As fate would have it, a man outside of Philadelphia named Tom Paul became hooked on golf course architecture around the very time that GolfClubAtlas.com went live from Australia. Our two paths have been intertwined ever since with one famous result being the creation of the most epic poster in the history of posting. No matter where a golf trip took me, the two most asked questions were 1) What can you tell me about Tom Paul? and 2) Is Pat Mucci really that big of a XXX?
Though we all know the answer to question 2
, the answer to question 1 has not received its proper due until now. True for most people of his generation, Tom took up the study of golf course architecture at a relatively late age. Prior to that, he was a very active amateur, playing in as many as 40 events per year, either in the northeast or Florida depending on the season. At his playing best, he cared little for golf course architecture, focusing entirely on the swing mechanics and maintaining a deft short game. However, his interests began to change for good when he became involved in working out a land swap arrangement between Gulph Mills GC (which his family had helped found) and several hundred acres known as Ardrossan Farm with the Montgomery Scott family. Tom’s attempt to help orchestrate the move of a long established private club is a little bit like Don Quixote jousting at wind mills – and equally as noble as he was but a ‘HaHa’ away from actually pulling it off! I saw the plans that Bill Coore and he developed for Ardrossan Farms when I went on tour of the property with Tom nearly a decade ago. Hard to call something that never happened a loss but if something could qualify as such, Ardrossan Farms is it as it would have been a very special design.
Though Gulph Mills stayed put and the hopes for a course over the rolling terrain at Ardrossan Farms collapsed
, Tom was forever hooked on golf course architecture. He played less and less and studied architecture more and more. As an example, in November 2002, he hit it to ten feet on the first and second holes at Garden City GC playing with our host Pat Mucci and me – and then picked up!
He just wanted to walk and study the architecture, unencumbered by the need to play on his first visit to GCGC. The look on Tom’s caddie’s face was priceless as he feared he had done something to upset him. Indeed, the caddie wasn’t sure as to proper protocol – carry the bag for sixteen more holes for someone who wasn’t playing or prop it up against the tree behind the 2nd green and grab it while playing 18?
No surprise
but Tom’s Feature Interview is voluminous in nature with the old adage of ‘It takes me a thousand words just to clear my throat’ happily being applicable. Thus, we are presenting it in two parts. Part Two is architecture centric and will be posted later this month. Based on how the we arranged the questions, Part One is only four questions and alternates between parts Wodehouse and Waugh. Sloughs who like to play with their shirts untucked and a baseball cap on backwards will probably roll their eyes at the last question ‘Is golf still a game for gentlemen?’ However, if you are the sort that instinctively removes your cap when you walk under the covered porch at Merion, you’ll appreciate the subject matter and Tom’s historical take on the evolution of the landed gentry such as below:
“I feel the ideal of a gentleman, or at least the concept of the “ideal gentleman” emanated from another concept known as “Noblesse Oblige” which is probably even less understood today. It revolved around the philosophy that if you were one from that “fortunate class” you had a moral responsibility to help mankind in some way or at least to treat all mankind with a certain degree of equanimity and fair-mindedness. I’ve always been fascinated by etymology and my (“English”) English teacher at St. Mark’s School was of the opinion that one of the etymologies of the word “snob” was an acronym that derived from the application process into clubs at “Public” schools in the UK (which were ironically the most private of schools). When those little boys of those schools selected applicants or candidates into their school’s social clubs, it was expected that the applicants practice the manners and philosophy of “Noblesse Oblige” (equanimity and fair-mindedness towards all) and if they did not they would be blackballed with the designation SNOB next to their name which was an acronym for “Sine Nobilis,” the English translation being—-without nobility.
The ethos of the world of my great, great grandparents, great grandparents, grandparents and parents, and in the vestigial world of that ethos I grew up in, a gentleman was still considered to be someone who treated all Mankind equally whether they were a president or a pauper, a cobbler or a king, a lord or a servant. However, in my own generation I did notice that ethos had definitely become diluted and the representatives of it had become increasingly defensive and frankly for more snobbish than their ancestors. My take on that evolution, or devolution, was that, compared to their ancestors, they had simply become increasingly insecure about who they were and what others thought of them.”The very subject of golf as a finishing school for gentlemen fascinates me as without golf, men would have far too much time on their hands. Given that evil lurks everywhere, it wouldn’t be long before the very fabric of our society unwound! Standing between us and certain destruction is golf. A bit dramatic perhaps ... or is it?!
Since Tom offers such a unique social perspective, we would be remiss not to seize on the opportunity to discuss some of the fundamentals that ultimately shape both the sport and society. Few people could weave as effortlessly folks as disparate as the polo player Tommy Hitchcock, Ralph Lifschitz of other Polo fame, William Wilberforce, Disraeli, Tony Duke, and Tom’s grandfather’s partner J.P. Morgan into their answers as Tom has done. In the process, Tom reminds us that the original founders of the vast majority of great clubs did so to provide a place for like minded people to gather and have fun, NOT to make a quick buck.
By circumstances of birth, Tom is in the enviable position of having free time to do as he pleases. He contrasts sharply to those of us who have elected to go down the path of being independently poor
, courtesy of 100+ too many lavish golf trips. Importantly, he elected to give freely of his time to various amateur golf organizations including the GAP and the USGA. Many an impromptu gathering has been held at his barn in regards to golf course architecture with the Gil Hanse gathering memorialized on You-Tube on the GolfClubAtlas Facebook page. Along with the Emperor in California, the discussion of golf course architecture is as near and dear to this man’s heart as any person in the world. His two part Feature Interview combines a heart-felt take on society’s values and how they ultimately shape the golf playgrounds coupled with an intense knowledge of architecture.
Tom and I have spent countless hours on the phone, the conversations of which helped shape the nature of Part One. Hope you enjoy Tom’s singular take as much as I always do and stay tuned Part Two where the full breadth of his knowledge and historical interest in golf course architecture compressed into the past ~ thirteen years will be on display.
Cheers,