Critics looked for minimalism and found naturalism. It blew their minds. Their loss. Nicklaus invented a new genre at Dismal which is why I claim it was just too far ahead of its time. We are catching up post by post.
Jeepers JakaB - get on a plane and go to the UK. A simple trip like this would prevent you from making such silly pronouncements.
Ciao
John,
I don't think Nicklaus invented a new genre. The course he built at Dismal is very much like some of his mountain designs: for example, The Cliffs at Keowee Falls and The Reserve at Lake Keowee have many of the same type holes you find at DR. The difference is that you
expect to find that type of course when you visit the mountains of upstate South Carolina. Most people who first visit Dismal are not expecting a mountain course in the middle of Nebraska... I know I wasn't. I would wager that a good many of the raters who were new to the area were shocked by the severity of the terrain. I had envisioned a links-like environment and was blown away with the mountainous nature of the property. As you know, mountain courses (for the most part) do not fair too well in national rankings, which is why I think Dismal did not get much love in the beginning. Raters who were expecting to find a "classic" course on linksy terrain had to be caught off guard. I was.
Like anything that's different from the norm, sometimes it takes a while for a new product or business to find its audience. This is what is happening with Dismal. Golfers who like traditional courses in a classic setting will not be happy with DR. Those who enjoy a rollicking course and have a sense of adventure will be overjoyed. That's is why Mac and Eric are so enthusiastic about Dismal. I would guess you are cut from the same cloth.
As for the reasons Dismal had a poor showing early on in the national rankings (IMHO):
1) As I've already mentioned... the mountainous terrain. Mountainous courses do not fair as well with a lot of raters. I think it is because a cart is almost 100% required and (IMO) a good number of raters will mark a course down if it is not walkable by "normal" golfers. I know that some on here (Patron!) say the course is walkable, but for the average golfer this just is not the case. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the 5th Major group deals with the walkability of the course this June.
2) Because of the terrain (and because the course is nearly a mile from the clubhouse) not only are carts necessary, but they must be gasoline powered carts. I'm not opposed to using a cart when required, but I REALLY dislike gasoline powered ones. The noise goes totally against everything I enjoy about golf. Sorry, but the 10-12 minute ride from the clubhouse to the course in a gas powered cart is not the best way to start your day. Unfortunately, battery powered carts would never have the torque and stamina to work at Dismal, so gas is the only option. It is just a feature that has to be over looked... yet, as we know some will have a problem doing that.
3) CJ has commented that early on the watering patterns were out of whack and a lot of the native areas were overgrown and too thick for proper golf. I'm sure this had a factor on early negative reviews. When I played there last June I didn't find this to be such a problem, and believe me, I gave it a good test!
Having to hunt for golf balls is one of the most frustrating things one can do... especially if it happens over and over on most every hole. I'm glad this problem has been fixed and is ever improving.
4) Dismal is a roller coaster ride of a golf course. This only appeals to a niche group of golfers. As I said before, if you like thrilling holes on bold terrain then you will love DR. Most of the Golfweek panelists I have met are much more "traditional" in their appreciation of golf courses. I would expect them to rate DR over-the-top in its design, which is why I think it doesn't show up on the top 100 lists. Kingsley Club and Ballyhack have the same problem. Golfers who love thrilling, rollicking courses like these cannot understand why they are not rated more highly... while those who dislike these bold designs vote against them. As my grandmother used to say, "that is why they make chocolate and vanilla." Currently there are just more chocolate lovers out there.
Finally, I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys DR that they visit Ballyhack. Ballyhack is the one course I have played that delivers a very similar golfing experience to DR. I tried to get a thread going a while back comparing the two courses... but, I must be the only person on here who has played both of them because I couldn't get anyone to participate. Maybe this summer we can try again.