Golf Course Design: One Designer’s Viewpoint
Courtesy: Ian Andrew Golf Design
I wonder how many amateur golfers can tell a good golf course from a bad one. What I mean is, do we know a great design when we see it?
I guess it's all in your definition of "a great design".
I had the pleasure to interview Ian Andrew who is a course designer working out of Toronto. Ian has worked extensively with Doug Carrick, one of Canada's top designers and is now on his own.
Ian has very definite views on what constitutes a good course design. And, for that matter, what constitutes a good designer!
Ian believes most modern architects today make a player hit one particular type of shot off the tee without any options for other kinds of shots.
That's because many new courses have narrow fairways and the type of tee shot is pretty much a given.
"Older courses had wider fairways", Ian said, "The old Augusta was like that. Now, the new Augusta makes players just find the fairway off the tee". And that, he said, results in a one dimensional task rather than offering multiple choices.
"My knock on modern golf is that we have a tendency to TELL people what to do rather than allow them to investigate how best to go about beating the golf course", Ian told me.
But, wait a second. Those changes to Augusta over the years have been made to try and control the game that the pros play now.
"That's right", said Ian, "technology has taken off on architects and golf courses. The theory that Fazio talks about is that they have tried to put the same clubs back into the players' hands". In other words, make the pros hit that 2-iron again today just like the pros had to back in the days of Jones and Hogan.
"But what they've also done", he continued, "is tighten up the fairways, add a second cut of rough and they've removed the chance of taking some risk". Very interesting.
"I go back to when Ian Woosnam won the Masters (1991). He wasn't hitting it well but he hit amazing recovery shots. Back then, everybody took more chances. Now, when they're coming down the stretch, it's not about making birdies anymore. It's more of a survivor mentality".
You can tell that Ian is a designer with some forceful opinions. But I think a lot of what he says makes sense.
He told me he's a fan of the US Open, likes watching it. But it's defensive golf, he said. It's interesting to watch how players who are so great react to that much pressure, he told me.
"But if Augusta goes the same way, it gets away from what made the tournament fun and that was that sometimes the pros went low. It's Nicklaus's 30 on the back nine that stirs the soul. Not somebody nursing home a 36". Can you argue with that?
Tomorrow, Ian puts his money where his mouth is and explains how HE designs courses.
Oh, and he has a few things to say about touring pros who call themselves designers, as well!
I disagree with Ian’s assement. What the public wants to see is one or two players dominate a field. That doesn’t necessarily mean shooting a 30, it means shooting any score that is lower than what would be expected. If that means shooting a 69 on a course that is typically only yielding 75′s, then so be it. The crowd would likely be more impressed with that than somebody shooting a 62 on a course that everyone shoots under par on.
I think the “defensive” golf that players are being forced to play is a more accurate test of a players all around game, not just the shots they choose to play. And if you look at the stats it is the best players in the world who excel on these tough courses, as they should.