The Year in Review - Part Six – Looking Ahead

 

I believe in order to achieve something you need to set goals.

I find myself at an interesting cross-road in life where all my original golf architecture goals have been achieved and now the question is what is important and where do I go from here.

 

My Life’s Goals – 1986

At 21, being the type of person I am, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do in my lifetime. It’s a fun list that touched on my hobbies, love of travel and passion for golf course architecture. There were four things related to golf:

1.    Design a Golf Course

7.    Play at St. Andrew’s with my father
8.    Join the American Society of Golf Architects
25. Write an Article for a Golf Magazine

It took going out on my own and building the course at Laval to feel that I finally did accomplished the very first goal on my list “to my satisfaction”. In my opinion the design is ¼ Routing, ¼ Philosophy, ¼  Hole Design and ¼ Details. You need to fully engaged in “all” of those decisions to design a course. Laval was that project.

Interestingly there was no mention on my goals for family life or running a design business.

 

Me, Remi, Mike and Luc at the start of Laval

Starting a Business – Was Never a Goal

My father always lamented not starting a business. That was his dream. Not mine. My father was terrific at turning around businesses and did so. I’m very much my father’s son and perhaps some of his business acumen was passed down.

I didn’t think I was an entrepreneur by nature. And for that reason I enjoyed the comfort of working inside a successful firm. But my growing frustrations as a designer and a complete disagreement on how to grow a business in the new environment we found ourselves in told me I needed to control my own destiny.

Running a successful business is far harder than designing a golf course. But it’s something I’ve come to enjoy because there is a little more art and a little less science than I would have initially thought.

So here I am, seven years later. Do I want something different? Am I content? What are my goals now?

 

If You Want Something Different – Change your Approach

It’s human nature to spend too much time acknowledging what’s working and ignoring what isn’t working. Being self-critical I can honestly say my glaring weakness is my lack of a network to bring in new work.

I’m quite good at finding renovation work and I know most of the key players personally. I’ve expanded in Canada and the US through contacts I continue to make. Being self-critical I need to show more interest and make a greater effort to work out West.

I would like to do more new projects. If I want that to happen I need to build my network of people that will put me in touch with people looking to build new courses. I need to get out and meet with key players who can help me find those projects. Being self-critical, I need to become better at networking.

TPC Sawgrass 17th under construction

 

New Projects

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve not been a complete failure on this end. I did look at a couple of projects for neither business at the request of individuals that called me.

This year included a waterfront site east of Toronto. The project would easily turn heads, but the price of the land is a stumbling block so we remain patient that the price will become more realistic with time.

A second was in Saskatoon regarding a very hilly property, but additional is required to make the site yield the development numbers to make the whole thing work.

I also got involved with a proposal to acquire an existing course. I think the course is decidedly average despite the great site. The plan is to develop part of the course and rebuild new holes using an exciting piece of adjacent property. This would be a fantastic project because I know how good the course would become. 

 

My Goals

The number one goal for me is finding a new golf course project. I’m going to change my approach and see what I can do to find new golf course work.

I’m going to spend a little more effort trying to find some renovation work out West and build a presence in the golf community out there. I think it’s an area that I’ve neglected and an opportunity that I’m missing out on.

The final one is I’m going to write that book I often talk about.

A conceptual page

 

The Book

I’ve kicked this around for a while. I’m done kicking this around.  I want to bring the last seven years of writing into some semblance of order and publish it as a book. I know that I won’t be able to find a book deal, nor do I care, because I want to write a book for myself.

I’ve never listed it as a goal at any point, not because I didn’t have that desire, but because I thought I wasn’t capable. I finally believe I can write a book. Like starting my business I find myself with the exact same thought. “It’s better to try and fail than not try at all.”

The goal is to self-publish a small run of books and give them to my close friends as gifts. I have no worries about the content. I have plenty, including more than few well thought through insights that I think make for an interesting read. I think I’ve settled on a format. The struggle has always been the thread that links the entire collection that will make it read as a book. I will look for the central narrative this holiday season and get back to you on this January 7^th.

 

That is the end of The Year in Review, Happy Holidays everyone. I'll probably post some New Year's Resolutions before the end of the year.

 

The Year in Review - Part Five – Weir Golf Design

Hitting at ther 5th hole

For Mike and I, this is our moment of truth. We’ve built our first course and now people can play our work and assess us as designers. For me this is exciting. I’m pretty confident about what we built.

 

In the Press

Course Preview: Laval Sur-le-lac (Blue Course)

Robert Thompson, Going For the Green, July 11^th, 2012
“In creating Laval Andrew has proven that he’s more than just a renovation/restoration designer — he’s developed his own vision, bucking trends and displaying his own take on what makes great golf. Weir, for a pro/designer, actually brings benefits beyond just his name. The pairing works well and the course they’ve developed looks like a hell of a lot of fun to play.”

10th, 16th, 17th and18th from the air

Par is Best Defended at the Green

Lorne Rubenstein, Globe & Mail, October 10th
“We don't try defend par. I personally believe this is no longer possible”

Laval-sur-le-Lac offre un tout nouveau parcours

François Gagnon, La Presse, October 16th

 

The Laval Retrospective Series

 

I produced a 25 part video series that explains the entire process for The Blue Course. It begins with how we got the work, talks about the routing, the broad concepts behind the design and our site walk together. The series talks in depth about the design of all 18 holes and what changes we made on site. It finishes with a discussion of the concept of flexible set-up, designing for the Canadian Open and few final thoughts. It’s collectively close to two hours, so it’s best watched over a month. So a good friend and fellow designer said, it’s very interesting, but I can only watch one or two at a time. I don’t plan to repeat this ever again.

 

Mike Weir’s Thoughts on Laval in June

“In addition to working on my game, I've been up at Laval-sur-le-Lac, looking at our project there. Ian Andrew and I have been putting in time to create what we think will be a course that can be played by members of all skill levels and the best of the PGA Tour. In fact, we had some folks from the Tour up to look at the course and they gave us a good review.

I hope people get what Ian and I have done at Laval. I think it's going to be a very innovative and enjoyable course. I'm proud of the work and it's been exciting to see it come along.”

Speaking of the tour, we had our first walk with them in the summer.

Les Claytor - PGA Tour

Canadian Open at Laval in 2017?

The fact that it might host the Canadian Open in 2017 is both thrilling and frightening. I wrote a piece in the summer that detailed our design ideas that addressed how we believed it was possible to make a tournament venue without making a course that was a grind for the members.

Building a Course for a Canadian Open

 “I think we’ve been very smart to design a course that has such versatility relying on firmness, pin position and the absence of rough around greens. There has a been a lot of thought put into how to defend without a reliance on excessive length, but their ability to hit it ridiculously long occasionally creeps into the architectural conversation/decision making particularly concerning landing areas.”

The Redan - 235 yards back into the wind

Length never leaves the conversation when talking about professional play. Later I went on to discuss some minor modifications we made during construction to deal with the length of players and challenges from the tee.

“We ended up making a few modifications and tightened up the grassing lines in the landing areas just a bit to make sure the professionals didn’t have a free run. Again I’ll count on the set-up and keeping the rough low and in check as a critical factor in making sure this course is fun.”

The course is slightly narrower than I would like at 30 to 35 yards. But then again I wanted more width in the worst possible locations for attacking the greens. I guess I saw a little more value in deception than others did.

9th hole

Future New Course

This is a tough time to find new work because it’s tough to get a new project financed. The Canadian projects that appear to be starting up out West are actually old projects that have come back on line after five or more years. We have a great lead on an Eastern Project that would be a really nice fit for us. This is our current focus because it appears to have a quick timeline too.

 

Final Thoughts on Laval

13th hole - 3rd hot

Laval was the particular opportunity I had waited close to 25 years to have. This was a chance to build something different than what I’ve seen built in Canada for the last 25 years. Canadian Golf hasn’t seen enough innovation with most of the work being another version of the same basic idea. In my opinion it was time that Canadian Golf Design got out of the box and presented something a little different and little fresher.

Mike and I wanted to build a course that gave players the opportunity to choose their own experience from the options they have on the tees and with approach shots. We invited to show their creativity through shots that they choose to play. We did not want to tell them what they must do. The experience would be flexible, take on as little or as much trouble as you want, the choice is yours to make. But if you intend to go low, you will need to take on much greater risk to score.

The final shot to the final hole

And we do think at if they play The Canadian Open at Laval the players will go low.

Our philosophy comes directly from our favourite tournament courses like St. Andrew’s, Augusta National and Royal Melbourne which all prove that a great test does not have to be penal. Great golf courses can be very forgiving to the average player just by adjusting the set-up and providing them with room to play. Those were the courses and ideals that we choose to emulate. We wanted the sounds of the Masters rather than the groans of The US Open.

 

 

 

 

 

The Year in Review - Part Four – Ian Andrew Golf Design

Away from work

The work on the Blue Course at Laval-sur-le-lac was done for Weir Golf Design, so I’ll talk about Laval tomorrow in that year-end review.

 

Ian Andrew Golf Design - In the Press

It was a great year for coverage with a vast majority focusing on the work at Highlands Links, but there were lots of other interviews and pieces that talked about golf design. Each title contains a link to the original piece.

Interview With Golf Course Architect Ian Andrew

Buffalo Golfer, October 30^th, 2012
“The more options I have with a piece of land, the more I am to offer up something innovative and interesting to play.”

"Wow" factor restored at Highlands Links

Rick Young, ScoreGolf, October 9^th, 2012
“While the golf course remains a work in progress, its transformation under the guidance of architect Ian Andrew, general manager Graham Hudson and some good folks from Parks Canada is nothing short of astounding.”

15th at Highlands Links completed

Andrew Completes Highlands Project

Adam Lawrence, Golf Course Architecture, September 25^th, 2012
“The two year project has seen Andrew, assisted by the course's in-house crew, rebuild most of Thompson's original bunkers, plus a considerable amount of tree clearing and green space recapture.”

Long Shots

Cecilia Paine and Kristen Brown, Landscapes Magazine, Fall 2012
The piece covers historical restorations of Canadian Golf Courses.

Ian Andrew on CTV Morning Live in Ottawa

CTV Studios, September 6th
Video interview about Carleton and also about golf architecture

Cape Breton Highlands: A Classic Canadian

James A. Frank, Links Magazine, Summer 2012
“Hudson is also continuing a program of architectural restoration—overseen by Thompson expert Ian Andrew—to bring the course back to how it looked when Thompson designed it”


18th at Highlands Links

Highlands Links getting a thorough makeover
Martin Kaufmann, GolfWeek, August 3rd, 2012
“Since 2009, Andrew has been addressing those issues through a gradual, but extensive, restoration. That includes the planned removal of 10 acres of trees; seven acres already have been removed, allowing the turf to get more exposure to the sun while also opening up views to the Atlantic Ocean.”

Atlantic Trail

Tom Peters, Canadian Golfer, March 9^th, 2012

Cape Breton Ready for Big Things

Bob Weeks, ScoreGolf, June 28th, 2012
"I got the tour of the course from Graham Hudson, the effervescent manager of the facility and a guy who has to be given a lot of credit for bringing this course back to condition. He went through the red tape of Parks Canada and brought in Ian Andrew to restore Highlands as well as to clear out trees to allow for better growing conditions as well as great scenery.”

Renovation of the Year in 2012

Thomas Dunne
Links Magazine
January 14th 2012

 

At Pebble with Mike for interview at Quail Hollow

Ian Andrew Golf Design - The Year in Stats

Clients I Worked With: 25
Existing Clients: 40
New Clients: 5 Carleton, Hillsdale, Toftrees (PA.), Glen Falls (NY.), PEI Golf Links
New Master Plans 2 Hillsdale & Carleton
Interviews 8 (others were in CA., IL, ON, NY, NY, NJ)
Money Spent Chasing Work: $7,877.00
Pending Decisions 3 (NY, NY, NJ)
New Master Plan for 2013: Pennhills, Bradford, PA.
Potential Master Plans for Next Year 5 (ON, QU, NY, NY, NJ)
Farthest Call I received: San Paulo, Brazil
Farthest trip for Interview: Monterrey, CA. (Potential Weir Project)
Interesting Recommendations: Gil Hanse, Bill Coore, PGA Tour and USGA

3rd Hole at Cedar Brae

 

Renovation and Restoration Work in 2012

The season began with fairway recapturing at Glen Falls CC, short grass work around the greens at Park Country Club and Cherry Hill Club. There was also spring bunker work at The Park CC and a full bunker restoration of the 16^th hole at Orchard Park CC. The summer brought three visits to do restore the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th bunkers at Highlands Links which completed all the bunker work on the course. The fall started with the construction of the Cutten Club Chipping Facility and Range Tee. It also brought the reconstruction of two greens on the North Course at Elm Ridge including short grass areas around the greens. Late fall saw the reconstruction of bunkering on the 7^th and 10^th holes at St. Thomas along with the relocation of the 3^rd hole at Cedar Brae. Throw the work at Laval-sur-le-lac into the mix and it was a really busy year with construction work.

10th Hole at St. Thomas

 

Renovation and Restoration Work in 2013

It will be a quieter year unless there is a big surprise.

In Ontario Carleton Golf & Yacht Club has approved the work on two of the holes for next year. Cedar Brae is planning on starting bunker work on 4 or 5 holes. I expect St. Thomas to continue with tree removal program and potentially take on more bunkers in the fall. I see the potential for a larger project on the horizon with Oakdale but nothing is set in stone yet.

In Montreal I see more grassing work at Elm Ridge and Hillsdale. I see some potential for bunker work at Hillsdale and there has been some talk about renovating all Laval’s Green Course bunkers, but I expect they will need a year without work first.

There is nothing scheduled out East or out West this coming year. Although I plan to finally get back to Saskatoon and play a few rounds at Saskatoon G&CC while on a short summer holiday with the family.

I expect more tinkering with the New York State courses, but I don’t see any major projects in the plans for any of them.

1st Tee at Spring Brook

 

Growth in America

 The vast majority of my calls right now are coming from American clubs. I seem to get a lot of calls from the New York City area, particularly from courses designed by Walter Travis. I’m interviewing at higher and higher profile clubs, which is a great sign for the future. The only thing I need to do is ensure it’s not a cattle call because the process is very expensive. I’ve taken to asking for travel expenses to gauge their interest and keep my costs down, only one club passed.

If you want to make sense of that, go back to where some recommendations came from and that is the reason I'm seing more American clubs calling.

 

The State of The Business

 

I have little on the books for next year, but that's the case every year at this time. It doesn't mean I don't worry a little over the winter and it shows in the piece a bit. As you can see from the stats, I have lots of potential work and that's good. That may mean nothing until they commit, but the fact that I still see all this activity in the renovation market bodes well for me. I won't get all of that work, most likely not even half, but it's very unlikely I'll get none. I still have 40 clients and they managed to fill the last three months with no major projects, so I'm quite certain I'll have a solid but unspectacular year.

 

Year in Review - Part Three – My Year

This section covers the golf courses I visited and some personal highlights of the year. I’ll talk more specifically about Ian Andrew Golf Design and then Weir Golf Design in the next installments.

Highlight of The Year – Part 1 - The Score Top 100 Show

Jason Logan came to me with the idea of him playing a par four while I talked about all the options he had while explaining how to design a short par four. We selected the 5^th at Hamilton because it had marvelous multiple options and they were about to play a Canadian Open there. The whole piece was done in about two hours and what I said was off completely off the cuff and done in a single take. The exception was at the green because I realized I went to the wrong side of the flag (blocked my face) and promptly swore. My only regret is saying “great shot” too often, but Jason did hit the ball well and it was unfortunately my instinct.

http://scoregolf.com/media/television/1_e4fwutts  go to 27:25 to watch for 8 minutes

I proudly watched the show with my family but before I could beam with pride my oldest son took me down a peg by saying, “What a lousy script.” I replied, “But it was done on the fly without a script” To which he responded, “You definitely need a script.”

Lookout Mountain

 

My Golf Trips

This was the least number of rounds (25) that I’ve played since I separated my shoulder during a hockey tournament. It was a very busy year with so much construction and long days spent on site. But I did make two short golf trips during the year.

The first was in April for the ASGCA meeting in Chattanooga. We played Lookout Mountain by Seth Raynor (great course), Chattanooga Country Club by Donald Ross (very good set of threes) and The Honours Course by Pete Dye (awesome except the lake holes which did nothing for me). It was the first time we played a great set of courses for an ASGCA meeting in five years (I’m skipping the next over the golf and location).

The second trip was the biannual Golf Societies Study Tour. The courses were Bethpage (Black) by A.W. Tillinghast (see review below), The National Golf Links of America by Charles Blair Macdonald (awesome), Maidstone by Willie Park Jr. (fantastic) and Baltusrol (Lower) by A.W. Tillinghast (good but not great). I also played Spring Brook in New Jersey by Walter Travis and The Creek Club by Seth Raynor (awesome) in preparation the matches. How good was that trip!

 

Golfing Highlight of The Year – Part 2 - Highlands Links with James

I managed to play Highlands Links four times including a round with Adam Lawrence (Golf Architecture Magazine), one with Tom Dunne (Links Magazine), one with Robert Thompson and a couple with Graham Hudson. But the highlight was with round I played with youngest son James. I have played the course with my father in 1981 and now with my youngest son in 2012. It was one of those great circles of life moments few of us get to enjoy. My wife was also with us (not playing) and it was the first round of golf I have ever spent in the company of my wife!

 

The Short

Best Course – National Golf Links of America

This is the course that changed American Golf Design. It introduced Americans to brilliant concepts on the grandest of scale imaginable with some of the greatest detailing work the game has ever seen. The golf course exudes all the same playing pleasures and options that people love at the Old Course, while throwing in some excellent novel twists of its own. It is in my Top 5!

 

Golfing Highlight of the Year – Part 3 – The Zone

In competition at Maidstone, from the 13^th to the 3^rd holes (began on 8^th) I went: birdie, par, par, par, par, bogie, bogie, par, birdie. Even par over nine holes in competition. At times I was so in control that I played for spots on greens. One of the bogies was a three putt. We ended up waiting on the 4^th tee for two groups to finish and the magic was gone, I promptly topped my tee shot in the water and made double bogey …. ugh. but it was nice while it lasted.

Older Image of Besthpage w/ large fairways

 

Most Disappointing Course – Bethpage Black

I really loved the course the first time I played it despite the one dimensional playing style because I was so impressed with the magnificent scale of architecture and the spectacular use of angles off the tee and at the greens. I thought it was a brilliant layout despite the rough between fairway and greens which made it overly penal.

The recent grassing lines are so much worse. The fairways have been dramatically narrowed down to around 25 yards so it’s always at US Open width removing both the options and the last remnants of playability. The result is a course that only the last .0001% can play, which is kind of stupid considering it’s a “public course.”

What they missed or didn’t seem to comprehend was unless you are ridiculously long or can work the ball in the direction of the diagonal, there is not enough width to keep the ball in many fairways. Since so much play is on an angle and each green is fronted by thick rough and deep bunkers, most of the day is spent laying up on your second shots.

It was a much better golf course with wider fairways, both for play and aesthetics it created. The fairways don’t match the scale of hazards, setting or land and everything no longer fits flawlessly liked it once did. They need to fix the grassing lines.

 

Best Renovation Work – The Creek Club

Sometimes it’s not what you add, but what you remove that makes a restoration. The Creek Club got rid of a lot of trees to open up the course and expand the views, particularly below the clubhouse. Now those holes are separated by beautiful stands of native grasses instead of the trees that once blocked the view of the ocean. All the invasive vegetation is gone from the dune holes and the dunes were rebuilt and replanted to match the original feel when the course opened. Finally, the invasive reeds that blocked the view of the water on the lowest holes set on the ocean inlet were all removed. The result is beautiful ocean views and a far more playable set of holes. Few clubs have gained so much by removal alone.

 

Biggest Surprise – Glens Falls Country Club – Donald Ross

Glens Falls would be best described as one of the wildest rollercoaster rides in golf. It is a wonderful Donald Ross course set in the forests of upper New York State featuring some of the biggest ups and downs I have seen in quite some time. The variation in how Ross used the land is a tantamount to how good Donald Ross was at identifying excellent holes. There is nothing flat from the fairways to the greens and there are so many truly innovative features added including the one of a kind green on the 5^th. This course is easily in the Top 100 in the world and one of the greatest surprises I have ever had. It’s that good … and I’m lucky enough to be working there.

 

My Writing this Year

I did a bit of writing for publications, but I’ve not actively pursued much since 2008. I enjoy writing, but I don’t like the idea of taking the work from writers when their opportunities shrank with fewer publications and working for lower rates.

Here are the articles I was asked to write:

Restoring a Stanley Thompson Classic

Coming in January in Canadian Groundskeeper
The piece discusses the challenges of working at Highlands Links.

“How to Build a Better Bunker” (click to link)

In Golf Business Canada, Winter 2012
This is a step by step guide to building a better bunker that will last.

“Is Technology Progress? (click to link)

Golf Architecture Magazine, January 2012
I take on the hidden ramification of technology and how it impacts and hurts the game

The Blog – 2012 in Stats (as of Dec. 15^th)

2012 Page Views 108,204

2012 Posts I Made 113
2012 Posts Still Up (edited recently) 80
Most Popular (all time) Review of Pebble Beach Golf Links
Most Popular (recent) Letter to ASGCA
2012 My Choice: Do Bunkers Represent the Same Strategic Value They Once Did?

 

My Life with Anxiety

There is a stigma attached to someone trying to cope with mental health issues and because of this it inhibits people`s wiliness to seek help. The Let's Talk Mental Health Initiative is all about people sharing their own issues to help others come forward and deal with their problems. So this year I shared a blog called: My Life with Anxiety . I`m open about the inconvenience it was for me at times in the past. It did not ever affect work, but it did affect the quality of my life. I had to be open with my family, my doctor and a few key friends to help find answers and a solution. I got more emails than I would have guessed and many from people who don`t have anything to do with golf. I`m glad I shared my story.

 

Life on the Road - 2012 in Stats

Flights 78

Miles Flown 80,533 miles
Kilometers Driven for Work 23,807 km
Longest Trip away 13 days
Nights in a Hotel 48
Cars Rented: 29
Nights in My Montreal Apartment 30 (May and June)
Days working in Montreal 38
Days working in Cape Breton 13

 

A Dream Year

 

I was finishing a dream restoration project at Highlands Links, interviewing at clubs in Monterrey, Chicago and New York, all while working on a new golf course for Laval-sur-le-lac with Mike Weir. This was the best year I ever had as an architect.





 

The Year in Review - Part Two – Golf Architecture

The Old Course 17th hole - courtesy of Golf Digest

The Olympic Course should have been the biggest story, but it’s not, the changes to the Old Course have brought on a far greater reaction.

 

Biggest Story – Old Course Renovations

Statement issued by Peter Dawson

“We have considered the challenge presented to the world’s top golfers by each of The Open Championship venues and carried out a programme of improvements over the last ten years. While some holes have been lengthened on the Old Course in recent years it has otherwise remained largely unaltered. The Championship Committee felt there was an opportunity to stiffen its defences in some places to ensure it remains as challenging as ever to the professionals. The proposals from Martin Hawtree should place more of a premium on accuracy and ball control while retaining the spirit and character of the Old Course.”

 

Some Assorted Reactions

“I don’t know if these changes are needed. What I do know is the reasons given for making them are unconvincing and not enough basis for tinkering with sacred ground.” – Brad Klein

“I'm always wistful -- and occasionally angry -- when supposedly well-intended folks meddle with classic courses just to keep them "relevant" for Tour pros. However, in the case of the current row over the changes at the Old Course, I'm siding with Jack and Tiger. Mustache on the Mona Lisa? More like meh.” - Joe Passov

“Golf’s shrine has been desecrated in an act of staggering arrogance by those meant to care for it.” - John Huggins

“That's why I find the protest pointless. Without change, golf architects wouldn't have any reason to be in business.”  - Ron Whitten

“I think that the default position should be that such an international treasure should be guarded, and that there should be a high burden of proof that changes need to be made, before they can be made.” – Tom Doak

Peter Dawson - courtesy European Tour

 

Dawson’s Reaction to the Reaction

“There’s a huge amount of comment out there on social media,” Dawson said. “Most of it is ill-informed and we need some balance and perspective. I know there are lots of people who think the Old Course has never been touched, should never be touched, that it’s a shrine,” Dawson said. “The history of that is simply not factual.”

I agree with what he says about “the facts” and changes, but he’s missing the point, we just don’t agree with the reasons for the work.

 

The Architecture Societies … talk and do nothing

“While I may not personally like what some architects choose to do with historical courses, I had never seen a proposal so egregious that I thought we as an organization needed to take a stand. Until now. The latest proposal for renovations to the Old Course in my opinion crosses that line.” – Ian Andrew in letter to ASGCA

The three societies initially talked about condemning the work, then they talked about issuing a joint statement, then they did essentially nothing. Second thoughts and second opinions lead to silence, which in my mind is as good as endorsing the work. I watched the email play out and knew they were retreating fast from their initial comments.

 

Gil Hanse at the Press Conference for The Olympic Decision - courtesy Golfweek

The Olympic Course Commission – Hanse Golf Design

“The Rio 2016 committee said Hanse Golf Design was the candidate that most aptly met the selection criteria issued by organizers, proposing a strong legacy component that included a golf academy to help the sport's development in Brazil.

“Hanse Golf Course Design tackled the challenge of designing a course for use by both elite and amateur athletes, one of the main legacy objectives. It addressed the environmental sustainability directives for the games and efficiently conformed to the building restrictions on the land."

The decision was a shock, not because Gil wasn’t worthy, because he was the best choice, but because they didn’t pick one of the celebrity designers vying for the commission. I had assumed Jack would win from the outset.

This leads us to the quote of the year issued after the awarding.

 

Olympic Course Related Quote of the Year - Robert Trent Jones Jr.

"Like any sportsman who gets to compete at the Olympic level, it was clearly worth the effort. My feelings are mixed between the personal disappointments of not being selected but also happiness that a true golf architect was selected.” –RTJ Jr.

Architect of the Year - Gil Hanse

This was sort of given once “The Decision” was made, but when you also throw in rave reviews for the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, the incredible renovation of Los Angeles Country Club and being hired by The Donald to renovate the Blue Course at Doral. Gil has clearly moved to the forefront of golf course architecture.

… Luke Donald’s thoughts aside.

 

Twitter on Golf Architecture  

I’m not into the cat fights on the LPGA, the PGA Tour player’s tasteless comments about Obama or Luke Donald’s stupid remark about Gil, so instead here were the two tweets that I liked the most about golf architecture. 

"It's a fantastic golf course, just a real advertisement for, you know, how a golf course doesn't need length to be tricky and tough." - Graham McDowell on Kingston Heath

“Kingston Heath is totally awesome. Someone please tell modern day architects we don't need 8000 yard tracks they're not enjoyable.” - Ian Poulter

Trump courtesy of TheNews.com

Most Biased Architecture Review – The Great Toupee

“The greatest golf course anywhere in the world."

The Donald after completing just the first nine holes on Trump Links in Aberdeen with George O'Grady CEO European Tour and Sandy Jones CEO of the UK PGA.

 

Course of the Year – Cabot Links

Many of the game’s top writers have ventured out to play Trump Links and have concurred that it’s indeed a very good course set over a spectacular site. But they have also cautioned that the design many not be playable in any significant wind and a few have even suggest its unplayable period.

The other end of the spectrum is Cabot Links. The course is fun, quirky and definitely playable even in significant wind. Some have suggested it’s in the Top 100 in the World while others think it’s just a nose below the elite. No matter which your opinion, it’s the first must play built in Canada since Stanley Thompson finished Highlands Links.

Cabot Links - courtesy of the Toronto Sun

Best Golf Course Review - Tom Dunne

“I have this analogy in mind: In music, you sometimes hear of a great violinist who's technically accomplished, but perhaps his performance doesn't measure up to another whose playing is flawed but passionate. Is there a term for this? I'm stumbling toward this idea, because I feel like Cabot hit all the right notes, but it didn't quite move me.”

It caught the uncertainty that some, including myself, have felt in seeing the course, largely because the pre-hype had put it squarely inside the Top 100 in World. Tom doesn’t argue its quality. What he does question is the very high praise it has received.

Courses to Come

Next year brings the two courses of Streamsong built out of an old mining site with mammoth dunes and lumpy land. The early reviews are great and the accompanying images certainly catch your interest. It will also bring the opening of Laval-sur-le-lac’s Blue Course.

But these pale in comparison to the potential of Cabot Cliffs being designed by Coore and Crenshaw or the intrigue of what the Olympic Course by Gil Hanse will look like. I have made tentative arrangements to work for a week (or more) on the Olympic Course this winter. The site is average but the project is one for the ages.

Streamsong Courtesy of AerialAmerica.com

Rest in Peace

The golf design world lost many this year including John Harbottle, Robin Nelson and Geoff Cornish.