The course YOU wish you had built

[Peter Pallotta]

And by "you" I mean most of "us", ie not the professionals/architects on here, though they too are welcome to chime in.


Of any course in the world, classic or modern, public or private, that you have played or have only dreamed about, which course would YOU be most proud to have built and have your name associated with?


(One condition - we can't answer "The Old Course")


Peter

[John Kavanaugh]

As a father myself no course would have made me prouder to have designed than Prairie Dunes. To have my son finish what I started in such fantastic fashion is what most in a family business can only dream.

[BCowan]

Battle Creek CC and Belvedere, Genus Loci is very important to me the older I get.  The cream of the crop is Old Town.  It has had the most effect on me from a design focus, opening up my mind to different shared uses of land and possibilities especially when the AAC comes around...

[Eric Smith]

Chechessee Creek

[RJ_Daley]

That would be a golf course development plan I had for an 800 acre tract of land I located as 'potentially' on the market a few miles south of North Platte, NE a half mile from Lake Maloney.  It was as perfect for golf sand hills quality land and had frequency of roll in the topo variation as anything I have seen.  I did some negotiating and due diligence on a land purchase, or secure an option to purchase while planning and permitting would go forward, with sensible pro forma operating projections, and modes of a couple of business/management organization approaches.  I then refined what I had in a routing/concept design with one of the 'bunker hill boys'. 

But, for either fear of  too much financial risk or common sense that I was exceeding my financial comfort zone, I scraped the effort to take next steps.  I have little doubt that the course would have been as enjoyable as anything that was subsequently built in the sand hills.  This was pre-Dismal River, BallyNeal, and Prairie Club, post Sand Hills and Wild Horse; and Bayside was in construction at the time.

[Joe Zucker]

I would say the Sheep Ranch because I love to play golf.  Perhaps I could claim it says something about myself because of the cliffs and great views. But really I just like to hit a ball with a club and this seems like the perfect place to do it. And there is no end to the round other than sun light running out.

[Pat Burke]

Personally, Kingston Heath.
I would love to be able to tell people I built that course and took advantage of every positive
The piece of land presented, especially since it is a pretty basic piece of land.


I am biased.

[Tim Gallant]

Although I haven't played there, I would be proud to have said that I built the course at Royal Worlington & Newmarket. It transcends how people view a 9 hole course, provides a daily challenge for members and visitors alike while staying fun, and easy to walk (from what I've heard ).


Hopefully I will see it this year or sometime soon!

[Sean_A]

Tim


The Sacred 9 could well be my answer as well.  It is just about the most architecturally savvy course I know. 


Cavendish is another choice.  Such a cool course packed with thrilling shots. 


A third choice might be Pennard.  Another course filled with thrilling shots. 


Ciao

[Matthew Petersen]

Rustic Canyon is what jumps to mind. Affordable, good golf available to anyone.

[Jay Mickle]

Wish I had the creativity to design a Tobacco Road and backers with the courage to fund it.

[Kalen Braley]

Pasatiempo.


Fantastic location, good year round climate,  terrific routing for most part, amazing use of barrancas and the back 9 may just be the finest routing I've ever seen from a pure armchair QB perspective.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Royal County Down. I can't think of a better place to build or play.

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks, gents.
Last night I found myself asking this question (to myself), and was surprised that the first course that popped into my mind was -- like JK, but not for the same reasons -- Prairie Dunes. I say "not for the same reasons" but the truth is I'm not sure what my reasons were; from photos and write-ups I've always liked and admired Prairie Dunes, but before asking myself the question I'd never have thought that PD would top my list.  In fact, even after its name came up I still considered posting all the other more likely (or so it seemed to my conscious mind) answers: Garden City, Walton Heath, Ballyneal. But I couldn't shake the truth of the matter, which was/is that, unbidden, Prairie Dunes was the answer I got when I asked what course I'd be most proud of having built.

All of which is to say: your answers (and mine) are perhaps a significant insight into what courses we actually and most meaningfully feel connected to.  (Hence, again, my surprise at PD, which isn't a course I've even dreamed about heading out to play). And that is the kind -- the only kind -- of "top 10" list that interests me. So, just for the sake of completeness, I've compiled a list of existing courses (sorry Ben and RJ) so as to form a "GCA.com Top 10 List of the Courses We'd Be Most Proud to Be Associated With"

Prairie Dunes
Chechessee Creek
Kingston Heath
Tobacco Road
Royal Worlington and Newmarket
Cavendish
Sheep Ranch
Rustic Canyon
Pasatiempo
Royal County Down

For me an intriguing list.
Please continue posting if you'd like -- it would be nice to have a top 20 or top 50.

[JESII]

Hidden Creek


Partly because it seems so doable...






Winged Foot West...from just 50 yards and in...seems like he created the ideas with Play-Doh.

[Ronald Montesano]

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/7b/06/68/7b0668a619c04b1168db8db673846a13.jpg


I'm trying to not overthink this one.

[Martin Lehmann]

Royal Ashdown Forest.


It would be fantastic for the game of golf if new bunkerless courses would be built, instead of the numerous overly bunkerd courses with fashionable rough edges that are built these days. Don't have a clue why courses with these bunkers are called 'minimalistic'. They are highly ornamentical and barock in style.


Great architect who can design a strategic, demanding and enjoyable golf course without bunkers. Much cheaper in maintenance too.


 

[Matthew Mollica]

Some wonderful nominations in a great thread.


Tara Iti might be my answer. I can't imagine the sense of pride Mr Kayne, Tom Doak & his staff, CJ and co feel when the likes of us visit.

[David Davis]

I have an extremely cynical answer for this involving my home course which is from the bottom of my heart but I'm afraid I can't post it in public.


The more positive answers would be:


North Berwick
Prestwick
Morfontaine
Lahinch
Dornoch

[JMEvensky]

Oakmont or PVGC


Fownes and Crump (mostly) did what every armchair architect thinks they can do-- design a great golf course.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I have an extremely cynical answer for this involving my home course which is from the bottom of my heart but I'm afraid I can't post it in public.


The more positive answers would be:


North Berwick
Prestwick
Morfontaine
Lahinch
Dornoch

David  Are uour views on courses chnging?  I would have predicted more 'tough' tracks and if asked to choose one it would have been RCD.


PS   For myself I'd love to have built (assuming designed too) North Berwick.
Partly because to achieve that, I would have a wilder imagination than I do possess.

[David Davis]

I have an extremely cynical answer for this involving my home course which is from the bottom of my heart but I'm afraid I can't post it in public.


The more positive answers would be:


North Berwick
Prestwick
Morfontaine
Lahinch
Dornoch

David  Are uour views on courses chnging?  I would have predicted more 'tough' tracks and if asked to choose one it would have been RCD.


PS   For myself I'd love to have built (assuming designed too) North Berwick.
Partly because to achieve that, I would have a wilder imagination than I do possess.

Hi Tony,


I don't think they are changing drastically. I love all the courses I mentioned and RCD could of been easily added to that list but honestly I need to get back there as it's fading from my memory. All of these I have played recently and multiple times.


I don't love difficult courses just because they are difficult but in the last couple years my best rounds have been in either absolutely horrible tournament conditions, rain and wind or on very difficult courses that require a lot of concentration. I certainly haven't played exceptionally well on the courses I mentioned above but I could play them daily easily and the more I play a place like your North Berwick the higher it rises in my favorites list. I could live there and have even been thinking about it. If I win the lottery I'll be moving in.

[Thomas Dai]

A thought provoking question Peter.


Do folk feel proud when they've achieved something easy or something difficult?



Would I be prouder having built successfully, that is in my personal opinion, the opinion of my peers and the opinion of members and visitors if I'd built on sand or clay or something else like say hard rock or volcanic ash?


Would I be prouder if I'd built successfull (per above definition) on flat, featureless land, in a desert, in a swamp, in a forest, in an area of high rainfall, in an area of low or nearly nil rainfall, in the tropics, in a temperate climate, in a cold climate, where it's normally windy or normally calm, dry or humid, next the sea, inland, in hilly or even semi-mountainous terrain?


Would I be prouder if I'd built with a big budget or a small budget? With limited access to men and machinery or with lots of men and lots of big machines. With leaving the native top soil in place or stripping, sandcapping, replacing it. With full irrigation or with limited irrigation. Where the drainage is natural in soil or gradient or where the natural drainage is pretty much non-existant.


Just few things to consider. There will be more.


For my part I think I'd be prouder having built successfully somewhere awkward or unorthodox.


Atb

[Ed Brzezowski]

Ok let's see what reaction this gets, Bayonne!

To take a pier and change it into a cool golf course where the backdrop in NYC with some of the best showers around would be a dream. Some very nice holes, views of Manhattan and The Statue of Liberty, kind of cool.

Also for the going green angle, he took the muck and built something nice with it, not stuck in a landfill.  Not an enviro hazard, just did something useful with all that crap.

[Kirk Gill]

Peter, my mind goes two different directions when thinking of your question. First I think of the great courses that I've seen (mainly in pictures or on television) that I wish I'd had the good fortune, creativity and intelligence to have designed. Places like Pine Valley, or Oakmont, or Ballyneal. Not that I'd change a thing at those places, but just to think that I could have done THAT. This is more directly an answer to your question.


Then, there are courses that I've played or seen that I would have liked to have had the chance to do myself. I'll acknowledge up front that as a rank amateur my effort would likely have ended in disaster......BUT....


.........for instance there's a course in suburban Denver called West Woods that has three nines, two by Dick Phelps and one by his son Rick. I knew the property a bit before they built it, and have always wondered about the course I would have created there. I'm not all that deeply moved by the existing course, my humble opinion, but it gets a good amount of play and services that community well. I'm just intellectually curious about what I'd have done differently, acknowledging again that I have no idea what I'm doing, and have no idea of what limitations were placed on the architects. I just have the romantic notion of building a little shack out there and living on the course for four or five years as the course was handmade from scratch!