Who is golf architecture's most versatile designer?

[RJ_Daley]

Do we automatically take out of this discussion archies that only spec for bidding and have no on-staff construction personnel or subsidiary?  Are we speaking of versatility on paper, or versatility in the field?  You can't be versitile in the field without a specific and talented staff who translate your visions.  Do we speak of versatility that encompasses flexiblilty?  Which organization can take a good or bad tract of land and get multiple course routings and stylings and make the concepts turn into realities, while making them compliment the land and its surrounds?  

We posters here at GCA keep coming back to a select few archies and thier organizations.  They are the usual and nearly only suspects in the case at hand.  

[Forrest Richardson]

Mr. Daley makes a good point and question. I intend to seek some comment on a separate thread, which I am planning at this moment and the next 2,340 moments.

[Patrick_Mucci]

DPB11,

No, they are not "EXACTLY"  the same, but many of them are similar, and similarity is not a part of the definition of versatility.

Don't confuse the difference in a black and white photo and a color photo with the difference in the object that is the subject of the photo.

RJ Daley,

So you don't object to the discussion of the works of architect's who haven't been granted "most favored nation" status ?  

[RJ_Daley]

c'mon Forrest, you left me dangling this morning waiting for you to expend those 2340 Richardson moments to get something going.  Is a Richardson moment a measure of time or distance?  How far did you travel since this last post?

[Forrest Richardson]

I'm on moment 302 at the moment...no, wait, it's now 301 based on that last comment.

[RJ_Daley]

You are relatively fast, not half fast then...

[Michael Dugger]

For the sake of conversation, I think that Donald Ross was awfully versatile, as far as dead guys go.

The bunkers on many of his courses reflected their natural setting.  Seminole with all the sand to Oakland Hills and Oak Hills parkland look.  He built dinky courses like Wannamoisett and works in progress like Pinehurst.

I know we tend to spend our time discussing what is familiar about a certain designers' body of work-what is unique to what they do-but overall I think Ross massaged a golf course out of the existing landscape.

To me this is what versatility in a golf course architect implies-that they build a course that fits the terrain.  You don't build a links course on parkland.  You can't put Cascades Homestead in the desert.  Firestone North would not sit well in Clementon.  

Just my two cents.    

[Forrest Richardson]

Ross was great, no doubt. Slifkin was, however, THE greatest in my view.

[DPL11]

Patrick,

I wasn't trying to change the definition of versatility, but I was trying to show Sean the differences in bunker styles since he brought it up.

Thank you for pointing out the difference in subject matter vs. b/w and color photos. I never would have made that seperation without your help.


Doug

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Sean,
Once again, Please list the Coore & Crenshaw courses you have played and seen to allow you to make this statement.