Roger Rulewich Wraps It Up

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Content to work in golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s shadows, Roger Rulewich eventually emerged to establish himself as one of industry's notable and prolific designers


 Read more...
https://www.morningread.com/where-to-golf-next/feature/2019-12-03/rogers-rules

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks for the link, Steve
That was an enjoyable read -- in part because it's pleasant to learn about someone fortunate enough to be born at the best possible time to allow for a very long and very productive working life in his chosen field. [It's like actors who came of age at the start of the talking picture studio system, and who thus worked on 150+ films in their lives; a very good career nowadays might be 25-30 films.] I'm happy that Mr. R can look back now in his retirement years with deep satisfaction.   

[Tom_Doak]

We had a thread here a couple of weeks ago about preserving / restoring the best work of Mr. Jones and Dick Wilson, so I was interested in this tidbit:


In mid-October, Rulewich was preparing to head to Spain for the first Robert Trent Jones Society meeting held outside the U.S. The Society was formed in 2004 to honor RTJ Sr., by any measure one of the 20th century’s most dominant course architects. Since 2005 the annual meetings have been held at Jones-designed courses for a few days of golf and talks by those with insights into the RTJ Sr. world.

[Jim Sherma]

I'm guessing that the RTJ Sr legacy will be treated better overseas. In the US we had a "Golden Age" associated with most of the old-line/old-money clubs that are dominant in their respective locales. In many parts of the world RTJ Sr was the golden age.

[Ian Andrew]

We had a thread here a couple of weeks ago about preserving / restoring the best work of Mr. Jones and Dick Wilson

Tom,

Where was that? I'd be curious of what courses were on the list for RTJ. I get asked on occasion.

I work with Crag Burn in Buffalo and I find that a really interesting example of his work. It's really low profile with lots of native grass used in the design from the outset. It's a little modern and a little hard for my personal taste, but it's restored back to the 1969 design. I thought it deserved to be. It's still the best RTJ course I've seen so far and there should be some examples of his work to see. I think it's why I get asked.

[Tom_Doak]

We had a thread here a couple of weeks ago about preserving / restoring the best work of Mr. Jones and Dick Wilson

Tom,

Where was that? I'd be curious of what courses were on the list for RTJ. I get asked on occasion.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,67741.0.html

"Great Post War Courses".  It took me half an hour to find it!

[Jeff_Brauer]

I can attest that Roger is one of the real nice guys in the world, so easy going and perceptive.  And yes, if he needs to think, he takes out that pipe.  He is one of those old school nice guys I would have liked to take my son or grandsons out to play golf with, just so they can see what old school class is like.  (Don't get much of that with me, LOL)


He and I did some work on the ASGCA bylaws in the early 1990's and I got to know him pretty well.  I always enjoy talking with him when I get the chance. 


Later, when I was writing my column for GCI, he gave me a pretty deep answer on what the differences between 2000 and 1960 era master plans was (were?)  Basically, he put in more detail, including prelim grading, rather than just draw a pretty picture typical of earlier master plans.  He felt it was necessary to prepare a realistic cost estimate early in the process to avoid being wrong later.  I doubt he got paid extra for that level of detail, he just thought it was the right thing to do.


I hope he enjoys retirement!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The RTJ Golf Trail in Alabama is inappropriately named....as Rulewich points out in the article:


When it comes to Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Rulewich says, “I’ve been asked so many times about it or told what a great job Jones did designing things I really have to let people know how that worked. Jones frankly had little to do with it other than PR.”
Rulewich thinks the Trail is probably his greatest accomplishment. And the sheer scale of the project — the current numbers are 468 holes at 26 courses in 11 sites across Alabama — with huge numbers of construction workers laboring on different sites continuously in the initial early 1990s push still boggles Rulewich’s mind.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “It was incredible. I spent half my life down there for several years and it was probably the most exciting time of my life.”

[JC Jones]

Thank you for posting this article, Steve.


I often wonder if the collateral damage of the focus on minimalism and Seth Raynor over the last 15-20 years (at a time when social media has narrowed our exposure to the world), will be the forgotten legacies of the designers that filled the 80 years in between the two. 


The work of Roger Rulewich on behalf of RTJ or on his own (or Jerry Matthews, or John La Foy, or insert next example) was important to the game of golf and to growing the game of golf.  Much of the work wont appear on any Top 100 list and RTJ or Dick Wilson certainly wont much in this era of panelists (maybe the occasional best in state list were those still legitimately curated) but the courses are good, and bring a lot of joy to many more golfers than a course like Fishers Island ever will.

[Ronald Montesano]

The 9th hole at Crag Burn is one of the most unique I've played. I heard a rumor that it was being dramatically altered, and hope that is not the case. If you are in the Buffalo area, you should do your best to get out to CB. The fescue gets out of control at times (there are a bunch of hyper-competitive golfers out there, who love punitive conditions) but beyond that, you have a forested front nine, followed by a heathland, inward half. Lonnie Nielsen was director of golf for a good while, and our varsity had massive playing privileges there, until things changed 5 years ago. I like Crag Burn a lot and always rank it in the area's top three, with Park and CCBuffalo.

[Ian Andrew]

The 9th hole at Crag Burn is one of the most unique I've played. I heard a rumor that it was being dramatically altered, and hope that is not the case.

The bunker work in the fairway was done a few years ago ... that's back to the way it was with the central bunker in the fairway.
If that's dramatic, then I lead a dramatic life ... 

[Mike Sweeney]

Roger got a lot of heat here in the old Yale renovation days. He was a great executor of post-war golf, and not a renovation expert. I can't really say that Yale made a mistake in hiring a Yale Alumnus as that was a different era where:

• There really were no "renovation experts"; and
• The focus was on building new golf courses.

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era. I think he did a good job under the circumstances at Yale, and Yale has obviously gotten better under the current regime to where it is now on all sorts of list. Best thing may be that it is NOT on the Golf Digest list, and they used to have a lot of sway at Yale when their corporate offices were close:




Sure it would be nice if that cart path was gone, but there are a lot of alums who write checks that want and should play the course in the heat of the summer....

[Derek_Duncan]

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era. I think he did a good job under the circumstances at Yale, and Yale has obviously gotten better under the current regime to where it is now on all sorts of list. Best thing may be that it is NOT on the Golf Digest list, and they used to have a lot of sway at Yale when their corporate offices were close:

Mike,


Why is it best it's not on GD's list? Is it because being un-ranked has helped motivate Yale to pay closer attention to its architecture?

[Ronald Montesano]

Ian


Is the single bunker on #9, the way the course was, initially? I loved the 2-bunkers that cordoned off the 2nd half of the fairway, as I had not seen anything like it, anywhere else.

[Tommy Naccarato]

Roger got a lot of heat here in the old Yale renovation days. He was a great executor of post-war golf, and not a renovation expert. I can't really say that Yale made a mistake in hiring a Yale Alumnus as that was a different era where:

• There really were no "renovation experts"; and
• The focus was on building new golf courses.

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era. I think he did a good job under the circumstances at Yale, and Yale has obviously gotten better under the current regime to where it is now on all sorts of list. Best thing may be that it is NOT on the Golf Digest list, and they used to have a lot of sway at Yale when their corporate offices were close:




Sure it would be nice if that cart path was gone, but there are a lot of alums who write checks that want and should play the course in the heat of the summer....

Mike,


I wish I had a recording of you back in May 2003, just so you could see and experience your two-faces again! Do you actually believe your own BS?


You know Mike, your entire post is an insult to those that cared obviously much more about Yale then you.  I’m speaking of course of a Geoff Childs who put his reputation out there to see Yale improve. Where were you to back him up?!? 


Be a man.  Admit how badly Roger Rulewich oversaw the work done there!  Remember the sand piles in the fairway?  How about the drainage tiles that hung out of the ground for how long?!?! 


Congratulations to Roger Rulewich for a long and fruitful career, despite what I think of your “work” at Yale.

[JC Jones]

Jesus, Tommy.  Get a hold of yourself.

[SL_Solow]

JC,  Tommy may be a little over the top but during the Yale renovation efforts, Rulewich was a significant impediment.  Geoff and George Bahto took the lead in pushing for the changes which helped bring the course back to glory.  Mike knows first hand the abuse they took as I remember a day at Yale with Geoff and Mike when one of the naysayers, who had not met Geoff, confronted him and an interesting "discussion" ensued.  Geoff and I had an interesting conversation afterwards which I suspect he still remembers.  By reminding everyone of Geoff's role he reminds those of us who remember those days how much his contributions are missed. 

[JC Jones]

JC,  Tommy may be a little over the top but during the Yale renovation efforts, Rulewich was a significant impediment.  Geoff and George Bahto took the lead in pushing for the changes which helped bring the course back to glory.  Mike knows first hand the abuse they took as I remember a day at Yale with Geoff and Mike when one of the naysayers, who had not met Geoff, confronted him and an interesting "discussion" ensued.  Geoff and I had an interesting conversation afterwards which I suspect he still remembers.  By reminding everyone of Geoff's role he reminds those of us who remember those days how much his contributions are missed.

That all may be but to attack the character of Mike Sweeney by calling him two faced and what he said BS is out of control.  We are talking about the renovation of a golf course; but I guess if this is all one has.....

[Tom_Doak]

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era.

Well, that statement could start an argument, but I don't see how you could make a serious argument that it's true.  Or, maybe you really did mean renovation, as a counterpoint to restoration?


Roger is a nice man, but he has had little to say about restoring older courses, as far as I've ever heard.

[Mike Sweeney]

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era.

Or, maybe you really did mean renovation, as a counterpoint to restoration?

Tom,



Yes, you stated it better that I did. My point, with clarity from you, is that Roger was doing a renovation when Yale was crying out for a restoration. I think that Yale was one of many inflection points in that era.


The only course that I can think of from that era that has NOT really improved would be Bethpage Black which now has the insanely narrow fairways. Rees took a lot of heat here, but he did not do this:



Thanks Ryan Farrow - https://twitter.com/FarrowGolf/status/962040561103286273/photo/4

Tommy,

You have a unique way of taking our one round from 16 years ago to bring out Tom and Shelly. Congrats!!

[Tim_Weiman]

Roger got a lot of heat here in the old Yale renovation days. He was a great executor of post-war golf, and not a renovation expert. I can't really say that Yale made a mistake in hiring a Yale Alumnus as that was a different era where:

• There really were no "renovation experts"; and
• The focus was on building new golf courses.

I think there is an argument that Roger Rulewich was the catalyst for this current renovation era. I think he did a good job under the circumstances at Yale, and Yale has obviously gotten better under the current regime to where it is now on all sorts of list. Best thing may be that it is NOT on the Golf Digest list, and they used to have a lot of sway at Yale when their corporate offices were close:




Sure it would be nice if that cart path was gone, but there are a lot of alums who write checks that want and should play the course in the heat of the summer....

Mike,


I wish I had a recording of you back in May 2003, just so you could see and experience your two-faces again! Do you actually believe your own BS?


You know Mike, your entire post is an insult to those that cared obviously much more about Yale then you.  I’m speaking of course of a Geoff Childs who put his reputation out there to see Yale improve. Where were you to back him up?!? 


Be a man.  Admit how badly Roger Rulewich oversaw the work done there!  Remember the sand piles in the fairway?  How about the drainage tiles that hung out of the ground for how long?!?! 


Congratulations to Roger Rulewich for a long and fruitful career, despite what I think of your “work” at Yale.

Tommy,


Hell! I wish I had a recording of you on that glorious day at Yale. That was right up there with Old Tom at St Andrews.


Miss you. Let’s catch up by phone.

[Bruce Katona]

I had the pleasure of working with Roger and his NJ design associate - both really nice guys.  I do recall Roger, in deep thought, bringing out and puffing on his pipe.

[Bernie Bell]

"He is one of those old school nice guys I would have liked to take my son or grandsons out to play golf with, just so they can see what old school class is like."

We could use a lot more of that, couldn't we.  What a nice tribute.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

He may have been an old school nice guy, which is wonderful.  But in the realm of golf course architecture, he severely vandalized Yale.  And what he did to Woodway and the de-Banksing of the 7th at Silver Spring was architectural sacrilege!  Though Yale has slowly recovered, Woodway and Silver Spring could very well be permanently messed up!

[Tommy Naccarato]

JC,  Tommy may be a little over the top but during the Yale renovation efforts, Rulewich was a significant impediment.  Geoff and George Bahto took the lead in pushing for the changes which helped bring the course back to glory.  Mike knows first hand the abuse they took as I remember a day at Yale with Geoff and Mike when one of the naysayers, who had not met Geoff, confronted him and an interesting "discussion" ensued.  Geoff and I had an interesting conversation afterwards which I suspect he still remembers.  By reminding everyone of Geoff's role he reminds those of us who remember those days how much his contributions are missed.

That all may be but to attack the character of Mike Sweeney by calling him two faced and what he said BS is out of control.  We are talking about the renovation of a golf course; but I guess if this is all one has.....

Pot meet Kettle! Coming from the guy who argues just to be arguing!


Jason this is subject matter is way above you and your anger and outrage.  This stuff goes back way before you were on given a login for GCA.  The fact is that Yale took the advice, listened and today has an incredible superintendent that does the most with what he is given.  This because of Geoff Childs, who suffered far bigger slings and arrows while Mike Sweeney ran away!


I’ll post more images later.


Tim, Yes! Let’s talk soon!