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Howard Riefs

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Bob Cupp -- RIP
« on: August 19, 2016, 12:59:45 PM »

An obit for Bob Cupp, who died today at age 76.  My condolences to those who knew him. 

http://asgca.org/news/1059-bob-cupp-asgca-fellow-dies-at-age-76
"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

JESII

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2016, 02:57:48 PM »
20 Years ago this week I was fortunate to play the US Am at Pumpkin Ridge. Had the opportunity to say hello.


My condolences to his family and friends...

George Pazin

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2016, 03:08:24 PM »
Feature interview with Bob Cupp


wonderful interview on this very site...


76 used to seem so very old. Now that my parents are that age, it seems so very young and tragic.


Thoughts and prayers, as always.
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04

Forrest Richardson

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2016, 04:46:36 PM »
Bob had apparently been fighting a battle with cancer for quite some time. I recall his comments upon being elected a Fellow of the ASGCA, in which he included several stories that were all of interest. During my illness with cancer in 2010 Bob gave me some encouraging words while we warmed up on the putting green at the Slammer & Squire Course. I will always recall his offered advice and considered it a true gift. Thoughts are with his family.
— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
    www.golfgroupltd.com
    www.golframes.com

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2016, 07:41:42 PM »
I am sad to hear this.  I talked to Bob earlier this summer -- he was very interested in The Loop, and wanted to pick my brain about how we'd done things, because he was proposing to build a reversible nine-hole course with his son for the City of Atlanta.  At the end of the conversation, I invited him to come up and walk it with me, but he told me he didn't think he could do it because he probably didn't have long left.


Bob was always very nice to me even though I was an outsider in the industry; a friend of mine worked for a while in Nicklaus' office back in their early days, and Bob was a mentor to her.  When we were building High Pointe, he and his client Stan Aldridge from Indianwood dropped in one day to see how we were doing ... by helicopter.  No cell phones back then, so we didn't have any advance warning, or any idea who was going to step out of the chopper!  But I was honored that he seemed to keep up with what I was doing, and he was one of the first architects to go play Pacific Dunes after it opened [apart from the Archipalooza crowd].


I hope the project in Atlanta gets built.  It would be a fitting last design for a guy who always thought out of the box.

Pete_Pittock

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2016, 07:44:23 PM »
My condolences to his family. Bob was the first golf course architect that I encountered when he was working on a re-design of Egan's Tualatin CC and I was on the green committee. Good presenter, listener, took time with members
and their amateur input. Certainly brought Oregon golf up a notch. Loved the game. Brought back Oakhurst Links.




Robin_Hiseman

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2016, 07:49:43 AM »
I had the great pleasure of playing Royal Melbourne West with Bob during the Architect's Study Tour to Australia in 2009. Bob's long game was a joy to behold, but he was having a bit of bother with the short putts, to say the least. No matter where he was chipping or putting from, the ball would always pull up two or three feet from the hole. You could see the strain building as he missed one after the other. It was tainting his enjoyment of a great course and his otherwise excellent play.

On the 18th hole, Bob once again saw his long putt pull up three feet short. My own putt slipped by three or four feet. It was my honour. It was a straight putt and I was pretty sure i'd hole it. I saw Bob frowning as he studied his own putt, which was going to be his last putt on the tour. I caught his attention and said, "good, good?" His face broke out into a wide smile and as quick as a flash he responded, "too damned right!". He picked up his marker, took off his cap and we laughed out loud as we shook hands on that final green. I'll always remember that moment and am glad to have had the opportunity to enjoy his company for those few hours on a great golf course.
2024: RSt.D; Mill Ride; Milford; Notts; JCB, Jameson Links, Druids Glen, Royal Dublin, Portmarnock, Old Head, Addington, Parkstone, Denham, Thurlestone, Dartmouth, Rustic Canyon, LACC (N), MPCC (Shore), Cal Club, San Fran, Epsom, Casa Serena, Hayling, Co. Sligo, Strandhill, Carne, Cleeve Hill

Tom Ferrell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2016, 01:51:34 PM »
It pains me so badly to read this.  Bob was a gentleman and a true renaissance man.  He loved so many things about life, and he saw golf - and golf course architecture - as simply another pathway to sharing great experiences. While he was working on the renovation of Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville - one of my favorite hidden gems in America - we spoke several times on the phone.  Those conversations routinely ran up to an hour. 


Bob always had time. That made him a friend to many.


RIP Bob Cupp.  You will be remembered.

Howard Riefs

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2016, 08:43:29 PM »
"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Jeff_Brauer

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2016, 11:03:42 AM »
It pained me to see that photo of his last golf course tour, thin and gaunt.  Pancreatic cancer ravages quickly and is probably the worst way to go, and in no means a fitting end to the life of a guy like Bob Cupp.  He stayed at my house just over a year ago for the Jay Morrish memorial, and looked fit as a fiddle then.  I hadn't heard until recently about his situation.

Can only add a few stories, some of which I have told before.  Brad missed (but Whitten mentions) Bob's love of model railroading.  That is why he stayed with us, so he could see my layout.  I first learned of our shared interest when paired in Scotland at Troon.  Train roars by, Bob turns to look a bit longer than most, and I ask "Train guy?"  He nods. Funnier yet, our third was Denis Griffiths, who is also similarly afflicted.  Probably the world's only three golf architect/model railroader combos, paired together.

Once at an ASGCA meeting, I got my rental car, plotted a path to the nearest train store, and walk in only to find Bob buying stuff already.  In another meeting, he was hard at work on his laptop while speakers spoke.  After break I change seats next to him, and he was going through his collection inventory.  Too funny, but I understand.

Funnier yet, (well, to me) was watching the Barclay's one weekend years ago, when they say "Stay tuned, we will interview architect Bob Cupp after the next break."  Just then, phone rings and its Bob, asking a model railroading g question.  Here he is, minutes from going on national TV, and we are talking model railroading.  I would be mentally preparing some design answers, myself!

Going back further, someone mentions the Marietta CC.  We had a project going down the street at the same time and contractor said he just couldn't get the pump station we needed to grass.  We toured Bob's project and he had his...the same model.  We always felt his fame trumped ours and he got our pump station, although its hard to confirm.

Within ASGCA, he was easy going, but had some strong opinions. He was in favor of only business heads becoming members, or at least giving them a different distinction.  (We never did that)  When  we  voted down John Fought for membership, much to his dismay, because of questions about whether he really did the work. (typical of our suspicion of former golfers.....) I was President, and out of respect for Bob, re-directed it to being tabled, and reconsideration the application next year without re-applying.   I later co-designed a course with John, and found it was 100% the right decision.

He became a good friend through ASGCA and we will all miss his easy going manner.  Hard to believe he is gone.
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Craig Van Egmond

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Re: Bob Cupp -- RIP
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2016, 03:33:00 PM »
Probably my favorite interview of all time on GCA.

Bob Cupp elevated golf architecture in the Pacific Northwest before the Bandon era arrived.

He definitely made is mark in golf and in life. RIP.

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