When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Darius Oliver provides the first review of Hainan Island's Shanquin Bay, a Coore-Crenshaw designed course that looks stunning and so different than most of the dreck we've exported to China.With the McGladrey Classic underway, here are a couple of old views of Sea Island's most recognizeable hole, as created by the firm of Colt and Alison.
I penned a Golf World Monday item making the case for the Frys.com Open staying at CordeValle Resort. It's under contract for one more year before a hoped-for move to The Institute, the ultra-private course developed by the Frys.Ron Green Jr. interviews Rees Jones and asks about recent player criticism of his work. (Thanks to reader Del for this.)
Your work has been criticized by Phil Mickelson and others. That comes with the territory of being a designer, but does it bother you?
RJ: It bothers me when it gets personal. I expect it as far as the game or the golf course because not every golf course suits every player. It's supposed to be the golf course against the golfer until the final round when it really becomes the golfers against one another.
I went out to the 16th and 17th holes this morning and tweeted some video takes on what appear to be the two best holes on the course. No wonder the finish was so wild last year...
16th Hole video (Twitter downscaled it so just hit the full screen box to see it larger)
17th tee video (same deal, mysteriously uploaded in smaller format)
I've always been fascinated by this Bobby Weed-designed short par-4 at the TPC Summerlin and I had a chance to look closely at it while making a visit to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open (starts Thursday on Golf Channel.)
I Tweeted some videos today with my analysis. The short but sweet conclusion: I need to play this one, but I love the attempt at something different, I just don't know how well the options work in today's game, where so many guys can reach the green with driver. (341 uphill yes, but higher altitude, hot weather means it plays shorter).
Anyway, here are the videos in order...
Part 5 (don't ask why it's smaller...technology is moody)
Rene Stutzman of the Orlando Sentinel shares the bizarre story of a golf management company--behind in its payments--suing the city of Sanford, owners of Mayfield Country Club, claiming the city has lied about the design heritage of the course.Teddy Greenstein coralled Johnny Miller before he hopped in his Town Car for a few quotes about the Cog Hill criticism from players.
From today's New York Post, an advertisement spotted and photographed by reader Tuco saluting architect Rees Jones (or a dead ringer for Phil's favorite designer). I believe today is number 70, so happy birthday Rees!
Alex Miceli reports that Cog Hill head man and all-around nice guy Frank Jemsek would like to talk to Phil Mickelson about why he finds Rees Jones' butchery of nice golf courses so awful.Rex Hoggard tracked down Rees Jones to ask about the latest round of player apathy, this time directed at his Cog Hill renovation.
On Tuesday, GTC gave Jones – whose restoration handiwork includes this year’s PGA Championship venue (Atlanta Athletic Club) and East Lake, site of next week’s Tour Championship – a chance to fire back at the growing criticism of some of his projects but the “Open Doctor” declined to enter the fray.
“I’m not going to address that,” Jones told GTC. “No comment.”
The San Francisco Chronicle's City Insider blog reports that Mayoral candidate and Supervisor John Avalos went ahead with a proposal to close the Alister MacKenzie-designed course, with a conversion of the property to be managed by the National Park Service.
''A partnership with the National Park Service will make Sharp Park more accessible, while allowing the city to reinvest resources into our neighborhood golf courses, parks and recreation centers,'' said Avalos, a mayoral candidate.
His proposal has the backing of such groups as the Sierra Club, Wild Equity Institute and National Parks Conservation Association. They hope to see the property transitioned back its more natural wetlands state.
The Recreation and Park Department wants to keep the golf course open, but has moved to reconfigure the design to keep golfers out of the most environmentally sensitive areas and has taken other measures to protect the vulnerable critters.
''We have worked to accommodate a diverse range of recreational activities at Sharp Park, including golf, hiking and dog walking, while continuing to pursue a plan with park stakeholders to restore precious habitat for the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog,'' said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the Recreation and Park Department, which has jurisdiction over the park.
Among those opposed to the proposed transfer of the property to federal jurisdiction are U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, the San Mateo Board of Supervisors, the Pacifica City Council and Public Golf Alliance.
A lawsuit hopes to block any such transfer of the course, but the group faces an uphill battle. In an ideal world, resources would be pouring in from the cash rich organizations charged with running the game to help preserve a course with a fantastic legacy and which serves a diverse audience of golf world.
I profiled the situation at Sharp Park for Golf World in May, 2009.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
