True Blue & Caledonia

[Bill_McBride]

My Goodness, True Blue is a hoot!

Finally played True Blue today, and Eric and Mike Whitaker are on the money. Just fun heroic golf shots that look hard and play easier.

That is how I found MPCC Shore, playd much easier than it looked. In evidence I mention that this beautiful course was the scene of my last time to break 80! Mike Stranz was a genius at hiding the actual width of the fairways.

[Tom_Doak]

I'll begin with: Mike Strantz was a genius.

To me, Caledonia stands out as different from his other designs.  It's more subtle.  Feels older.  Gives a nod to the status quo without ever betraying his architectural priorities.

Still, it's unmistakably Strantz.

Wish he'd been given more time.

Wade:


I'm not sure if you know this, but Caledonia was Mike's first solo design.  That makes it probably more his than anything he did afterward. It was very restricted in terms of acreage, which is one of the reasons it feels older, but also the reason why his creativity there never seems over the top ... the same is true of Tobacco Road.  I'm not as big a fan of some of his later courses, where the shaping is amped up and the approach shots are much longer.


I still haven't seen True Blue ... I think I've only been back to Myrtle Beach once or twice since he built it.  It's been quite a while!

[Mike Sweeney]

I still haven't seen True Blue ... I think I've only been back to Myrtle Beach once or twice since he built it.  It's been quite a while!

A fancy guy like you probably can't see the heroic shot here on #4:




but the staff there is all world. In addition to having a fun course, they let my Special Needs son caddy for me without hesitation:

[Erik J. Barzeski]

A fancy guy like you probably can't see the heroic shot here on #4:

Great hole. Two putt birdies both times I've played it, too.    But even if you can't go for it in two, the layup isn't a no-brainer.

I've taken my college (DIII) team there the last two spring breaks, and we've made a day of playing Caledonia/True Blue in amongst the typical Myrtle Beach courses. I kind of hide the expense from them as those courses are about 2x the cost of the others we play, because I know in the end they'll be glad to have played them. And, so far as I can tell and from what they've said, they have been.

Our only real gripe is that we can never see our tee shots off the first tee at Caledonia because we tee off at about 8:00 and the sun is very low and directly into us in early March. 

[Wade Whitehead]

I'll begin with: Mike Strantz was a genius.

To me, Caledonia stands out as different from his other designs.  It's more subtle.  Feels older.  Gives a nod to the status quo without ever betraying his architectural priorities.

Still, it's unmistakably Strantz.

Wish he'd been given more time.

Wade:


I'm not sure if you know this, but Caledonia was Mike's first solo design.  That makes it probably more his than anything he did afterward. It was very restricted in terms of acreage, which is one of the reasons it feels older, but also the reason why his creativity there never seems over the top ... the same is true of Tobacco Road.  I'm not as big a fan of some of his later courses, where the shaping is amped up and the approach shots are much longer.


I still haven't seen True Blue ... I think I've only been back to Myrtle Beach once or twice since he built it.  It's been quite a while!

Tom:

Is it possible that Mr. Strantz contemplated a more traditional first design so that he wouldn't scare everyone away with the creativity/craziness/vision/signature evident in his subsequent work?

I know he was down there shaping bunkers at Legends Parkland.  Do you remember spending any time or conversation with him when you were designing Heathland?  Not sure of the timeline on that project, but it would be really cool to discover an old photo you two on property together.

WW

[Tom_Doak]

I know he was down there shaping bunkers at Legends Parkland.  Do you remember spending any time or conversation with him when you were designing Heathland?  Not sure of the timeline on that project, but it would be really cool to discover an old photo you two on property together.

Mike was not around when we were building the Heathland course; I think he was still working for Tom Fazio at that point.  And he didn't get involved in the Parkland course until after Gil and I had bowed out.  That was while he was waiting for Caledonia to happen.  A couple of the guys that Gil and I had helping us as shapers for the Parkland course wound up working for Mike on several of his courses.


I spent time with Mike on two occasions:  once in Tom Fazio's office, when I visited there in early 1986; and once when we both spoke at some sort of conference [I think for the superintendents' association] in Myrtle Beach, in the mid to late 1990's.  I don't know if anybody has a picture from the second time, I am sure they don't from the first time.

[Jack Carney]

They must have put a bunch of cheese in the courses over the last fifteen years. The only thing I really remember is hitting a solid sand wedge to the front of hole nine green and the ball came to rest twenty feet or more over the green. That thing bounced about eighteen feet high and no - it did not hit a sprinkler head.

[Michael Whitaker]

Tom,

Mike was working on the grounds crew at Dunes West Golf Course when you and Gil parted company with the Legends group. His wife had pushed him to leave Tom Fazio so he could spend more time at home with his two young daughters.

When Larry Young went looking for someone to finish the Parkland course he was given Mike's name by the area Toro rep, who knew of Mike from Dunes West. They also remembered Mike from his time at Wachesaw Plantation while working for Mr. Fazio, so they called him. He agreed to help with the course if he could guarantee his wife he would be home every night.

The Youngs put him on their payroll and he began making the round trip from Mt. Pleasant to Myrtle Beach every day to work on the course. During this time a group of property owners in Pawleys Island approached Larry about building them a course adjacent to their fishing club location (Caledonia Fish Club) as they had been turned down by several architects who said they didn't have enough property to build a course. Mike toured the property and suggested that if they purchased a strip of land adjacent to the main drive a good course could be built. This strip became became the first hole.

When Mike designed Caledonia (his first solo design) he was working for Larry Young. He did not yet have his own company, he was just an employee of the Youngs. He went on to design two more courses for the Youngs, Stonehouse and Royal New Kent, then went out on his own and started Maverick Golf Design when he got the commission to design True Blue.

I think Caledonia has its "reserved" look because it was the first course Mike created after his time with Mr. Fazio and because he was not truly in business for himself. It feels more like a Strantz/Fazio blend. After he created the two courses in Virginia for the Youngs (who encouraged him to be very bold) he was commissioned by the Caledonia owners to build "the most difficult course in Myrtle Beach." They wanted a course for the low handicap golfer, thinking that was a niche that could be filled. What they didn't consider was that very few golfers in general are "low handicappers" and an even smaller percentage of the Myrtle Beach visitors are accomplished golfers. They originally advertised True Blue as golf's "Heaven & Hell," beautiful... but a ball-buster.



It didn't take long for the majority of customers to let the owners know that they didn't enjoy being bashed all day and, when business at True Blue took a severe drop, they decided to soften the course... which is what we have today.

Mike was originally on board for the changes that were to be done, but pulled out before the work actually began... stating that he didn't agree with the changes and would not participate. The changes were then executed under the direction of Donald O'Quinn,  who was the original head of development for Charles Fraser on Hilton Head Island and involved with the construction of all of the Sea Pines courses. Mr. O'Quinn was chosen for this project because he was a close friend (and frequent fishing buddy) of "Doc" Lachecotte, one of the Caledonia/True Blue owners. The result is the course we play today.

There used to be a thread with specific details (including photos) of all the changes to True Blue, but it seems to have been deleted.  Don't know why Ran would have deleted it... it was some good stuff.

[BCrosby]

Great stuff Mike. Thanks for taking the time to write up the history.


We need to retrieve the old thread you reference re: details of the changes to True Blue. Except here at GCA, I doubt that information exists anywhere else. I worry all that will be lost to history. True Blue and Mike Strantz deserve better.   


Ran, anything we can do? 


Bob

[Michael Whitaker]

Bob - I hope Ran can resurrect the thread. It was a hole-by-hole detail of the changes with photos. There was a lot of work put into it... shame it is no longer available.

Here is the old link: http://golfclubatlas.com/forums2/?board=1;action=display;threadid=19512;start=50

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Bob - I hope Ran can resurrect the thread. It was a hole-by-hole detail of the changes with photos. There was a lot of work put into it... shame it is no longer available.

Here is the old link: http://golfclubatlas.com/forums2/?board=1;action=display;threadid=19512;start=50

Is this the new link?
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,19512

The changes seem to be on page 4.

The URLs changed, but the threadID is still the same. So I just copied the old ThreadID into the new URL format.

[Michael Whitaker]

Bob - I hope Ran can resurrect the thread. It was a hole-by-hole detail of the changes with photos. There was a lot of work put into it... shame it is no longer available.

Here is the old link: http://golfclubatlas.com/forums2/?board=1;action=display;threadid=19512;start=50

Is this the new link?
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,19512

The changes seem to be on page 4.

The URLs changed, but the threadID is still the same. So I just copied the old ThreadID into the new URL format.

That's it, Erik. Well done! The list of changes starts on Page 3, Reply #67.
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wade Whitehead]

Michael:

Thanks for your fantastic reply.  I forgot about the old True Blue thread and am glad it's available again.

I played Royal New Kent when it opened and it was far more severe than it is today.  Stonehouse and Tot Hill Farm were both softened from their original designs, too, I think.

Some features of his course were just too hard (or, probably more accurately, seemed to hard) for tourist/public golf.  I wonder if his designs would have been left alone if the courses had somehow been private.

WW

[Ryan Farrow]

Michael Whitaker
[/size][/color]
[/size]Thanks for your response, that was some great information. [/color]

[cary lichtenstein]

I'll begin with: Mike Strantz was a genius.

To me, Caledonia stands out as different from his other designs.  It's more subtle.  Feels older.  Gives a nod to the status quo without ever betraying his architectural priorities.

Still, it's unmistakably Strantz.

Wish he'd been given more time.

WW

ditto

[A.G._Crockett]

I do this every time there is a Strantz thread, I think, so here goes:

One of the common threads in families that have lost someone much too early is to look for a way to not only memorialize their loved one, but to try to find a way for some good to come out the grief.  The Strantz family is no exception, and they have two efforts that are worth considering.

The Strantz family sells prints of Mike's drawings and watercolors, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the Hollings Cancer Center.  These are high quality prints that make great golf gifts; they're so good, in fact so that my wife lets them hang in our study.  My wife is an artist herself, so trust me, that is high praise indeed for these prints!  A watercolor of the 18th at Caledonia hangs over our TV, so it must be pretty good, right?

Here's a link:
http://www.mikestrantzdesign.com/strantzgallery.html

Also, there is a yearly golf tournament to raise money for the Mike Strantz Endowment for Cancer Research; it had been at Tot Hill Farm until last year, when it moved to Caledonia.  Last year, it was in late May; don't know if a date has been set for 2018 yet or not.  Mike's widow and daughters are usually all at the event, and are just the most gracious hosts you can imagine.  Here's a Facebook link to that event, though not current for 2018; if interested, you might watch for updates.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1727714944186247/

Finally, I'll say another thing that I always say in these threads.  My favorite day of golf each year is a 36 hole day that starts at True Blue at 8 in the morning, includes lunch at Caledonia after the morning round, and concludes with a round at Caledonia so that we are playing into the 18th green as the sun sets over the marsh behind the clubhouse adjacent to the green. 

I've done this each summer for a number of years now, and I never fail to be amazed that the same guy could build two courses that are literally across the street from one another and yet are so completely different in every aspect.  He truly was an artist; nobody else's golf courses put a smile on my face like his do.

[Kalen Braley]

AG,


Thanks for the post.  I've only played one course of his MPCC Shore, and it was indeed a pleasure!


I don't know how Stranz will be remembered in time, but based on pics I've seen of his other courses, he's got to be at the top when it comes to artistry...


P.S.  I could envision a Stranz GCA event given he has so many courses in relative close proximity on the East Coast.

[Tim Gavrich]

A two-day, 72-hole Strantz event could be conducted just in the Pawleys Island area, as you could do Caledonia & True Blue on one day, and Wachesaw Plantation & Heritage Club the other day. Around the time he was building Caledonia, Strantz overhauled the green complexes and bunkering at Heritage. Players would get a full dose of Strantz's originality the first day, then a great sense of his influence when not the main architect the second day.


FWIW, the Mike Strantz Memorial tournament was one of the highlights of my golf year in 2017.

[James Brown]

There is no easy comparison of Caledonia and True Blue; if you didn't know that the same guy had built both courses, IMO nobody would guess it in a million years.

Seriously?

Just because they are built at different SCALES does not make the STYLE impossible to discern.  I would know a Mike Strantz course in a blindfold test, probably even before you took the blindfold off!

Seems like a good invitation for someone to set up a name that architect challenge with a bunch of obscure holes from less notable courses.

[David Druzisky]

Had the pleasure of playing True Blue last week while visiting our daughter in Charleston.  First time I've been able to play a Strantz design.  I really enjoyed it a lot.  Very fun round, especially off the tee.  Plenty wide and accommodating landing areas which considering it was only my 2nd round this year, I appreciated.  Loved the angles and set-up.  We played from white markers (group decision) and it did play sorta short from there for me even with how little game I brought to the table. Good stuff and I look forward to playing across the street at some point.
One thing though is the bunkers and waste areas bunkering were really in rough shape.  Not sure if that's a pandemic thing, just bad timing on my part for some reason, or a money issue but many are washed out and edges eroding/failing.  Considering the type of rain they get there I am sure those dramatic bunkers are not cheap to maintain as intended at all times.  Down the middle it was great with the greens just super.
I can see the Fazio heritage in his work there for sure.


Sorry no photos.  I'm trying my best to keep the phone put away when I get the chance to play.


I enjoyed Michael's history post above about the progression of Strantz's work in the area etc.  I can't recall, did Mike live in Charleston/MtPleasant?

[Stewart Abramson]

Photos of True Blue and Caledonia from 2007-2018


Caledonia 2007-2018: https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157632025028848

True Blue 2011 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157632005174806

True Blue 2018 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157691788921582





Caledonia #18  approach



True Blue #18 apporach

[Amol Yajnik]

Had the pleasure of playing True Blue last week while visiting our daughter in Charleston.  First time I've been able to play a Strantz design.  I really enjoyed it a lot.  Very fun round, especially off the tee.  Plenty wide and accommodating landing areas which considering it was only my 2nd round this year, I appreciated.  Loved the angles and set-up.  We played from white markers (group decision) and it did play sorta short from there for me even with how little game I brought to the table. Good stuff and I look forward to playing across the street at some point.
One thing though is the bunkers and waste areas bunkering were really in rough shape.  Not sure if that's a pandemic thing, just bad timing on my part for some reason, or a money issue but many are washed out and edges eroding/failing.  Considering the type of rain they get there I am sure those dramatic bunkers are not cheap to maintain as intended at all times.  Down the middle it was great with the greens just super.
I can see the Fazio heritage in his work there for sure.


Sorry no photos.  I'm trying my best to keep the phone put away when I get the chance to play.


I enjoyed Michael's history post above about the progression of Strantz's work in the area etc.  I can't recall, did Mike live in Charleston/MtPleasant?

Strantz did live in the Mount Pleasant area.  His cancer treatment was in Charleston before his passing.

[A.G._Crockett]

Once again...

Prints of Mike's drawings of various holes at various courses are available from the family; google "Mike Strantz Art Gallery".  They are excellent quality, suitable for framing, and good enough so that my wife, and artist herself and no golfer, allows me to hang them in plain view in our home.

Better still, a portion of the proceeds goes to the Hollings Cancer Center.  With the holidays approaching, consider a purchase as a gift to a golfer on your list, or letting someone know about it so that they can shop for you in this weirdest of times.

Mike's drawings were a unique way of building golf holes, and the prints are a beautiful way to not only recognize that, but also to do at least a little bit of good in the world.  Give it some thought.