The First Winners of ASGCA's New Design Excellence Recognition
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Issue 13 | Winter 2012 BY DESIGN Excellence in Golf Design from the American Society of Golf Course Architects Highlighting the best The first winners of ASGCA’s new Design Excellence Recognition Program Also: St Andrews • Conditioning • Robin Nelson, ASGCA • Growing the game • Shorter courses FOREWORD Concerning The Old Course and Competition CONTENTS ac•ro•sanct |ˈsakrōˌsaNG(k)t|, an adjective (of a principle, place, or routine): “too important or valuable to be interfered with,” or, “the Digest 5 individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct.” Another course taking advantage of S the ASGCA-backed First Links initiative, This definition struck me in the face, for it contains both aspects of this plus one leading US golf executive vehement disagreement: reporting that his members prefer • The Old Course is too important or valuable (historic) to be interfered with their course firm and fast head up this (altered) and should remain indefinitely for future generations. month’s Digest of golf industry news. • Competition must be contended on quality venues and the individual’s right to work (to be tested) is necessary to the game at its highest levels. Highlighting the best 8 Showing how golf architects help A part of me says, “No! No! Keep the Old Course.” But until the mid clients solve problems: we profile the nineteenth century, the Old Course was a single fairway out and back. But first honorees of ASGCA’s new Design then Scottish Parliament banned the game in 1457, more than five hundred Excellence Recognition Program. years ago—and how long had they been playing before that? Granite Links 12 Another part of me says that Rory should have to play to that section of the Digging for victory eleventh green. Otherwise that hole location no longer exists for the ultimate competitors and is also lost to history. Bowes Creek 13 What’s the difference between that and golf pilgrims of the world seeing Sensitive growth authenticity? Lyman Golf Center 14 Therein lies the disagreement. The fundamental elements of our game have Economy drive come into juxtaposition. The conversation continues among ASGCA members. Visit www.asgca.org Phillips Park 15 to read more of their thoughtful comments. Moving forward Mira Vista 16 Hunting for Hunter TwinEagles 17 Fitting the landscape Yours sincerely, Holing Out 18 Bill Amick describes a fantasy course that he believes could help grow the game. Bob Cupp President American Society of Golf Course Architects COVER Issue 13 | Winter 2012 BY DESIGN Excellence in Golf Design from the American Society of Golf Course Architects Editor: Adam Lawrence; Design: Paul Robinson; Bruce Graham; Publisher: Toby Ingleton; Editorial contributors: Bill Amick ASGCA Staff: Chad Ritterbusch; Therese Johnston; Mike Shefky; Aileen Smith; Marc Whitney Photography: St Andrews Links Trust Highlighting Subscribe to By Design at www.tudor-rose.co.uk/bydesign the best The first winners of ASGCA’s new © 2012 American Society of Golf Course Architects. All rights reserved. www.asgca.org Design Excellence Recognition Program Also: St Andrews • Conditioning • Robin Nelson, ASGCA • Growing the game • Shorter courses By Design is sponsored by: Eagle Course at TwinEagles designed by ASGCA Secretary Steve Smyers. Photo courtesy of TwinEagles. 03 DIGEST St Andrews Scottish venue for Mixed response to Old Course changes KPMG anniversary KPMG’s tenth Golf Business ajor redesign work underway on venues at all costs, or make adjustments Forum will be held in St the Old Course at St Andrews, allowing for the entertainment aspect of Andrews next June. The M Scotland, has provoked a identifying the best player?” Fairmont St Andrews resort, wide range of heartfelt responses and “Those who recommend the changes just outside the historic passionate discussion among golfers and have a mission to preserve the integrity of town, will play host to the industry leaders. The Open. These individuals are not only conference, which has The St Andrews Links Trust insightful; they also have a passion for the become one of the leading commissioned architect Dr Martin Old Course,” explained ASGCA Secretary gathering points for the Hawtree—who recently completed work Steve Smyers. “It is my firm belief that golf industry in Europe and on Donald Trump’s new links course as designers of the playing fields of the surrounding regions. The in Aberdeen, Scotland—to carry out great game of golf, we must design to the event will take place from extensive changes to prepare the course modern players, conditions and standards June 3-5. for the 2015 Open Championship. This if we are to have relevant championships includes alterations to the eleventh green on our courses.” Hillside work and famous seventeenth ‘Road’ hole ASGCA Vice President Rick Robbins said: supports junior golf bunker, as well as the addition of bunkers “The hope we have is that people who love Andy Staples, ASGCA on numerous other holes. the game work together to balance the Associate, is upgrading “The Old Course holds a special place varied interests of everyone involved. That the Hillside course in the for all golfers, whether they have played is the same relationship ASGCA members small town of Sidney, there before or continue to have it on strive for with course owners—and the Neb. The course runs a their personal ‘bucket list’,” said ASGCA goal they set for the projects they work junior program for 170 President Bob Cupp. “The level of on—around the world every day.” children, and Staples’ plan discussion in recent days is remarkable, calls for improving the and ASGCA is glad to help provide a forum course’s strategy, creating for these opinions.” a new practice facility “Pitting current competition against including short game area history cannot have an answer, only and chipping green, and controversy,” added Cupp. “In essence, adding forward tees at are those who play the game today more around 4,500 yards for relevant than those who played it? Golf’s juniors and seniors. incredible appeal has spurred technology to the point that the size of the game has Image courtesy of St Andrews Links Trust Architects tour East outgrown its most treasured venues. The Coast classics question becomes: ‘Do we preserve the ASGCA members, along truly historic nature of our most ‘sacred’ with architects from Europe and Australia, made a Conditioning study tour of several classic courses on the East Coast of the US in October. The Golfers demand firm and fast tour covered Bethpage’s Black course, the National Golfers who have been exposed to “We are constantly being pressed by our Golf Links of America, firm and fast conditions not only memberships to ensure the courses are fast Maidstone and Baltusrol. embrace them, but demand them and firm. Because we host tournaments It followed the success of in future, according to one leading regularly, the members have become used a similar tour to Australia US club manager. Speaking to the to firm and fast conditions, and they really three years ago. recent European Golf Course Owners’ like it,” he said. “Some of our older members Association conference, Michael like the fact that their shots get more roll. Leemhuis, the chief operating office of And when the courses aren’t so firm, they Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, complain. They might not necessarily believe Md. said his members now complained if that brown is the new green, but they don’t the club’s two courses were too soft. mind if there’s a little bit of brown out there.” 05 DIGEST Obituary Renovation Architects mourn upswing reported ASGCA members are reporting an increase in Robin Nelson, ASGCA the number of renovation projects underway across SGCA member also appears on projects in the US and elsewhere. Robin Nelson, Australia, Canada, China, Recent projects include A senior partner Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, reduction of green grass, of design firm Nelson Taiwan, Thailand and decreased water usage & Haworth, died on 19 Vietnam. Graves and then Ronald and lower-maintenance November at the age of 61. Nelson’s layouts included Fream. Nelson became an bunkers at the Newport Nelson worked with Mauna Lani in Hawaii; ASGCA Associate Member News club in Virginia by fellow ASGCA member Bali Golf & Country Club; in 1984 and a Regular Tim Liddy, ASGCA, and the Neil Haworth, and Shenzhen Golf Club in Member in 1987. completion of Ian Andrew, Brett Mogg at Nelson & China; Ravenwood Golf Nelson described his ASGCA Associate’s Haworth. The company Club in New York; and design philosophy in a 2000 restoration at ASGCA operates from offices in The Dragon at Gold interview. “My main idea is founder member Stanley Singapore, Shanghai and Mountain, Calif. to let the site speak for itself, Thompson’s Highlands Links San Francisco. An environmental design to take whatever the site has course in Canada. Nelson was the lead graduate from the University and transform it into a golf architect on newly of California-Berkeley, course, if at all possible,” US camp partnership designed and remodeled Nelson began his career as a he said. “I hope to achieve Snag Golf, a modified form courses around the world, golf course architect in 1973. the combination of variety, of the game designed for including more than three He worked with ASGCA fairness, presentation and a beginners, has signed an dozen in Hawaii. His name Past President Robert Muir challenge to the player.” agreement to partner with the American Camp Association. Snag equipment will be First Links offered at all ACA facilities across the United States, and First Links grant for Battenkill five per cent of all sales of Snag equipment on the ACA attenkill Country Club in New York the Battenkill property for ideas to incorporate website will support ‘Send a has been awarded a grant from the a full-swing practice area, short course, a Child to Camp’ and ‘Explore B First Links programme, which is short-game practice area and assess the 30’ programs.