Catch Kyle Franz on Morning Drive with Matt Ginella

[Jay Mickle]

Kyle Franz the Maestro of Mid Pines is doing an interview with Matt Ginella tomorrow Dec 10 @ +/- 8:15. Don't know if it is about Mid Pines, his ongoing work at Pine Needles, work with Gil Hanse @ Pinehurst or individual future work but will surely be interesting.

[Jay Mickle]

Golf Channel
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/ginellas-top-50-public-courses-20-16

[Norbert P]

Nice job Matt and Kyle.   Great Q and A on some fresh and historical golf venues.

Jay, thanks for posting that interview link for us.  I've been fortunate enough to work with Kyle on Mid Pines and Pine Needles and believe Kyle is in the right spot to be in, both for him and for the golf architecture in the Carolina Sandhills region.  His high regard and knowledge for all things pertaining to Donald Ross is strong and genuine and, as you know, that's Ross country.  I find it very encouraging that the throwback styling of Pinehurst #2 and Mid Pines has revitalized golf in the area to let it compete with newer resorts around the country.  I'm not privy to the numbers of it but their renovation investments have and will continue to make them special places for golfers to choose to play for the pleasure and history of each. 
  Recently, the matriarch of Pine Needles/Mid Pines Resort, and golf in general, Peggy Kirk Bell, passed on.  Unfortunately, I never got to meet her but I did recently read the terrific Lee Pace book about the storied development of their golf mecca.  Rest assured, Peggy, the Pine Needles renovation is under proper guidance and care, and not just for Mr. Ross' legacy, but for yours and Bullet's.

[Tom Fagerli]

Kyle is doing fine work at Pine Needles. Played Wednesday and the change since Jan 1 amazing, and lots more to come!

[Rees Milikin]

Kyle is doing fine work at Pine Needles. Played Wednesday and the change since Jan 1 amazing, and lots more to come!

What changes have been made?

[Greg Holland]

I played there last week as well, and the changes are good.  Greens were good after conversion to bermuda.  Added bunkers on several holes, including 1, 2, 9, 11 and 18. 

[Philip Hensley]

And expanded bunkers on many holes, and and places where turf was taken out and replaced with hard sand area.

[Rees Milikin]

Sounds interesting.  Has the strategy of the course changed?

[Tom Fagerli]

Sounds interesting.  Has the strategy of the course changed?

One of the main tweets is that on No 2 you aren't going to be as inclined to hit it down the hot left side as narrower and fairway shifted right a tad.
Many of the layup areas tightened as bunkers enlarged.
The look has really changed. For the better
Worst thing to me is the bunker on the corner of 17 is bigger making you drive even more right so hole even more impossible for us mortals. If they could ever get the fairway dried out so you could roll the ball onto the green it would be fine, but that fairway is far from dry.

[BCowan]

Tom,

    I play 17 much better by just hitting 3 wood off the tee and taking OB out of play.  I hope many trees were removed for this renovation.  Lack of tree removal really hampered PN.  Many trees behind 17 green I recall and it's hard to get approach firm with shade.  Behind 2 green, did those trees get whacked?

[Jay Mickle]

No tree removal and not really necessary to improve the view of the roads behind the two greens that you mention.

[hhuffines]

Just read Matt Ginella's twitter about the new work at Pinehurst.  He has an enlargeable rendering of the new short course.  Shortest holes are 65 yards and longest was 125.  The new putting green looks enormous and I wonder if it will be as undulating as it looks?


For those of you with "short" courses, do they tend to get backed up with too many players?  We have a lighted par 3 course in Cary and it always seems so slow.