Noted, in passing: Don Herfort, R.I.P.

[Dan Kelly]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/twincities/obituary.aspx?n=donald-herfort&pid=152277609&fhid=9267

[PCCraig]

I didn't know that 3M had an "employee only" golf club over in St. Paul. Has anyone played it?

What else has Don Herfort designed around the Twin Cities.

[Dan Kelly]

I didn't know that 3M had an "employee only" golf club over in St. Paul. Has anyone played it?

What else has Don Herfort designed around the Twin Cities.

I've played two of Tartan Park's three nines -- but so many years ago that I don't remember them even half-well enough to comment on them. Didn't love them; didn't hate them.

That's how I've felt about most of the Herfort courses I've played (except Dellwood Hills, which I really disliked). Here's a partial list; don't know where to find a complete one: http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-architects/don-herfort.html

Rick Shefchik and I played for many years at Oak Glen in Stillwater -- a residential course with some really good holes and some really uncomfortable ones (and some overlap among those categories).

[Jeff_Brauer]

I am doing some Master Planning at Superior National, where the original 18 holes were from Don, with a new nine added by Joel Goldstrand later.  In viewing the course, I got a new respect for Don.  His holes really laid on the land so naturally.  He could really route a  golf course on difficult property.

Granted, some of the bunkeringwas 50's style on a 1998 course, but they were in the right places.  In comparison, the Goldstrand nine suffers by being a bit over cooked, IMHO.  (Although, JG was ersponible for the great river holes.  And, he got some probably justifiable grief here for his 18th green at White Bear Yacht Club, which does stick out as not being in style.  That is just the way that generation of architects thought, I believe.

I met Don a few times at ASGCA meetings, and he was as nice a guy as you could want to know.  I noted one of his daughters had died, and I recall meeting her at a meeting as well.  Just a nice family.

[Jason Topp]

While Herfort's courses will never be held out by me as examples of greatness, many of them are wonderful affordable places to enjoy the game.  Purple Hawk in Cambridge is probably my favorite of those on the list Dan linked.

[Jon Spaulding]

Sorry to hear that. I've not seen any of his work, but 3M is a wonderful company to work for as a supplier and it does not surprise me that he was a good man.