Geological processes/Weather/SHEEP!!!

I'd add whisky (or whiskey) and Eddie Hackett to your list.

Cheers,
Dan King

The list of those he [Eddie Hackett] was significantly responsible for is enough to make his CV the envy of any course designer. Moving down the west coast of Ireland, from North to South, the list reads: Ballyliffin; Rosapenna; Donegal; Enniscrone; Carne; Connemara; Ceann Sibeal; and Waterville.
 --Rihc Goodale

[mike_malone]

 Possibly we could say Flynn is the least recognized of the truly great designers.

[Ben Stephens]

Willie Park jr

[Ryan Farrow]

FLYNN
FLYNN
FLYNN

He is on the same level of Mackenzie Ross Tillie CB & Colt...... but rarely mentioned in the same sentence. He's the East coast version of George Thomas, only better.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Charlie Hunter

[Jeff_Brauer]

Slightly different take, but wouldn't it be one of the many career staffers under the biggest name gca's?  Guys like Marzolf, Lipe, Rulewich, Knott in modern times, and some of Ross staff in the old days.

BTW, I guess we have never even heard of other Golden Age staff members, but there must have been some, no?  Did Mac actually do the artwork on his plans, for example?

[Ryan Farrow]

Slightly different take, but wouldn't it be one of the many career staffers under the biggest name gca's?  Guys like Marzolf, Lipe, Rulewich, Knott in modern times, and some of Ross staff in the old days.

BTW, I guess we have never even heard of other Golden Age staff members, but there must have been some, no?  Did Mac actually do the artwork on his plans, for example?

Jeff, are you serious? What does artwork have to do with golf courses? You mean't Mackenzie's guys like Robert Hunter and Alex Russel, right? not the guy who colored the plan?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Herbert Fowler and Eddie Hacket are tough to beat.

The major problem I see in putting forth old tyme GCAs is survivor bias; by and large the their less-worthy designs go NLE, leaving an unrepresentative sample.

So for me it's one of the classic guys who didn't design too many courses but hit sixes / homers when they did, people like Abercromby or HCC Tippet.

For my money but possibly for sentimental reasons I will say John Low and Stuart Paton, just for what they did at Woking. No matter how much praise is heaped I don't think it's possible to give full appreciation to what they did there. Of all the inland courses I've played in my life it's the only old course that feels modern (by which I mean a "20th Century" course).