"The Most Coveted Golf Architecture Commission in History"

[Phil Benedict]

Quote is from another website speaking about the 2016 Olympic's course.  What other courses are in the running for most coveted architectural assignment?  Augusta National, Cypress Point?

[Tom_Doak]

I think that's a ridiculous quote.

This was perhaps the "most coveted" commission among those which were a wide-open competition.  There aren't many other deals where we would all hump through the various hoops required to be considered.  But, if you were to ask the individual architects, most of us have had commissions we coveted more than this one; in fact, Gil might be one of the only designers in the running for whom it WAS the most coveted commission ever.

[Garland Bayley]

... Gil might be one of the only designers in the running for whom it WAS the most coveted commission ever.

I know there were 8 finalists. If there were a significant number that didn't make that cut line, it may have been their most coveted commission ever too.

[Jim_Kennedy]

It has to be the most coveted one this year.

[Sean Leary]

Tom,

I didn't read where Gil said that. Was that in one of his interviews?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Like Tom, I know I didn't covet it as much as some.  And, I can see his point - Pac Dunes or the Oly site?  If site quality and owners who let you do what you want count, I am pretty sure there were other commissions through history (even recent history) that were more coveted.

I would also agree that Gil wanted it more than others, and hear that this showed through in the quality of his presentation, overall enthusiasm, etc.  There are just enough hints out there that the Tour Pros were just a bit (and only a bit, but enough to swing it Gil's way) blaze in their approach.

So again, another reason it went to exactly the right firm.

[RJ_Daley]

It is the one that will never come in this lifetime, and the one commissioned by whatever is your higher power. Try, try and try again, you'll never be awarded that commission, on this planet.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

This was perhaps the "most coveted" commission among those which were a wide-open competition.  There aren't many other deals where we would all hump through the various hoops required to be considered.  

Will the "humping through various hoops" portion of the competition be featured in Golf Channel footage?....you guys must have really wanted that job. j/k Tom!

I think that quote is crazy as well....Has there ever been job that was open to more people then this?

[Jim_Kennedy]

The quote comes from Alan Shipnuck, a sportswriter from SI,  not from Gil Hanse.

 

[Terry Lavin]

We're all happy for Gil Hanse, but this is the apogee of hyperbole.

[Anthony Gray]

  How many of the great courses were open to a contest?

  Anthony

[Terry Lavin]

  How many of the great courses were open to a contest?

  Anthony

Probably not all that many.  I'm sure Tom Doak can answer that, but if he does, it might be interesting to hear his brief discourse on how Mike Keiser went through the process of hiring the architects for each of the four courses.  That wasn't a "contest" or a "commission", but I'm dead certain that every great architect wanted a chance to build a golf course on that land for that man.

[John Kavanaugh]

History ain't as long as it used to be.  Shipnuck's quote sounds like something he tweeted.  I had to quit following him.

[Ian Andrew]

It was well covered, but its not even in the running.
This will not be an easy build, the site's average, the expectations are lofty and there is ton of politics to make it very complicated.

Ask the architects here and I bet the third or fourth course at Bandon would have been far more coveted than the Olympic Course.
I would rather have a great site than a location that will host an event.

[Anthony Gray]

  The Olympic job or the Bandon property.....which would an architect want more?

  Anthony

[George Pazin]

It was Shipnuck, that's all you need to know.

Terry, I believe Mike discussed it in Dream Golf. I'd loan you my copy, if I had any clue which one my friends had it.

I don't know if it was mentioned on here, but in the brief interview on Morning Drive, Gil indicated that he was moving to Rio, with wife and youngest daughter. That'd rule me out! Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[Mac Plumart]

Gil might be one of the only designers in the running for whom it WAS the most coveted commission ever.

Usually this is the person that gets the job. 

[Peter Pallotta]

History ain't as long as it used to be.  Shipnuck's quote sounds like something he tweeted.  I had to quit following him.

Yup.

Sadly, though, it'll have legs: we can all imagine a film maker 15 years from now (or it could be next week) using the line as the sub-title for the (inevitable) documentary.

Imagine the interesting jump-cuts between what was happening/what Gil was thinking back then, during the bidding process, and what is happening/what he is thinking about it "now", in 15 years time (or at least, next week).

Of course, part of this is envy:  I envy Shipnuck's ability (and willingness) to write lines that get talked about.  I can imagine myself thinking that line (maybe), but I can't quite imagine myself sending it off to print.   

[jeffwarne]

I'm thinking he accidently hit the "t" key when he was aiming for the "r" (when typing the word "coveted")
Now THAT would be accurate.

[Brad Klein]

One of the reasons Gil landed the job is that he openly collaborates, shares credit, listens to others and acknowledges the expertise of others and the role his colleagues play. That's not a common trait, certainly not here.

I have no idea how hotly coveted the Rio 2016 was by the applicants. I'll still stand by what I wrote in Golfweek, that this was the most highly publicized golf course design competition the game has ever seen.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

i would think most architects have a job at some point which was most coveted to them. Each professional can look at job gotten or jobs lost which shaped their futures from there.The fact this one was so public makes it great to discuss or looked at as Brad framed it.

[David Harshbarger]

Whether it is the most coveted or not, for a pure GCA, not a former Pro, this commission is above the fold obituary material, IMHO.  While I wouldn't think this would be the capstone to a career, none-the-less, the as Tom pointed out, the Olympic brand is universally strong, and Gil has their imprimatur now.

As I'm sure all of you know, explaining GCA to casual acquaintances is an exercise in Boorishness.  Finding shorthands to tie in our love of GCA to their world is helpful, if nothing else to keep the boorish outbursts brief.  In the real world, someone who has been selected as the _______ architect to design the Olympic  _________ venue is immediately recognized as a person of achievement.  That halo will never leave Gil, and to the extent it creates an avenue to make GCA more relevant to those not smitten, we should use it, and Gil, and his work, and like work, as a touch point of relevance.

[Melvyn Morrow]

‘Most Coveted’ or will it turn out to be a ‘Poison Chalice’ thanks to the fickle nature of the golfing press and interference from the governing body?

Tom D, I would say thank the golfing Gods for your salvation and rather lucky escape    

Melvyn

[Scott Macpherson]

That quote is a bit overboard, but it may have done what it intended... and create discussion.

The project is great news for Gil and his team. I suspect though the competition was close, with some of the master plans being quite similar (can you skin a cat more than 8 ways?), and the presentations not a million miles apart. So why did they choose Gil? Only those on the committee will know the answer, but I suspect enthusiasm may have been a key factor. Did any other Principal involved in the final 8 teams say they would move to Brazil with there families to build the course? That's a BIG call – a vote winner perhaps... and I applaud it. We all know that the best courses are built on the ground... not from Masterplans. If more companys were less focused on producing plans and more focused on spending time on-site I like to believe the golf courses being built would be of a higher standard.

scott

[Geoff_Shackelford]

It is a ridiculous statement by Alan. After all, only one of the eight architects used a shot of Rio on the cover of a Christmas card!

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