For a long time, we’ve wanted to do an in-depth exploration of the Sand Hills Golf Club, Coore & Crenshaw’s masterpiece in Mullen, Nebraska. The day has finally arrived: this episode’s guest, David Normoyle, has just released an excellent book on the history of Sand Hills called “Lonely Beauty.” David takes Garrett through both the fine details and the overarching meanings of the Sand Hills story: the initial leap of faith by the club’s founder, Dick Youngscap; the sneaky-bold design innovations of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw; and the lessons that today’s developers and architects should — but maybe haven’t yet — learned from this pathbreaking yet humble project. To purchase your own copy of “Lonely Beauty,” visit Sand Hills’ online shop here.

For a long time, we&rsquo;ve wanted to do an in-depth exploration of the Sand Hills Golf Club, Coore &amp; Crenshaw&rsquo;s masterpiece in Mullen, Nebraska. The day has finally arrived: this episode&rsquo;s guest, David Normoyle, has just released an excellent book on the history of Sand Hills called &ldquo;Lonely Beauty.&rdquo; David takes Garrett through both the fine details and the overarching meanings of the Sand Hills story: the initial leap of faith by the club&rsquo;s founder, Dick Youngscap; the sneaky-bold design innovations of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw; and the lessons that today&rsquo;s developers and architects should &mdash; but maybe haven&rsquo;t yet &mdash; learned from this pathbreaking yet humble project. To purchase your own copy of &ldquo;Lonely Beauty,&rdquo; <a href="http://shgc-2.myshopify.com">visit Sand Hills&rsquo; online shop here</a>.

The Story of Sand Hills

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cc6cdf36-d118-4ccc-8456-b4f10183f03c/transcript

Short courses are having a moment right now. They’re being built at a breakneck pace and enjoying a kind of cultural relevancy that would have been hard to predict 30 years ago. Many exciting, up-and-coming architects are getting their first big breaks on short-course projects. One of those architects is Benjamin Warren, my guest for this episode. A North Berwick native and current resident of Japan, Benjamin recently designed the Loop at Chaska, an innovative short course in Minnesota, and is currently building the Half Mile at Terra Cotta in Illinois. In this episode, he talks with Garrett about those projects, the unique characteristics of short course architecture, and some of his favorite “wee links.”

 

Shop at perfectpractice.com and use promo code DESIGN for 20% off

Short courses are having a moment right now. They&rsquo;re being built at a breakneck pace and enjoying a kind of cultural relevancy that would have been hard to predict 30 years ago. Many exciting, up-and-coming architects are getting their first big breaks on short-course projects. One of those architects is Benjamin Warren, my guest for this episode. A North Berwick native and current resident of Japan, Benjamin recently designed the Loop at Chaska, an innovative short course in Minnesota, and is currently building the Half Mile at Terra Cotta in Illinois. In this episode, he talks with Garrett about those projects, the unique characteristics of short course architecture, and some of his favorite &ldquo;wee links.&rdquo;
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Shop at <a href="http://perfectpractice.com">perfectpractice.com</a> and use promo code DESIGN for 20% off

All About Short Course Architecture

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0ba88fab-b771-4ae0-98f4-b4e301384147/transcript

Ten years ago today, Winter Park — a nine-hole municipal golf course in a suburban town outside of Orlando, Florida — underwent one of the most important renovations of the 21st century. On a budget of just over a million dollars, Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, a pair of Coore & Crenshaw associates, transformed WP9 into an excellent, fun, community-focused golf facility. It’s a model for what the municipal game can and should look like. So, in this episode, Garrett chats with Keith Rhebb about the Winter Park project and what we can learn from it. They also discuss some tune-up work Rhebb and Johns did after a recent greenkeeping incident.

Ten years ago today, Winter Park &mdash; a nine-hole municipal golf course in a suburban town outside of Orlando, Florida &mdash; underwent one of the most important renovations of the 21st century. On a budget of just over a million dollars, Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, a pair of Coore &amp; Crenshaw associates, transformed WP9 into an excellent, fun, community-focused golf facility. It&rsquo;s a model for what the municipal game can and should look like. So, in this episode, Garrett chats with Keith Rhebb about the Winter Park project and what we can learn from it. They also discuss some tune-up work Rhebb and Johns did after a recent greenkeeping incident.

The Winter Park Renovation, 10 Years Later

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Many golfers don’t like seeing out-of-bounds stakes anywhere near a playing corridor; they object on principle. Yet some of the most famous, revered holes in golf use out-of-bounds as a strategic hazard — so there must be something to it. In this installment of our Golf Architecture 101 series, Garrett takes his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark through the ways OB has been, and should be, deployed in golf course design. Garrett also brings in Craig Winter, the USGA’s Senior Director of the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, for a quick lesson on the history of the OB penalty. Toward the end of the episode, Garrett and PJ discuss several famous, OB-centric holes, including Nos. 16 and 17 at St. Andrews and the sixth hole at upcoming Presidents Cup venue Medinah No. 3.

Many golfers don&rsquo;t like seeing out-of-bounds stakes anywhere near a playing corridor; they object on principle. Yet some of the most famous, revered holes in golf use out-of-bounds as a strategic hazard &mdash; so there must be something to it. In this installment of our Golf Architecture 101 series, Garrett takes his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark through the ways OB has been, and should be, deployed in golf course design. Garrett also brings in Craig Winter, the USGA&rsquo;s Senior Director of the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, for a quick lesson on the history of the OB penalty. Toward the end of the episode, Garrett and PJ discuss several famous, OB-centric holes, including Nos. 16 and 17 at St. Andrews and the sixth hole at upcoming Presidents Cup venue Medinah No. 3.

Golf Architecture 101: The Uses of Out-of-Bounds

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On September 1, East Potomac Golf Links, a popular municipal golf facility in Washington, D.C., was supposed to shut down for a massive renovation led by the Trump administration and architect Tom Fazio. But then... it didn’t. So what’s going on here? And what’s the backstory? Garrett is joined by his Fried Egg Golf colleague (and DMV resident) Brendan Porath to go through the full history of East Potomac, from its beginnings as an innovative reversible golf course to its current status as a political football.

On September 1, East Potomac Golf Links, a popular municipal golf facility in Washington, D.C., was supposed to shut down for a massive renovation led by the Trump administration and architect Tom Fazio. But then... it didn&rsquo;t. So what&rsquo;s going on here? And what&rsquo;s the backstory? Garrett is joined by his Fried Egg Golf colleague (and DMV resident) Brendan Porath to go through the full history of East Potomac, from its beginnings as an innovative reversible golf course to its current status as a political football.

The Story of East Potomac Golf Links

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/83392fa5-ad6b-4748-a5db-b4b9018655bf/transcript

When Mike Keiser opened Bandon Dunes in 1999, his son Michael was 18 years old. Michael Jr. went on to play a key role in the expansion of the Keiser family’s Dream Golf empire. Along with his brother Chris, he oversaw the development of Wisconsin’s Sand Valley, one of the most architecturally experimental golf resorts in the country. Now, Michael is creating three new resorts of his own, all opening within the next year and a half. There’s Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, Rodeo Dunes in Colorado, and Old Shores in the Florida Panhandle. He and his wife are also supporting a handful of municipal golf projects. In this episode, Garrett sits down with Michael to explore this fascinating new phase of Keiser golf — what Michael is borrowing from the past, and how he’s trying to innovate.

When Mike Keiser opened Bandon Dunes in 1999, his son Michael was 18 years old. Michael Jr. went on to play a key role in the expansion of the Keiser family&rsquo;s Dream Golf empire. Along with his brother Chris, he oversaw the development of Wisconsin&rsquo;s Sand Valley, one of the most architecturally experimental golf resorts in the country. Now, Michael is creating three new resorts of his own, all opening within the next year and a half. There&rsquo;s Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, Rodeo Dunes in Colorado, and Old Shores in the Florida Panhandle. He and his wife are also supporting a handful of municipal golf projects. In this episode, Garrett sits down with Michael to explore this fascinating new phase of Keiser golf &mdash; what Michael is borrowing from the past, and how he&rsquo;s trying to innovate.

Michael Keiser’s Second Act

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Among America’s greatest golf courses, the East Course at Merion Golf Club is one of the oldest. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s relatively small, occupying only about 115 acres. Still, the East Course remains a legitimate championship venue, with the 2030, 2040, and 2050 U.S. Opens on its docket. Next week, the club will host the U.S. Amateur for the seventh time. So there’s no better time to discuss Merion East in depth and ask why it has endured so strongly. Garrett opens the episode with a quick rundown of the course’s key characteristics, including its routing and primary hazards. Then he brings on historian Wayne Morrison for a full exploration of Merion East’s history and its intricate Hugh Wilson-William Flynn design.

Among America&rsquo;s greatest golf courses, the East Course at Merion Golf Club is one of the oldest. It&rsquo;s no surprise, then, that it&rsquo;s relatively small, occupying only about 115 acres. Still, the East Course remains a legitimate championship venue, with the 2030, 2040, and 2050 U.S. Opens on its docket. Next week, the club will host the U.S. Amateur for the seventh time. So there&rsquo;s no better time to discuss Merion East in depth and ask why it has endured so strongly. Garrett opens the episode with a quick rundown of the course&rsquo;s key characteristics, including its routing and primary hazards. Then he brings on historian Wayne Morrison for a full exploration of Merion East&rsquo;s history and its intricate Hugh Wilson-William Flynn design.

Great Courses: Merion

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On any golf course, the greens are the center of gravity. Around 40% of the shots we hit in a given round on a regulation course are putts. Over half will be either putts or chips. And any decently hit approach shot will also interact with the green or its surrounds. So today’s Golf Architecture 101 topic is an important one. Garrett is joined by his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark to talk about greens: how they’re designed, how they’re built, and what makes a good one.

On any golf course, the greens are the center of gravity. Around 40% of the shots we hit in a given round on a regulation course are putts. Over half will be either putts or chips. And any decently hit approach shot will also interact with the green or its surrounds. So today&rsquo;s Golf Architecture 101 topic is an important one. Garrett is joined by his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark to talk about greens: how they&rsquo;re designed, how they&rsquo;re built, and what makes a good one.

Golf Architecture 101: Greens

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Next week, Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, will host the Open Championship for the 11th time. The pros will probably love it (because they almost always do), but will we like it? In this episode, Garrett discusses all things Royal Birkdale with his Fried Egg Golf colleague Joseph LaMagna, who recently visited the course. Garrett and Joseph talk about Royal Birkdale’s history, land, routing, greens, and architectural philosophy before delving into the changes the club made in preparation for this year’s Open.

Next week, Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, will host the Open Championship for the 11th time. The pros will probably love it (because they almost always do), but will we like it? In this episode, Garrett discusses all things Royal Birkdale with his Fried Egg Golf colleague Joseph LaMagna, who recently visited the course. Garrett and Joseph talk about Royal Birkdale&rsquo;s history, land, routing, greens, and architectural philosophy before delving into the changes the club made in preparation for this year&rsquo;s Open.

A Royal Birkdale Deep Dive

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One of the biggest stories in the golf course industry over the past 30 years has been the rise of the public destination golf. The 2020s in particular have seen a remarkable surge in remote developments featuring neoclassical golf architecture. So where are we now in the evolution of this type of resort? How has public destination golf influenced golf architecture? After reviewing several ongoing projects and discussing some recent trends, Garrett brings on architect Mike Koprowski to discuss his work at Candyroot Lodge, a new resort in the Carolina Sandhills. Garrett and Mike dig into the nitty-gritty of the design of Candyroot’s first course and how he’s challenging certain conventions of the public destination style.

One of the biggest stories in the golf course industry over the past 30 years has been the rise of the public destination golf. The 2020s in particular have seen a remarkable surge in remote developments featuring neoclassical golf architecture. So where are we now in the evolution of this type of resort? How has public destination golf influenced golf architecture? After reviewing several ongoing projects and discussing some recent trends, Garrett brings on architect Mike Koprowski to discuss his work at Candyroot Lodge, a new resort in the Carolina Sandhills. Garrett and Mike dig into the nitty-gritty of the design of Candyroot&rsquo;s first course and how he&rsquo;s challenging certain conventions of the public destination style.

What’s New in Public Destination Golf?

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Designing Golf is a show about golf courses: how they’re built, who builds them, and which ones are worth playing. Hosted by Fried Egg Golf’s Garrett Morrison, Designing Golf will explore all facets of golf architecture, from its basic principles to its history to its practitioners to its best examples in the United States and abroad. Each episode will investigate a different topic in a fun, concise way. Whether you’re a longtime aficionado or a beginner in the subject, Designing Golf will deepen your knowledge about and fascination with golf courses and golf course design.

Designing Golf

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