Evolving the Game in His Forthcoming Year As ASGCA President, Steve Smyers Will Focus on ‘The Evolution of the Game’ and Its Architecture
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INTERVIEW Evolving the game In his forthcoming year as ASGCA President, Steve Smyers will focus on ‘the evolution of the game’ and its architecture. Marc Whitney finds out more teve Smyers, ASGCA, has a An interest in golf course design and I also learned from him what it took to simple message. “The game of architecture was sparked. That spark get a course ready for a championship.” Sgolf is extremely healthy! There would turn into quite the flame, as Besides the Dyes – both ASGCA Past are 25 million players – 21 million evidenced today by Smyers’ work at Presidents – Smyers notes the positive are active – and nearly 16,000 golf such courses as: Wolf Run Golf Club, influence of other ASGCA members. courses in America, plus another Zionsville, Indiana; Old Memorial, “I learn so much every time I hear a 16,000 worldwide.” Tampa, Florida; Chart Hills Golf member speak at the Annual Meeting As Smyers begins his term as Club, Kent, England; and redesigns, or elsewhere,” he says. “To sit back ASGCA President, he will focus including Isleworth, Orlando, and listen to architects like the late on ‘the evolution of the game’ and Florida. He has plans to redesign Old Jay Morrish, Lee Schmidt, Bruce its architecture. But to see where Memorial this summer. Charlton, Mike Hurdzan, Rees Jones Smyers is going, it helps to know Along the way he continued to play and so many others is a joy.” where he has been. the game he loves. As a teen, Smyers Smyers continued to play at a high It all changed for him at the 1969 watched Ben Hogan hit golf balls at level, competing in a number of USGA U.S. Open at Champions Golf Club in Champions and saw a young Trevino championships. He was later asked Houston. Already a golfer for several play before the ‘Merry Mex’ joined to serve on what is now the USGA years, Smyers – a high school junior – the PGA Tour. In college, Smyers was Equipment Standards committee, caddied for Miller Barber at the event. a member of the University of Florida which led to a six-year term on the “I stood on the practice range and golf team that won the 1973 NCAA USGA Executive Committee. listened to Miller and the other players Championship. The team included “It was the most influential learning talk about the golf course,” he says. Andy Bean and Gary Koch. experience I’ve had,” he says. “I “They talked about what a great His first 18-hole design, Wolf Run, brought a perspective of someone who course it was; that it could be attacked included input from a famous – was a designer and had played at a from all over and didn’t set up for one unpaid – consultant. fairly high level. And I got to see how player better than another. Lee Trevino “Pete and Alice Dye were preparing these smart executives went through could play the low hook he played at Crooked Stick for the PGA the decision-making process; taking that time, and Jack Nicklaus with his Championship, and Pete would give information, analyzing and discussing high fade had an equal chance. me hell or critique me for the work I before coming to a conclusion. The “I had never looked at a golf course was doing at Wolf Run,” Smyers laughs. goal of each decision isn’t to necessarily like that before, and those comments “They would invite me to play and as benefit one specific group, but all the stuck in my mind.” we talked I learned about the business. constituencies in the entire game.” 16 | By Design Steve Smyers, ASGCA, is currently working on the redesign of Old Memorial GC in Tampa, Florida Smyers also noted how it “opened used to be cut at ¾”, and that moved my eyes tremendously” to watch lower and lower over time.” Kerry Haigh from the PGA set up As ASGCA president, Smyers will courses for the Ryder Cup and PGA continue to strengthen ASGCA’s Championships, and Mike Davis for relationship with allied golf various USGA events. associations to spread the word of The game and industry continue architects as problem solvers ready to to evolve. Smyers says that has design and implement new plans. always been the case, and should be Smyers calls on architects to embraced. understand the game’s history and “Going back to 1900, the business traditions, while looking ahead. has never been ‘the way it was,’” “Some of the courses I designed he said. “It’s always changing. Our early in my career are modernizing thought process needs to evolve. for the next generation of players, The most successful and recognized with new sand or bunker liners, architects of past generations were improved irrigation and introduction very forward-thinking guys. of new turf grasses. The most “The founding members of ASGCA “Forward-thinking clubs will look to were leaders in the game because they reduce irrigation and turf maintenance, successful and adapted to the modern innovation which opens the door for the next of the game. At Pinehurst, when steel generation of architects, where there recognized shafted clubs were introduced, Donald are opportunities to reposition bunkers Ross redesigned the course to meet the and re-strategize golf holes. architects of past demands for generations to come.” “As architects, we need to go in and Changing “technology” means more build a more stimulating golf course generations were to Smyers than just equipment. He to inspire golfers to play 10 percent very notes players, instruction and course more golf each year. We still want to do forward- maintenance have all changed. something that gives the player a ‘wow’ thinking guys “Course maintenance has been moment. Give them that stimulating the biggest game changer,” he said. feeling when they stand over a shot, “Greens on a Donald Ross course whether they can achieve it or not.”• 17 CASE STUDY Sewailo Golf Club | Toby Ingleton Honoring nature’s gifts When the Pascua Yaqui Tribe decided to build a golf course, they wanted it to work with the land and reflect their cultural beliefs n the language of the Pascua Yaqui concept of a ‘desert oasis’-style course, Tribe of Arizona, ‘Sewailo’ means which features lakes, flowing streams, I‘flower world.’ The tribe’s belief waterfalls and lush landscaping. is that they emerged from Sewailo, However, the existing site was flat and before traveling through the desert to featureless, so a degree of engineering reach their present homeland. would be required to create the fall This journey was to be the needed for the stream system, and to inspiration for the design of a new golf give the holes shape and visual interest. course for tribal families and visitors “Like at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, to the tribe’s Casino Del Sol resort in the approach involved sinking areas of Tucson, Arizona. They turned to fellow the course below existing grade and Native American and former PGA Tour raising others, in order to create the player Notah Begay III, who worked flowing creek system,” explains Butler. in collaboration with California-based “To reflect the Pascua Yaqui journey, golf course architect Ty Butler, ASGCA, the course transitions from desert to to bring this vision to reality. oasis, while taking full advantage of The resort is one of the few in the the surrounding mountain views to Tucson market to earn the Forbes create an exciting and unique setting. Four Star and AAA Four Diamond The course finishes with a waterfall awards, so the golf experience would backdrop to the final green, signifying need to be of the highest quality to the Yaqui’s hope of returning to meet guests’ expectations – but also Sewailo one day.” runoff before it could spread to other to help transform the property to a The tribe has water rights that areas where flooding occurred. From destination, with golf becoming a enable them to service the stream these retention areas we created primary draw for visitors. system and provide the irrigation desert washes which run through the A key challenge for the designers source for the course. But the area golf course to carry the runoff in a would be to successfully incorporate also has to cope with a tremendous controlled manner to the neighboring water into the desert environment. amount of runoff/flooding during Black Wash. The washes added “Water is an integral part of the the monsoon season. The property another visual element and became Yaqui’s belief system and, for this is in the path of this runoff and the a key strategic element for the holes reason, the tribe wanted water to be designers saw an opportunity to that play along them.” a big part of the design. It also meant use the course to capture this water Begay and Butler worked closely the golfing experience would be like and direct it to the Black Wash area with Ken Alperstein of Pinnacle no other in the Tucson market,” says north of the course. “We constructed Design, who was responsible for Butler. He and Begay developed the a series of retention areas to capture landscaping of the course. The plant 18 | By Design A waterfall provides the backdrop to the final hole on the new course, which was designed to relect the Pascua Yaqui’s hope of returning to ‘Sewailo’ Images: Tom Breazeale Images: Tom palette they selected helps to provide a matures and starts to fill in,” says Butler. new home to the University of Arizona seamless transition between the desert The completed par-72 course Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams.