Jeff Hardin and Dick Nugent Both Pass Away Jan. 1st - RIP

[Forrest Richardson]

ASGCA members Jeff Hardin and Dick Nugent, both Fellows, passed away on January 1st, 2018. Hardin had been living in Wickenburg, AZ and Nugent had retired to Sun Lakes, AZ. More to follow, but obviously a rough week for those of us who knew them.

[Forrest Richardson]

Mr Hardin's memorial service is scheduled for 1-13 at 1:30pm, Greenwood Memorial Park in Phoenix. Details to follow.

[Tim_Cronin]

Dick Nugent's impact on golf, especially in Chicagoland, can't be overestimated. Sad to hear.




PS-Edited to change under to over, because I'm an idiot. But all of you know that already.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Tim,

Couldn't agree more.  While most here will poo poo it as a terrible influence, the fact is, Dick provided a lot of good planning for many courses, whether new or just one hole changes.  He reminded me often that we probably do more for golf by designing a good green for some rural course than building a big budget course for high dollar players.

His only "sin" was to not see the restoration movement coming, nor believing in it.  He preferred big scale and not much subtly.  If you study the history of the Chicago School, or post WW 2 architecture in general, where they were anxious to move on and not respect the past, given how bad it was in nearly every respect, they developed the new American style. 
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He was a great mentor, and

I always said Dick was the professional equivalent of my own father.  He was a teacher, and I learned nearly all I know about golf course architecture from him.  Certainly, no one was better technically. I still find myself quoting him to employees, and in many respects, still run the office the way he did.  In fact, I think guys who have come through my office like Jeff Blume and John Colligan run their offices in similar fashion, and you can see the Dick Nugent design influences in all our work, obviously modified around the edges based on our own tastes and experiences.  He was the primary moving force in that office, with [/size]Ken Killian providing a bit of artistic counter point.  [/color]
 [/size] [/color]
 [/size]One of my favorite Dick Nugent quotes was "There are only two instances to avoid sharp doglegs..... where there are trees and where there aren't."  Regarding design presentations, he would say, "When you think you are ready, rehearse again."  He had a way of making things memorable.[/color]

[/size]My first day in the office (1977) he gave me a par 3 to design on one of the many Chicago area renovations they did.  I put a pond in front of the green.  He saw it, grunted and walked back in his office.  I figured I would be fired after one day, but it turned out he was deep in thought.  A few hours later he came back and explained that they tried a forced carry par 3 (similar to Baltusrol 4) and women and seniors complained about it, so he preferred to keep at least some fairway opening to the green.  He just couldn't remember which of their holes it was.  Yes, that type of par 3 is probably now "too standard" but it worked and works for a reason.[/color]

[/size]Of course, he was a big believe in ASGCA, and most of his associates got membership as early as possible, as he wanted us to experience it.  Other than those trips, we often took field trips to see other courses, like Innisbrook when it opened because he was enamored with those Packard free form tees.  But, I also saw Olympic, Cypress and Pebble, with his help setting up the visits.  He was very generous in all things.[/color]

[/size]Well, he lived a long life and seems to have passed fairly quickly, which is all we can hope for.  That he has spurred so many private emails and recollections like the ones above, means he must have done something right. While sad, the occasion of his death has me smiling at recalling some of the great times I had when working for him.[/color]
 

[Forrest Richardson]

Dick was always kind, and I can say without question he is one of the smartest people I have ever met. Actually, he had been struggling over the past few years with many medical issues. I last saw him at the beginning of 2017 and we spoke about organizing a lunch roundtable with some ASGCA members here in Arizona. That never happened, but I tried every few months...he just did not feel up to it.

I got to visit one of his courses in Sioux Falls, SD in 2016: Prairie Green. This is a very solid and enjoyable course. What struck me was the use of native grass throughout the course, and how it came up and kissed bunkers and formed these enjoyable bumps around greens. It was as if Tillinghast had been speaking to Dick. I assumed — incorrectly — that these elements were added later. After all, in the mid 1990s we were not seeing a lot of native grass used as it had not caught on in "modern" design. Wrong. This was all Dick's effort and vision. I spoke with him about the course and even while laying in bed, he could recall every hole, every bunker and detail.

I thank him for his friendship. I wish we had managed the lunch as it was going to be taped for prosperity.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I have the utmost respect for those who, out of love for the game, ply their trade in pursuit of golf architecture. Most architects I have met try their best to give their clients the best design they can, under the parameters they have been given. The only Killian and Nugent course is Kemper Lakes and must say that, despite all the water, I did enjoy it. I would love to get to the Dunes Club. Rest in peace.

[Ken Fry]

My condolences to both families.

To my partner in the Inaugural Midwest Mashie Tim Nugent, I send my best wishes and prayers on the passing of his father.  Living in the upper Midwest for many years, you're never far away from a Nugent designed course.  I'm lucky enough to enjoy his Dunes Club often.  A great, lasting legacy.

Ken

[Matthew Rose]

I lived in southern Wisconsin for many years and it is definitely true that you were never too far away from a K&N design. After looking at his resume of courses, it occurred to me that he might actually be my most played/seen architect. Abbey Springs, Aldeen, Evergreen, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Lawn, Ivanhoe.... plus I've attended tournaments at Green Bay CC and Tuckaway.

I've also played Blackhawk CC where it says they did some work.... anyone know what they did there?


I can't really say a bad word about any of these courses...  all of them have given me pleasure during my formative years in the game. I suppose it is a credit that he can be ubiquitous and yet it doesn't really occur to me years later how much of his work I've played.

[Forrest Richardson]

Jeff Hardin

Wickenburg, Arizona - passed away in his home on January 1, 2018 at the age of 84. Jeff, also known as J.D. by some of his closest friends, was born in "God's Country," as he consistently referred to his beloved home state of Arizona, on May 10, 1933. After graduating from Buckeye High School, he attended Northern Arizona University for a year before serving in the military where he was stationed in France from 1955-57. He received an honorable discharge and was very proud of being a veteran. He went on to attend the University of Arizona where he received a degree in civil engineering in 1959. Early on in his career as a civil engineer he designed and constructed freeways in California and Arizona before he discovered his true passion: building golf courses. Working as a golf course architect, first for Del E. Webb, Inc., and then for his own firm, Jeff D. Hardin, Inc., he built myriad original golf courses in Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Arizona. Jeff loved being surrounded by the quiet, vast space of the Southwestern landscape. He spent his last years retired, living in his desert retreat outside of Wickenburg, where he enjoyed feeding the birds, watching wildlife and sports, and acting as a genealogical detective, writing histories of the extensive—sometimes notorious, always adventurous—Hardin family and relations. In his last years, he enjoyed road trips to Yarnell with his good friend Jim and was grateful for the assistance and companionship of his accomplice in grocery shopping, pie eating, and fudge making, Phoebe. He was also fond of having lunch with his best friend, Bob Bolsby. Jeff lived with strength and determined independence until his last breath. His generosity, stories, and humor will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his children, who were loved fiercely and devotedly by him: daughters, Christine Hardin and Susan Hardin, and son, Jeff Hardin. He is also grieved by two grandchildren, Taylor Hardin and Wesley Winter, ex-wife, Sandra Hardin, daughter-in-law, Jenny Mueller, and the entire Mueller family. He is pre-deceased by his daughter, Cathy who died in 1985. A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2018. Visitation begins at 12:30pm and the Service at 1:30pm. Service and Burial are being arranged by and held at Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery, 719 N. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85509. Please refer questions to them at 602-272-5639.

Published in The Arizona Republic on Jan. 7, 2018

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I have enjoyed many trips to Wickenburg to play Hardin's Los Caballeros  A special place and a very good course.

[RJ_Daley]

Thanks to Jeff and Forrest for the nice words in their remembrance of Mr. Nugent and Mr. Harding.

I was unaware of Mr. Hardin's work, not living in his area of work projects. 

But, as Matthew says, Dick Nugent with or without Mr. Killian is widespread in the upper great lakes area.  Here in Wisconsin, if you are an avid golfer, you will have played many Nugent or K&N courses.  They are always playable, and I reckon that along the design philosophy lines of their mentor, RB Harris, within the "Chicago School", attention was paid to the ongoing maintenance requirements of golf operations.  If that is so, perhaps that explains that they didn't often place high on top rated lists, but also why they were a frequent choice for many municipalities and privately owned open to public course developers.  Maybe that didn't lead to 'out of the box' sort of designs that attract raters and such, but it speaks to their effectiveness to spread enjoyable golf to the masses. 

[Forrest Richardson]

What is interesting about Hardin is that he was 2nd removed from William Flynn. Hardin took his lessons from Red Lawrence, and Red, in turn, was a direct protegé of William Flynn. I recall asking Jeff if he ever met Flynn, and I believe the answer was no. Jeff was too young to have met Flynn.

[Mark Smolens]

My condolences to both families.

To my partner in the Inaugural Midwest Mashie Tim Nugent, I send my best wishes and prayers on the passing of his father.  Living in the upper Midwest for many years, you're never far away from a Nugent designed course.  I'm lucky enough to enjoy his Dunes Club often.  A great, lasting legacy.

Ken

+1. I got the chance to play with Tim at the Warren Course in the post-Mashie round. Enjoyed not only his company, but some of the "inside baseball" on the creation of Kemper and  George Dunne, courses I've played so many times. Condolences on your loss Tim.

[Howard Riefs]

Ron Whitten remembers Hardin and Nugent.


https://www.golfdigest.com/story/in-tribute-jeff-hardin-1933-2018-and-dick-nugent-1931-2018

[Forrest Richardson]

Jeff Hardin's service was very nice. Shane Witcombe and I attended. Other golf guys included Ed Francese and some construction folks from Del Webb/Pulte.

The Arizona in-memoriam continues with Dick Nugent's memorial mass to be held Monday, Feb. 5th at 10:00am -- St. Steven's Church, Sun Lakes, Arizona.

[Forrest Richardson]

Dick Nugent, a Past President and Fellow of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), died Jan. 1, 2018, at age 86 in Chandler, Arizona. ASGCA members will remember Nugent’s famous design works, as well as his service to ASGCA and the game of golf.

Nugent received his degree in landscape architecture from the University of Illinois in 1958, where he was also a member of the football team. After graduation he worked six years with ASGCA Founding Member Robert Bruce Harris. Dick and future ASGCA President Ken Killian left Harris in 1964 to set up their own golf course architecture partnership.

The firm of Killian and Nugent developed strong relationships with many superintendents in the Chicago area. Along with original designs, they stressed the importance of master planning, leading to a number of multi-year remodeling projects.

Nugent and Killian made their big splash on the national scene with the creation of Kemper Lakes Golf, Long Grove, Illinois, which played host to the Kemper Open and the 1989 PGA Championship. During their time together, they nurtured the careers of many talented associates, including ASGCA Past Presidents Jeff Brauer and Bob Lohmann; Bruce Borland, ASGCA; Jim Blaukovitch, ASGCA; Jim Engh, ASGCA; and Dick’s son, Tim Nugent, who was elected into ASGCA membership in 2001. Another Nugent protégé is Patrick Karnick, president-elect of the Golf Course Builders Association of America.

Other courses designed by Dick Nugent include: Tuckaway Country Club, Milwaukee; The Dunes Club, New Buffalo, Michigan; Koolau Golf Course, Oahu, Hawaii; and Harborside Golf Courses – Port and Starboard, Chicago.

Nugent became an ASGCA member in 1971, served as President from 1981-82 and achieved Fellow status in 2003.