1 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's the Son of a Butch podcast. We come to 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: you every Wednesday. Happy New Year took a couple of 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: weeks off. Everyone had a happy and safe holiday season. Um. 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: I got a little cold weather here in Florida for Christmas, 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: which was nice. So UM, but I hope everybody had fun. Um, 6 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: So the pot is back in this week. Gil hants 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: probably the hottest architect in in Gulf architecture. UM, certainly 8 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: from a major championship standpoint. I mean, Gil seems to 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: be that guy right now that all the governing bodies UM, 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: specifically the US Open. Uh, they seem to be choosing 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: Gil to come in and do a lot of the 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: redesigns we talked about that. Um. He did a redesign 13 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: of the of the wing Foot course that Bryson Dashambo 14 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: won the US Open. On redesign of the U S 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: Open course the country club that Matts Matt's Fitzpatrick went 16 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: on past year and Los Angeles country Club, Uh redid 17 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: that one and that's where the U S Open will 18 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: be held this year. UM. I love his work. UM. 19 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: I like him as a person. I think he's a 20 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: really really cool guy. I like the aesthetic and UM listen. 21 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: Golf architecture is is a hot topic, right UM, from 22 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: an aesthetic standpoint, from a UM distant standpoint, from a 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: design standpoint, and and Gil is definitely at the forefront 24 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: of golf course architecture in two. So sit back and 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: enjoy the interview with Gil. Hands Well, Gil, thanks UM 26 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: for taking the time to do this. UM. We've had 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: I've had golf instructors, I've had professional golfers, but to 28 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: UM get a golf course architect like yourself, that's a 29 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: that's a huge thing. And UM, I'm super excited to 30 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,559 Speaker 1: talk to full disclosure. When I was younger, my dad 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: was building uh south Shore Harbor and clear Lake, Texas 32 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: for UM Bruce Devlin and Voneggie and I worked in 33 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: the summertime on helping him build the golf course. So 34 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: you know what it's like, it's that's the only way 35 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: to do it, get your hands. It is amazing, you 36 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: know when you look at what golf course has become. 37 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: I mean that experience has always kind of shaped my 38 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: view of it. You know, we were you know, putting 39 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: in the drains and the bunkers and then filling it 40 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: up with the gravel, and you know, they were still filling, 41 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: you know, grading the lake parts, and then then they 42 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: were shaping the greens. When you when you see a 43 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: golf course, um, from start to finish, it is an 44 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: amazing process. And it's something that I think for someone 45 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: like you to get to do that on a regular basis, 46 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: it must just be an amazing experience. It is, and 47 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: and and first and foremost it's fun. I mean to 48 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: see you know, you see probably you know, with with 49 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: what you do, you see a progression. I mean maybe 50 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: you're you're that good that you see instant results, but 51 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: you know, you work with a student and you see 52 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: the progression over time and and from us it's like 53 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: a daily thing you can at the end of the day. 54 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: I've I've said this before. My favorite time on site 55 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: is when we shut the machines off and we get 56 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: out of them and we look at what we've accomplished 57 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: that day, and you can see what you've shaped. You 58 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: can see the creation all of these things. And I 59 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: think that's number one is rewarding goes quiet and you 60 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: were finally got the machine, and and number two, the 61 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: sons usually going down. And so it's just that special 62 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: special time on site. But having the ability to see 63 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: a daily result over and over again, and then you know, 64 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: shifting landscapes, different projects, et cetera is one of the 65 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: more rewarding parts of what we get to do. Why 66 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: golf instruction for you go, I mean, talk me through. 67 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: You know what made you get into this, why you 68 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: did it, and how you started. Yeah, it's um. I 69 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: came to golf, you know, later, like I was sixteen. 70 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: I think my grandfather was the only golfer in our family, 71 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: and he hung the moon as far as I was concerned, 72 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: just idolized him. I've never met a nicer man, and 73 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: just the way he handled himself, it was it was 74 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: a great role model. And when he invited me to 75 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: go play golf, it was like yes, And I think 76 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: I fell in love with the golf landscape. Then. I'm 77 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: not sure if it was because he was in that 78 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: golf landscape or whether it was just the beauty of it. 79 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: I've never seen anything like that or experienced it. And 80 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: then it got to be a point where I just 81 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: you know, over time went along and you went to 82 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: school study political science and history, which was where I 83 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: thought I was going to go with me. I had 84 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: the I had the exact same major. By the way, 85 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: did you really industry? So you know, yeah, you know exactly. 86 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, now what are you doing to have that? 87 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: So I wound up going to Cornell and studying city 88 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: and regional planning and not landscape architecture. And I met 89 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: a guy named Tom Griswold who subsequently went on to 90 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: work for Tom Fazzio for years and years. He was 91 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: studying to be a golf architect. And I went home. 92 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: Tras and I were engaged at the time of Mary 93 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: thirty six years. I went home and said, listen, you 94 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: can do this. You can actually become a golf architect. 95 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: I doodled holes for forever, and it was gonna mean 96 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: another year of school because I didn't have a design 97 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: undergrad but she was incredibly supportive and switched gears right 98 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: then and there. So it was. It was not a 99 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: linear path by any stretch of the imagination. But come 100 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:22,559 Speaker 1: to say, and I'm sure it helps you as well. 101 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: You know, the history of the game, understanding appreciating it 102 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: if through your eyes, the evolution of the golf swing 103 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: and equipment and technology through our eyes, the evolution of 104 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: golf courses and especially when we deal with a lot 105 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: of these great old clubs. That's an important part of it. 106 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: And you know as well, club politics are brutal, so 107 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: having an understanding of, you know, sort of the political science, 108 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: how you deal with people, how you handle people. So 109 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: while it wasn't a direct benefit to me, it's it's had. 110 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: It's that degree combination is paid off over the years. 111 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: You said that you did a lot of drawings and 112 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: stuff like that. I mean, I think, you know, fifty three, um, 113 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, we're certainly not young people. And I think 114 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: now you can go you can go online and look 115 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: at all of the great golf courses. There's videos, there's 116 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: so much content, there's so much information out there. But 117 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: when I was growing up, my dad had all these 118 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: great old books and there were the you know, the 119 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: top hundred golf courses in the world. You know. It 120 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: was a book, probably in the seventies, and I remember 121 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: just looking through it and it had pictures of the 122 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: holes and then it had like a little aerial map 123 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: of what the layout was. And I said, go on, 124 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: take you know, magic markers and you know, draw all 125 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: these you know, fancy holes and try and make golf 126 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: courses and my dad was like, you have no idea, 127 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: what the hell you're doing. That's never gonna work. But 128 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: I just loved the drawing in the the over. I 129 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: remember we lived in Morocco and my dad was the 130 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: first golf Royal Dar Salam Trent Jones um the fifty 131 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: four holes there, and they they had I mean we 132 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: moved there in the seventies and they had this like 133 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: it's like a I guess it was a model of 134 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: the golf course that you know that actually you know 135 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: those old ones from the seventies. It was actually real, 136 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: was big, it was really big, and it was covered 137 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: in like a dome case and everything, and I just 138 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: always remember being fascinated by that. And then after the 139 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: Ryder Cup in Paris, I went back to the World 140 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: Arslan for the first time I back in Morocco since 141 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: the seventies, and it was still there was still I mean, 142 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: you know, it was like the little you know, the 143 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: little tiny flags like kins and stuff, so well, I 144 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: was always fascinated with it. Um. I read a quote 145 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: that you said that your job is to identify which 146 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: of the properties natural elements you want to emphasize. So 147 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: when you go and you look at a site. Um 148 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: do you think in two gil we're getting for new 149 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: build golf courses, We're getting more for you guys, more 150 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: interesting sites then we have in the past. Because if 151 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: you look at where great golf courses historically are being 152 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: you know built, the old school ones, they're in urban areas, right. 153 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: You know, if you look at you know, wingfo l 154 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: A Country, claud Southern these are in urban, urban areas. 155 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: And I think so many of the great, great new 156 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: build design golf courses are going to some amazing locations. Um, 157 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: why do you think there is that push to do 158 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: that now? I think we went through a period of 159 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: time in the eighties and nineties and early two thousands 160 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: scored golf development and design with the with a few 161 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: exceptions obviously were predicated on golf as an amenity. Right, 162 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: it was there to sell lots, it was there to 163 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: feature housing development, or there were you know, golf wasn't 164 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: the primary focus. And then we went through a really 165 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: steep decline in golf construction and new golf courses and 166 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: starting in the early two thousand's and running for a 167 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: period of time where nobody was building golf course. The 168 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: only ones who were doing it were the visionaries, and 169 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: you had Dick Young's capel at Sandhills a little prior 170 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: to that. Then Mike Kaiser came along and Rich mac 171 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: its stream Song, and so you had people who were 172 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: willing to embrace the vision of quality. Golf will attract 173 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: people to go anywhere, right it's you're literally in the 174 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: middle of nowhere, and a lot of these things. And 175 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: we had the great fortune of Michael wal Ref doing 176 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: the same thing at a Hoopie match club. So you 177 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,119 Speaker 1: you had people whose primary focus was golf first and foremost, 178 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: and with the concept of you know, field of dreams 179 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: building and they will come the thing that you pointed out, 180 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: which was interesting, and it was nowhere near as remote. 181 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: But back in the day, you know L. A. C. C. Wingfoot, 182 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: Southern Hills, they were outside the city. I mean, it 183 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: was a lot of it took up people a long 184 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: time to get there, so they were considered remote as 185 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: it related to the modes of transportation at the time. 186 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: My stay talks about that when he comes down to 187 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: Seminole because my grandfather was the head grow there for 188 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: forever and he grew up there. So where the when 189 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: you go into Seminole on the left hand side, the 190 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: maintenance barn, the house that's there in. My dad says, listen, 191 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: that's where we used to live. And he said, you know, 192 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: when we came here in the you know, the forties 193 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: and the fifties, this was just all sand dunes. There 194 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: was nothing here. So you're it's actually the golf courses 195 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: like Wingfoot, they were outside the city, but now when 196 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: you go out there, they're so penned in. And one 197 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: of the things that I think that's interesting that you mentioned. 198 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: I never thought of that. But a lot of the great, 199 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 1: you know, the old school golf courses that they would 200 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: want to have major championships at in two they're just 201 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: doesn't the land and the infrastructure for everything that would 202 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: take to have a major championship there. But you're right, 203 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: I mean Southern Hills. We were just there for the 204 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: p G. A that would have been way outside of 205 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: the city back in the day. But you don't you 206 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: don't think that that's that's a really interesting thought. You 207 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: mentioned Southern Hills. They just had the PGA there in two. 208 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: Um I was there. Oh gosh, it's gotta be Oh 209 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: one was the last time I was there for the 210 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: US Open that um retief goosen, UM one kill. That 211 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: golf course is unrecognizable from what it was twenty years ago. 212 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: I mean I got there and I was like, I 213 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: couldn't remember any of the holes because the golf course 214 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: looks so so much different. Um. The task when you're 215 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: I mean you're being tasked. I mean, if you look 216 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: at last year the major Championships, the country Club, you 217 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: guys did work on that, Southern Hills, you did work 218 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 1: on that. Um l A country club where the U 219 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: S open is in three you've done work there, Wingfoot. Um. 220 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: When you get the call to do something like this, 221 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: is it not called that a golden era golf course 222 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: gives you guys the call? Is it excitement? Is it? Um? 223 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: Wonder man? Is that? What's the feeling when you get 224 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: the call and you know you're gonna get to get 225 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:53,959 Speaker 1: an opportunity to go to a place like the country club? 226 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: You know that's you know eighteen hundreds, UM, wingfoot, all 227 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,720 Speaker 1: the history there. How much of it is excitement? Trepidation, 228 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: responsibility that you feel that you've been given this huge 229 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: task to basically take a master work of art and 230 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: now change it. Uh, it's all of the above. I 231 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: mean all of the emotions that you mentioned. It's I'm 232 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: still at heart of the biggest golf geek nerd when 233 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: it comes to golf courses. I mean when I drive 234 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: into the country, but I was still wave to the 235 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: cardboard cutout that's sitting in the you know, the guard shack, 236 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: and it's just these little things that you you have, 237 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 1: these pinch me moments of wow. You know, they're they're 238 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: trusting us with this, as you said, work of artist, masterpiece. 239 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: And I think you know, the way Jim Wagner and 240 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: I have always approached these things is with the ultimate 241 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: amount of respect for the original architect and trying to 242 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: do the best we can and back to our history 243 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: um degree, trying to really delve into what did they 244 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: do here? What did Perry Maxwell do at Southern Hills. 245 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: I don't care what Perry Maxwell it in Oklahoma City 246 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: or at Colonial, it doesn't really matter. I don't care 247 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: what Tilling has did at San Francisco Golf Club. What matters? 248 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: What did he do at Winged Foot and on and on? 249 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: And I think that that level of precision and trust me, 250 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: we were so lucky that we work at these great 251 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: places that that they have great archives, so we can 252 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: go back and look at aerial photographs of everage shot 253 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: sequence of Bobby Jones when he won the nine US 254 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: Open at Winged Foot. You know, those don't exist at 255 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: some other places, and so you do the homework, You 256 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: do the best that you possibly can. When we found 257 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: US Women's Amateur program at Oakland Hills that had photos 258 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: of every single green complex were taken from the fairway, 259 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: it was like the gold mine because now we could 260 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: literally stand in the same place and look at that 261 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 1: and try to recreate it. So it's a similar formula 262 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: whether it's Oakmon or whether it's Winged Foot, or whether 263 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 1: it's you know, the Creek Club or Sleepy Hollow or 264 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: some of these great old courses that are never going 265 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: to host major championships. Yet still we we focus as 266 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 1: much as we possibly can on getting all those details 267 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: right and figuring it out. And then the other part 268 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: of it is that we've got to trust that what 269 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: Perry Maxwell did at Southern Hills in NI is still 270 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: relevant to challenge somebody like Justin Thomas in two and 271 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: to to test the best players. And the answer is yes. 272 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: And I think that's one of the things that served 273 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: Jim and I the best is that we've granted. We 274 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: have to add back tease, we have to shift bunkers, 275 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: we have to do things to accommodate the distance that 276 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: they play. But at the core of the golf course, 277 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: the strategy and the interest and as you said earlier, 278 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: finding the best natural features. These guys did all of that, 279 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: and so we have to check our ego at the 280 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: door and think, hey, we're not We're not going to 281 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: improve on tilling Nest. We're just going to restore what 282 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: he did and try and get the picture as close to, 283 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: you know, the image that was there when he first 284 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: built the golf course. And if we can do those things, 285 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 1: we just have to trust that that's going to be 286 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: good enough. And you know this preparing players from major championships. 287 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: We can do everything we want a need to with 288 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: the course. The U s g A, the PGA can 289 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: do everything they need or want with the setup. But 290 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: it's all gonna come down to the weather that week. 291 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: You know, if it rains, the golf course is going 292 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: to play one way. If it's bone dry, it's gonna 293 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: play another way. If the you know, the crazy thing 294 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: about Southern Hills is we had like all four seasons 295 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: in one week. So those guys they had every single 296 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: possible test, which was great, and I think that added 297 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: tremendously to the championship. So I think it's learning several 298 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: things that we've come to accept. And for a while 299 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: when we first started doing this, it was it was 300 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: hard to accept. Is that, hey, once once the week 301 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: of the championship starts, our hands are off the wheel. 302 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: We've got nothing to do with it. And and two 303 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: is just to accept that tilling as Ross Mackenzie. Those 304 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: guys were so good at what they did that we'll 305 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: just have to trust that their their architecture is going 306 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: to be be good in this A zero as well. 307 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: So let's take a quick break to thank our partner 308 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: for wellness. You guys have heard me talk about it. 309 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of their coffee, big fan of 310 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: the good stuff. I put it in my coffee on 311 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: a regular basis. The thing I like about it no sugars, 312 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: no artificial sweeteners. It's gotten me off dairy. Um, I've 313 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: quit putting sweeteners, sugars in just the good stuff. But 314 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: I also put the good stuff. Put a scoop of 315 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: that in my coffee, but I also put it in 316 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: smoothies and take it on the road with me. And 317 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: the other thing that I've been using are their energy bites. UM. 318 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: I keep them with me on the golf course. UM. 319 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: A lot of times when I'm out on tour, I 320 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of time to sit and eat. 321 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: So these energy bites, a little coffee hit, a little 322 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: bit of energy, UM, all the good stuff, all natural 323 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: and UM. If you haven't given those to try, check 324 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: those out. They've given me a special code to share 325 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: with some of a Butcher listeners. You can get off 326 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: your order, plus free shipping and a free starter kit 327 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: work thirty dollars for a limited time when you visit 328 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: for Wellness dot com slash podcast. That's spelled fo r 329 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,959 Speaker 1: w E l l n e s s dot com 330 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: slash podcast and enter the code c H three at 331 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: check out. It's their best offer right now, so give 332 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: it a try. They even back every purchase with a 333 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: sixty day money back guaranteed. That's again the code c 334 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: H three at full Wellness dot com slash podcast. So 335 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: now let's get back to the interview. I read that 336 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:39,719 Speaker 1: in in doing some of the work you did at 337 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: the country class at brook Law, and you looked at images, 338 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: as you said about Oakland Hills from four, you're able 339 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: to kind of look at the golf course and what 340 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: it was, Um, Gil, why do you think so if 341 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: you look at what you are being tasked to do 342 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: with a lot of these great old school, Golden era 343 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: golf courses, why do you think they have changed so 344 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:06,959 Speaker 1: much and you're taking it back to what it was? 345 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: Why couldn't they stay the way they were? Because a 346 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: lot of times we see golf courses now that we 347 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: go back to that that you guys come into and 348 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: all the designers come in, and there's this push to 349 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: take it back to the original design, what the original 350 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: designer wanted. Why do you think golf courses evolved and 351 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: change to where you're trying to take them back? Is 352 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: it just evolution? Is it just what happens with trees 353 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: and earth and dirt that over eight years everything changes? Yeah, 354 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's harden to contemplate that somebody would 355 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: ever put a limitum siting on a Frankloyd right house. 356 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: But that happened. You know, people look at technology and 357 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: what's new and what's and you also have to think 358 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: that back in the day Donald Ross tilling Hast, they 359 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: weren't gods. They were just guys. And there were competitors 360 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: of their as younger men who came along in the 361 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: generation after them, who didn't have this reverence for their work, 362 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 1: and they were more than happy to put their fingerprints 363 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: all over it and change it in the in the 364 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: basically under the guise of hey, we're modernizing because the 365 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: game has changed so much. We've gone from hickory chefts 366 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: to skille chefs, we've changed golf balls, et cetera. Not 367 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: unlike what happens, you know, it's just the history of 368 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: golf and the reaction to golf courses have doesn't change. 369 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: That's been was happening in the twenties, thirties, forties, and 370 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: so those guys were not reticent at all to move 371 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: a green below up a green, do this, do that, 372 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: And so I think you had this period of time 373 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: where and they also had heavy earth moving equipment come 374 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: into the construction process. You know, it wasn't mules and 375 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: scrapers moving a green, It was a bulldozer and excavator 376 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: just pushed it over there and go ahead and do it. 377 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: So I think it was a combination of all those factors. 378 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: The other thing that really added dramatically too, it was 379 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: the Asian And when these guys built golf courses, you 380 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 1: didn't have wall to wall irrigation. You didn't have the 381 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: ability to go ahead. And and so what happens over 382 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: time is when the first irrigation systems went in, they 383 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: weren't five row, they weren't three row. There were one 384 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: row irrigation system. So that went down the center. And 385 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: now all of a sudden, you've got this big open 386 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: golf course with one row of irrigation down the center, 387 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: and you've got this green swath and all this brown 388 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: around it. Well, that doesn't look great. So what do 389 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: we do when we fill the space for treats. We 390 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: start putting trees in where the irrigation doesn't get And 391 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: now all of a sudden, the trees start to grow 392 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: in and we start to change and alter the look 393 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 1: of the landscape. And well, what do trees do? They grow? 394 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: So eventually the trees grow, they filled the space. The 395 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: golf course becomes narrower, just through that type of evolution. 396 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: So you have a combination of all these steps, and 397 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: that's where you get to and then you don't get 398 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: until maybe the late eighties when Frank Hannigan writes his 399 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: piece on a w telling has and it's called the 400 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: Forgotten Genius in the U. S G. A golf journal. 401 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: And then the next thing you know, there's a Don 402 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: Ross Society, and there'd be is this appreciation for great 403 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: golf course architecture, and these Gulf architects become cult figures. 404 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: And then it becomes, as you mentioned earlier, part of 405 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: the the Internet, and you can go on and you 406 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: can google, and you can learn, and now there's a 407 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: Reiner Society in Mackenzie society. And so this evolution gets 408 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: us to where we are now, where you know, it's 409 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: on the back of every scorecard is Seth Reiner design 410 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: aw telling us and the clubs have appreciation. And thankfully, 411 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: you know, there's a generation of golf course architects who 412 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 1: also recognized that, hey, what they did pretty special. Let's 413 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: go back. So I think that's kind of the timeline 414 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: of where we got to where we are, and we're 415 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: we're really happy that we've been entrusted to what we 416 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 1: think is do the right thing by putting that stuff back. 417 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: When we look at the great golf courses. Um. You know, 418 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: I went through and I saw that you listed your 419 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 1: this was in but you listed your top ten golf 420 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: courses in the world. St. Andrew's National Golf Links, Chicago Golf, 421 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: Cycrus Point, l A C. C. Marion, Nearfield, Pine Valley, 422 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: Royal County Down, Royal Melbourne. All of those golf courses 423 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: originally were designed by the great. Um. They stood the 424 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: test of time. Yes, they've had some tweets to them. 425 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: But what is it still that you think made those 426 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,959 Speaker 1: golf courses that you put on the list? What are 427 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 1: the similarities, but what is what do you think made 428 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: them so great by the designers? Because if you look 429 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 1: at what you all know now about grass, about agronomy, 430 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: about the ability to be able to move earth and 431 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: things like that, they they were so not like that. 432 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: And I think there is this big push right now 433 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: in golf course architecture. Wouldn't you agree that it's to 434 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: try and move as little earth as possible. And there 435 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: was a time in the eighties, you know, the Nicolas 436 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: stuff was all of these big pushed locks of hatchee 437 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 1: on here in Jupiter, these big giant mounds everywhere Pete 438 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: died did that at at Um the players came to 439 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: all of this earth move and it seems to me 440 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,719 Speaker 1: there's this throwback move now to try and move as 441 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: little earth as possible. And if you look at the 442 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: golf courses you listed as some of your favorites, they 443 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: aren't they're they're not golf courses that have a lot 444 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: of earth moving to them. You've never seen me swinging 445 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: a golf club. So if you look, there are a 446 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: lot of those are wide golf courses. I'm a big 447 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: fan of options and width, and I think that a 448 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: lot of what those courses do is they allowed the 449 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: player to determine the way they're going to play the 450 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: golf courses versus the architect determining it for you. And 451 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: so I think that's that's the best set of golf, 452 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: is that the questions that are asked are compelling for 453 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: the best players in the world, but they're also compelling 454 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: for a thirty handicap, and they're also compelling for a 455 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: ten handicap, And and so that there are options and 456 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: ways to play. And I think that's a similar you know, 457 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: with the exception of Pine Valley. Pine Valley asked questions 458 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: and that you have to step up and hit a 459 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: golf shot. Bill Kittleman is the is the great old 460 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 1: pro at marian who has worked with us on several projects. 461 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,400 Speaker 1: Turned ninety the other day, So shout out to Bill. 462 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: Not that he listens to podcasts, but anyway, he was 463 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: an amazing um mentor to Jim and I. But he 464 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: you know, there would be occasional times where we put 465 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 1: a bunker or something in or you to force carry 466 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: and he would just look at us and say, you know, son, 467 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: sometimes you just got to hit a golf shot, and 468 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: that's just part of the test. But I think in 469 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: in by and large, those golf courses occupy great natural sites. 470 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: The architects maximize the potential of those sites. They gave 471 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 1: you options, They asked really interesting questions within the landscape. 472 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: So I think that's what we look for. I think 473 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: is is as they mentioned earlier, the move to these 474 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: more remote sites were and and the questions that were 475 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: asked to Mackenzie and Crump is you know, just build 476 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,880 Speaker 1: us the best golf course. Not build us the best 477 00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: golf course and hide the car pest because we want 478 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: have waldwell carcass, not build us the best golf course, 479 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 1: and oh, by the way, we need a waterfall that 480 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,199 Speaker 1: we need to lake. Oh by the way, we need 481 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: to photograph this. It was solely purely about golf. And 482 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: I think that's ultimately what what led them to be 483 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: so great. And that's what the you know, the Mike 484 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: Kaisers of the world, they're looking at there just saying, hey, 485 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 1: find the best piece of property and build us something 486 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: that's solely related and predicated on quality of golf. And 487 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 1: I think if you look at those ten and you 488 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: can quibble whether some belong, some don't, et cetera. And 489 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: that's one of the great things about what we do, 490 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:33,199 Speaker 1: right we talked about golf, is why do you like this? 491 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: Why do you like that? I understand fully the Shinnecock 492 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: Hills is probably a better quote unquote test of golf 493 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 1: than national. But I'd rather play a national because it's 494 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: just more fun, it's more interesting, there's more opportunities to play. 495 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: But you, as as accomplished player, you might be like 496 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: kid so much better than so there's and that's the 497 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 1: great thing about that. We get to we get to 498 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: argue the merits based on what we see, and there's 499 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: and there's no right or wrong. One of the quotes 500 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: that I and and looking to talk to you today, 501 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: I love that you said that the soul of what 502 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: you were doing is trying is about the playing of 503 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 1: the game, right, not about all of the other things. 504 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: You know, Gil, I worked at Austin Golf Club, not 505 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: Austin Country, but I worked at Austin Golf Club for 506 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 1: Ben ben prenchase home course um that he did with 507 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 1: Bill and I worked there for a year. And there 508 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: was a new course that opened up in Austin. This 509 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: is like two thousand five, um, another new course. And 510 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: somebody said, hey, Ben, have you played that? Yeah, I 511 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: played at the other I thought it was great. And 512 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: some guys said, yeah, well it was really really nice. 513 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: But I mean a tour pro would just destroy that 514 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: golf course. And and Ben crunch I said, you know there, 515 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: there will never be a professional golf event at the 516 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: golf course, right. He said, if you look at all 517 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: of the golf courses on the planet Earth, it's less 518 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: than one percent that will ever have a professional golf 519 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: tournament on there. But everyone that plays golf looks at it, 520 00:26:56,080 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: I think through the lens of the professional right. So 521 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: how do you balance all of this out, because obviously 522 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: you're trying to balance out building golf courses, doing a restoration. 523 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: What say, at a place, you know, like Los Angeles 524 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: Country Club, the members are going to play it, so 525 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 1: it has to be playable for them, but it also 526 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 1: has to be a test to professional golfers and an 527 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: own thing. And you probably are. You're in the same 528 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: world that I am. I don't think our listeners realize 529 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: the difference between professional golf, tournament golf, major golf, the 530 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 1: caliber of shots, the type of golf you have to 531 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: play to play those golfers, and then what the rest 532 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: of us do who aren't on television right there is 533 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: a massive difference. How do you balance it out between saying, Okay, 534 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: what am I going to try and test here for 535 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,479 Speaker 1: the players? You know, for a major championship, you know 536 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: that if you're going into l A c C. The 537 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: U S opens there in So whatever design work you're 538 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: going to do to change a golf course to take 539 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: it back to old pictures, and ultimately the showcase is 540 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: going to be this June, this coming June, when the 541 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: best players in the world or there. How are you 542 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: trying to balance that test, Well, it comes down to 543 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: know two things. One thing that you know what Ben 544 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 1: was talking about, which, by the way, Bill and Ben 545 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: are they've been so so good to me and Jim 546 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 1: and they're just the best just the best people but 547 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: also the best designers and so h they're they're incredible. 548 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: And from that standpoint, you know, but we all work 549 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: for clients, right, Everybody seems to think, oh, well, Jill 550 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: Hans thought that was a great idea to do a 551 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 1: hoopie match club. That was Michael all Rs idea, and 552 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: he came to us and he said, Hey, I've got 553 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: this crazy idea. I want to build a golf course 554 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: where you don't ever write your score down you can play. 555 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 1: And you were like, yeah, that's incredible. And so we 556 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: have to work for what the clients looking for. If 557 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: the client's goal is to host a major championship, like 558 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,040 Speaker 1: you know, we just built the new course of e 559 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: G Frisco, which is going to host a senior interest 560 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: of that. Yesterday that that first kind of leaked out 561 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: online again it looks very very minimal kind of that 562 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: that bunkering that looks like kind of found object bunkering 563 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: and things like that. Yeah, and and that's you know 564 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: interesting we be We found nine holes and we had 565 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,719 Speaker 1: to construct nine holes, and so I'm hopeful that at 566 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:24,479 Speaker 1: the end of the day, Jim and I think, if 567 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: you can't figure out which ones we built and which 568 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: ones we found, then we've actually done a really good 569 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: job out there. Um So, but you're working for the client, 570 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: and that ultimately is what you have to build your 571 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: golf course for. Like if he's saying, hey, I want 572 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: to I want to challenge all my buddies are single digits, 573 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: and that's who's gonna play out here, and that's the reputation. 574 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: Well great if it's you know what, No, my mom 575 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: and dad are gonna play golf out here with me, 576 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: and I want them to be able to enjoy the 577 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: test of golf. So there's a lot of that baked 578 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: into new course design. From a restoration standpoint, it gets 579 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: back to that whole just trusting the original architect and 580 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: then ultimately, as they say, when our hands are off 581 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: the wheel, when Carrie Haig and John Bodenhammer step on 582 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: site for setting up major championships, and we have built 583 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: such a great relationship with both those guys and their 584 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: teams that we trust that they get it and they 585 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: have ultimately goals for what they're you know, everybody says, 586 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: well they must have a target score. No they don't, 587 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: because it's all down to the weather that week and 588 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: the way that the setup ultimately works. But George Thomas 589 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: at l ECC was such a genius that he figured 590 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: out ways that's through the setup of the golf course. 591 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: And that's something that we focus a lot on. We 592 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: focused in Frisco, we focused in Rio for the Olympics, 593 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: was that on any given day, if the architecture is 594 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: good enough, they can set that golf course up as 595 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: hard as they want or as easy as they want. 596 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: So if you give options to tuck pins or berry pins, 597 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: where it actually you know the interesting conversation And I 598 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: would ask you this question because the guys that you teach, 599 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: you know, our angles relevant anymore? They hit it so 600 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: far so well. Did really care if they've got a 601 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: bad angle coming into a green? Do they really care 602 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: if the pins tucked up behind a punk? Or do 603 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: they ever think? You know, do I want to get 604 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: to this side? And I think a lot of what 605 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: we see in major championship preparation is that that becomes 606 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: more relevant because the penalties are that much more severe 607 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: if you don't hit the shot the roughest, thicker is harder. 608 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: You know, it's not like a regular tour set up 609 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: every week in, week out. And so I think ultimately, 610 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: if the original golf architect has provided enough set up 611 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: opportunities that um, you know, the Wednesday Seniors after lunch 612 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: event at L A c C. Those guys can go 613 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: out and have fun, and in June they can set 614 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: it up so that it's difficult enough for the best 615 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: players in the world, and you're spot on the difference 616 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: in quality between what they what they do. I mean, 617 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: people always say, well, how are you gonna Absolutely we're not. 618 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: You know, the golf course is going to be, the 619 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: weather is going to be what challenges them, whether it's firm, 620 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: and I think that's sorry to digress and ramble, but 621 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, that's ultimately the best defense if we have 622 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: good architecture we have if the wind blows and if 623 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: the golf course is firm, because you work with these 624 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: guys and in my mind, I'm thinking you're working with 625 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 1: them to have a predictable outcome every time they swing 626 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: the golf club. When they swing a seven iron. The 627 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: outcomes predictable when they swing the driver, it's predictable, predictable. 628 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: But when the ground is firm and bouncy, they don't. 629 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: That's not a predictable predictable. Is it going to bounce 630 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: twice and stop? Is not going to stop? Is it 631 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,840 Speaker 1: going to check? You know, those types of things ultimately 632 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: add so much to the test, and those are completely 633 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: out of our hands. So let's take a short break 634 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: and we will be back right after this. Alright, let's 635 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: get back to the interview. I think one of the 636 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 1: things in major championships, Gill, when we're walking around with 637 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: players over the twenty years that I've been doing this, 638 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: I don't think the people that are listening would would 639 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: they'd be blown away what we're talking about. I'd say 640 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: the majority of the time when we're talking about non 641 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: technical stuff on the golf course, from a strategy standpoint, 642 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: at majors, it's all about where you want to miss it, right, 643 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: And so there's this this spine line between talking about 644 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: where you want to miss it and where you're trying 645 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: to hit it. And I remember I worked years ago 646 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: Trevor Immleman was a good friend of mine he has 647 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: been in the podcast. Um, Trevor was too smart for golf, right. 648 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 1: His brain was just smart. He overthought everything and he 649 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 1: would just obsess about outcome outcome outcome outcome outcome right. 650 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: And we played a practice round with Tiger when he 651 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: wanted Royal Liverpool where he just shot zero. We're super 652 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: baked out and had that great round. Were never hit 653 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: driver when we played a practice round and tigering. This 654 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,560 Speaker 1: is like you know, in the day Tiger Tiger Mania 655 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: and watching I mean Trevor watched the way Tiger and 656 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: Steve Williams and around that golf course and everything was 657 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: about Okay, that's where we're going to hit the golf ball. 658 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: That's where we're going to hit the golf ball. And 659 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: if we miss it, we miss it there. And that 660 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: was it. It was point A to point B and 661 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: if we are going to miss it, the miss is 662 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: better from here than it is from there. We're either 663 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 1: going to lay short of these bunkers or we're going 664 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: to take it over it. And I think it was 665 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 1: interesting to watch a young kid early in his career 666 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: like that. For drug Or, he was like, Tiger just 667 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: makes golf so easy. And I was like, yeah, because 668 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: he focuses on where he's trying to hit the golf ball, 669 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,279 Speaker 1: and then he thinks about where he's going to miss 670 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 1: the golf ball, if he's gonna miss it, And if 671 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: you think about it, that's a pretty the pretty good philosophy. 672 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: But we are doing a lot of from a technique standpoint, 673 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: you know, we are doing a lot of the players 674 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: looking out, Okay, can we get it over those trees? 675 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: What's the risk versus the reward? Um? Obviously, Still, the 676 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: players I'm working with don't have distance issues. Right, there's 677 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 1: this massive debate in you know, in my earned golf today. Um, distance, 678 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: how do you deal with that as an architect? So 679 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,240 Speaker 1: I'll give you a great example of marrying in thirteen 680 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: the the first part three is that part three in 681 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: the composite three and um, it's a little into the breeze. 682 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: And DJ was playing with Jeff Ogilvie and Lucas Clover. 683 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: DJ hit three wood and came up short, and Lucas 684 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: and Jeff both hit driver and came up short. And 685 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: as we're walking up to the green, Jeff Ogilvy looked 686 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,280 Speaker 1: at us and says, now, what a great hole? Huh? 687 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: We all just missed the green with the driver and 688 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: the three wood. And I think there is this philosophy 689 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 1: for the average golfer that we've got to make golf 690 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 1: courses longer and length But the players don't want that. 691 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: The best players in the world who are the longest, 692 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 1: don't want that. They don't want the golf clubs or 693 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: the golf courses to be longer. They want to be 694 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: I think they want to be questions and forced to 695 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 1: hit good shots. And as you know, the Rory mclroys 696 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: of the world, the John ROMs, the Justin Thomas Is, 697 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 1: the Dustin Johnson Campston, they want the golf course as 698 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: hard as possible. They want hard golf courses. I mean 699 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,719 Speaker 1: we did, we've we've we've gone so much still in 700 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,760 Speaker 1: looking at players, We've looked at stats and going, okay, 701 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: your type of golf is predicated on your good ball strike. 702 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,240 Speaker 1: You're this again, using Trevor Immlement as an example. Trevor 703 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: hated go into places like Palm Springs, hate going to 704 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,319 Speaker 1: places like that. I remember once I was working with him, 705 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,400 Speaker 1: this is like two three years ago. He was in 706 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 1: Palm Springs and he was shooting. You know, he missed 707 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: the cup and he's like, I'm gonna I'm gonna shoot 708 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,399 Speaker 1: a hundred when I go to Tory Pines next week. 709 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 1: And I'm like, you'll play great at Tory Pines next week. 710 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: It was a hard golf course and he finished top 711 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: ten and he was like, I have no idea how 712 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: I finished top ten because I go to go to 713 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 1: Palm Springs. I'm like, the was golf course. It's like 714 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 1: you said, they're wide open, they're easy, there's no kind 715 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: of premium. The best players in the world want their 716 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: games to shine and be identified. So how do you, 717 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:14,240 Speaker 1: from a distant standpoint deal with that today because everybody's 718 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: saying the golf ball and the players are too far. 719 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: A lot of it's just the natural constraints of the property, 720 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:21,800 Speaker 1: Like if you're dealing with an old golf course. We 721 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 1: Jim and I believe strongly that we hate to create 722 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: what we call it disconnect where you know what we 723 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: what most of us love about great old golf courses. 724 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 1: You walk off the green, you're pretty much right on 725 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:34,879 Speaker 1: the next team if you if you've got to create something, 726 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 1: and you know, Wingfoot was one example, we're number twelve. 727 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: You know you could you walk back a hundred yards 728 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: to to a t that's appropriate for them? I hate 729 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:45,400 Speaker 1: that we didn't create it. It was there, but it 730 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: was one of those things where we don't want to 731 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: break up the flow of the round of golf. Those 732 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:51,919 Speaker 1: guys are so used to just walking back that it's 733 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: not like they're noticing the fact that they're walking back. 734 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: You know, you and I might notice what this is 735 00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:58,759 Speaker 1: getting tiresome. Not that I'd ever played back there, but 736 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, we this is getting tire and so we 737 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:04,720 Speaker 1: try to as best we possibly can just say, hey, 738 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,839 Speaker 1: this is the distance that ultimately correlates the best with 739 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: what Thomas was trying to do, with what Ross was 740 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: trying to do, and that may wind up being seventy 741 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 1: dred yards and that's fine, you know, and that's long, 742 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 1: but it's not long for them. We don't feel there's 743 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: there's nothing we can do to physically challenge those guys 744 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 1: with length. They can hit it so far it doesn't 745 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: really matter. If it's just gonna be boring to watch 746 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:32,720 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. We'd rather have a more compelling 747 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:34,959 Speaker 1: and interesting test. And then the other thing you start 748 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: to think about is, okay, do the math if we're 749 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: trying to build and the the best golf courses in 750 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,080 Speaker 1: the world have the variety of shots. They have a 751 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,640 Speaker 1: Part three like the third at Marion Um, and then 752 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: they have a Part three thirteenth of Marion that's a 753 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,520 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty yards. You can't have a hundred and 754 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: thirty yard Part three and a three hundred and ten 755 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,320 Speaker 1: yard par four and do the math and get to 756 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 1: seventy hundred. So you start to sacrifice vice, the variety 757 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: and the quality of golf holes in order to reach 758 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: this mythical number. And so we don't we don't ever 759 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: focus on the art each it's not the primary thing. 760 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 1: Our primary goal is to create the best, the most 761 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 1: compelling and interesting set of eighteen golf holes. And on 762 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:19,760 Speaker 1: these major championship tests, um, you know that's been somebody 763 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,680 Speaker 1: else's work and we've stuck to that. We haven't said, oh, 764 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: by the way, we could get fifty yards here, but 765 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: it would just totally destroyed the way the golf hole 766 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 1: was intended to be played. So we we just Jim 767 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: and I are not on the sort of beating the 768 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 1: bandwagon of Okay, we gotta roll the ball back. We 769 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,919 Speaker 1: go to this it's like, listen, the smarter people will 770 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 1: figure that out. We're just working with what we have. 771 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: You know, could be next year that all of a 772 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: sudden we gotta roll back. And now now we've got 773 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,520 Speaker 1: to think about shortenings and golf courses. But I think 774 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: it's distance is never the primary focus. Withertain distance. But 775 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: we also don't think that that's going to be, you know, 776 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:57,359 Speaker 1: the be all end. Now that being said, we built 777 00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 1: a golf course in Texas in Frisco that you know, 778 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,719 Speaker 1: if you stretch from back to back and back whole 779 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:06,800 Speaker 1: locations back tiste can play yards. But that is really 780 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: again just to provide options for Carrie Haig. You know, 781 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:12,840 Speaker 1: he may get a down wind and he may be 782 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: able to pull a tea back fifty yards that because 783 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 1: the winds blow howling out of and down wind And okay, 784 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,439 Speaker 1: now that makes sense, but it's within the context again 785 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,640 Speaker 1: getting back to set up as architecture from major championships. 786 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 1: As as many tools as we can give those guys 787 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:31,320 Speaker 1: in their toolbox, then they're going to create a better 788 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:33,439 Speaker 1: test for the best players in the world. But yeah, 789 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:36,320 Speaker 1: distance isn't it's nothing. It's not something Jim and I 790 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,960 Speaker 1: dwell on one of the things my dad has always said, Um, 791 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 1: if you think about all of the great iconic par three's, 792 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: they're not ten, they're not one nine. All of the 793 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:54,320 Speaker 1: great great par three's that provide from a major championship standpoint, 794 00:40:54,360 --> 00:41:00,279 Speaker 1: they provide great theater. Um, you know twelve augusta true, 795 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: there's these great holes. I think I thought you guys 796 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: did a great job with that little short hole at 797 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:08,879 Speaker 1: um the country Club this year down the hill. All 798 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: the players, um Gil loved that. They all got there 799 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: and went, oh, it's just really really cool, whereas you 800 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,720 Speaker 1: would think that they wouldn't think a short hold downhill. 801 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: I mean that guys are hitting too much and stuff. 802 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: But you know, if you missed that green, you're you're 803 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: struggling to get it up and down. Um, what do 804 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,759 Speaker 1: you think that is that all these great iconic par 805 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: three's aren't super super long, and they tended to be 806 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 1: a kind of cool, almost funky design. I think that, 807 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 1: I mean, from our perspective, the hardest souls to designer 808 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:47,240 Speaker 1: long part threes, because they're already hard by their nature 809 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:49,640 Speaker 1: because they're long, right, and so you're asking somebody with 810 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:52,400 Speaker 1: one shot to hit a green with a wood in 811 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:55,160 Speaker 1: their hands, not to hit a fairway, hit the green, 812 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:57,759 Speaker 1: and then so what do you do to make them 813 00:41:57,800 --> 00:41:59,799 Speaker 1: more difficult? You don't want to put water on let 814 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 1: me one, put bunkers all over them, whereas a lot 815 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 1: of the more iconic holes have got sit in in 816 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,920 Speaker 1: the landscape beautifully, and because they've got bunkers around them, 817 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: because it's a hundred and thirty or a hundred and 818 00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:13,600 Speaker 1: forty yards, or there's an ocean along the side of 819 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: the gulf hole because you know, it's all right, it's 820 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 1: not that long. So I think it's a combination of 821 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: all of those things. Is how do you make long 822 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:23,120 Speaker 1: holes interesting? And I've talked to tour players and they 823 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:24,879 Speaker 1: look at long part three and then I'm like, yeah, 824 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:26,200 Speaker 1: you know, I just want to hit the green and 825 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: get out of here with three and move on. There's 826 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:34,960 Speaker 1: never any sort of feeling of aggression. And architecturally, as 827 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: I mentioned before, we don't feel like physically we can 828 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,759 Speaker 1: do anything to challenge those guys with length, and so 829 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 1: the focus then goes back to the mental and a 830 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: hole like eleven at the country Club last year, if 831 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,840 Speaker 1: those guys have a wedge in their hand, they can't 832 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 1: help but be aggressive. It's just not in their d 833 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:54,319 Speaker 1: n A. They can't stand there and I'm gonna try 834 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,360 Speaker 1: and miss this fifteen feet short, so I got an 835 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: uphill put. Yeah, they're looking at the yardage showing okay, yeah, 836 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:03,440 Speaker 1: I'm just growing right out. If it's one one fifteen downhill, 837 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:06,560 Speaker 1: You're right. No matter where they put the pen, where 838 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,760 Speaker 1: they put it front, right, front, left, back, where wherever 839 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:14,879 Speaker 1: they put that pin in the tournament, and that whole 840 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: significant bearing on the championship. I'm Scottie Shuffler. If he 841 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,800 Speaker 1: played that whole, you know, if he'd parted, he probably 842 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 1: would wins the US Open Championship. And so it's one 843 00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 1: of those things where we understand that there's a certain 844 00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:29,440 Speaker 1: mentality and aggression that that, and we almost want to 845 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:32,040 Speaker 1: give them enough rope that if they take take the bait, 846 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:34,400 Speaker 1: then we've got them. And I think Pete I was 847 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: so good at that. You know, we think about the 848 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: angles that he set up, and you know that a 849 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,160 Speaker 1: player will look at a shot and go, okay, what's 850 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 1: my cover on the hazard, what's the distance to the whole, 851 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,880 Speaker 1: And okay, if the cover is this and the distance 852 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 1: is that, then they're like, all right, I know I 853 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 1: can't be short. But if the cover is on this 854 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:55,160 Speaker 1: line is a hundred and thirty, and if you play 855 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 1: to the right of that, it's a hunt that covers 856 00:43:57,880 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty. And if you played to the 857 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 1: left of it's one forty. Now it's like, oh, man, 858 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 1: if I missed. If I played the one thirty and 859 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:07,040 Speaker 1: I pull it just a little bit, now I'm in trouble. 860 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,919 Speaker 1: So it's it's those sort of setups where you've got 861 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: the angles, which ultimately, like I said, Pete was was 862 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: a magician with those things. I know, it's interesting. I'll 863 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: never forget. You know, back when it was younger, um, 864 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: we did work at Drout, which was part of the 865 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:26,640 Speaker 1: regular tournament ROTA, and so the first year that the 866 00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:31,280 Speaker 1: tournament was there after the renovation, and you know, players 867 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:34,239 Speaker 1: will now nowadays with social media, you know, they set 868 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:36,560 Speaker 1: the stage in the first practice round. If somebody doesn't 869 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:39,640 Speaker 1: like something, it gets tweeted, etcetera. And so there was 870 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:42,280 Speaker 1: some chirping. I don't even think maybe Twitter was around, 871 00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 1: but there was some chirping some players in interviews and 872 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:48,399 Speaker 1: I was walking following I grew up and your dad 873 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:50,520 Speaker 1: was there and he was walking and he pulled me 874 00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:54,400 Speaker 1: aside and he used colorful language which I won't use, 875 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:58,759 Speaker 1: but he said, he said, don't let these guys get 876 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:01,680 Speaker 1: you down. He said, this is a hard golf course. 877 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with it. And there's nothing wrong with 878 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 1: these guys playing a hard golf course. You did a 879 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:09,000 Speaker 1: great job here. So getting back to that, you know, 880 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:13,400 Speaker 1: and and those golf courses identify the best players. And 881 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:16,640 Speaker 1: we had great, great players win at Drout was three 882 00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:18,680 Speaker 1: years after the rest, you know, the renovation of the 883 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:23,080 Speaker 1: golf course. So I agree the great players they like 884 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 1: it hard. They want to play difficult, and you know, 885 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:28,160 Speaker 1: you hear the stories about Jack walking into the into 886 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,319 Speaker 1: the locker room and guys grumbling. He's like, okay, I know, 887 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:33,840 Speaker 1: I got that guy beat. And so it's there's the 888 00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 1: great players in this day and age grories. They walk 889 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: in Tiger obviously in his day they know, okay, you 890 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 1: know this is like you're saying with Trevor Immelman, you know, 891 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:46,359 Speaker 1: when it's a shootout, anybody in the room can win. 892 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,319 Speaker 1: When is this when it's a major, then you know 893 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:52,160 Speaker 1: there's really only twenty guys. Maybe some guy gets really 894 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:53,800 Speaker 1: lucky and gets hot that week, and I think that, 895 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: so we have to remember that when we do work 896 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:01,000 Speaker 1: and we've had a little bit more over because you know, 897 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 1: it's it's hard to say wing foots bag because Gil 898 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:05,799 Speaker 1: hands did anything. It's telling us golf course, you know. 899 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:07,840 Speaker 1: So it's ultimately and we love to go into the 900 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:11,160 Speaker 1: weeks of major championship saying, hey, focus on Thomas, focused 901 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:14,240 Speaker 1: on telling us, etcetera. But when it's our own work, 902 00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:17,840 Speaker 1: you know, you hear this chirping and I'll be perfectly honest. 903 00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:20,440 Speaker 1: You want to get on your soapbox and say, no, 904 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:22,200 Speaker 1: that's not what we're trying to do. But then you 905 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:25,439 Speaker 1: come across the sounding defensive and shrill, and so it's 906 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:29,400 Speaker 1: just like, okay, And as you were saying, the golfing 907 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:33,680 Speaker 1: public takes because he's great at golf, he must know 908 00:46:33,719 --> 00:46:35,880 Speaker 1: what he's talking about when it comes to architecture. He 909 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,400 Speaker 1: must know that this is a bad golf hole because 910 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:41,239 Speaker 1: he said it's a bad golfhole, versus it's a bad 911 00:46:41,239 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 1: golful because he may double when he may right. So 912 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:48,560 Speaker 1: so we I've learned to be more patient with those 913 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:53,879 Speaker 1: sorts of things. Let's take a quick break and we 914 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,319 Speaker 1: are back. Whether it's your work or whether it's the 915 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 1: of course, you come in and and and helped change um. 916 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:05,600 Speaker 1: When there is a major championship there. When you watch 917 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:11,839 Speaker 1: players um, not struggle, but when you watch players hit 918 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:16,279 Speaker 1: shots um and don't make pars um that get into 919 00:47:16,360 --> 00:47:21,879 Speaker 1: trouble as an architect or you like, Okay, that's what 920 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,799 Speaker 1: we wanted to do. That's we wanted to try and 921 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:30,279 Speaker 1: challenge and it makes you feel good. You take you know, 922 00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:33,440 Speaker 1: some weird perverse thing kind of going hot we got. 923 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 1: I have always wondered that because you know the golf course. 924 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:40,080 Speaker 1: When you play golf course, it's it's hard to remember 925 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 1: the guys that designed them, they're they're doing it to 926 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:47,239 Speaker 1: to challenge you. The golf course is supposed to be challenged. 927 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:49,480 Speaker 1: I think I read somewhere I want to say this 928 00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:52,400 Speaker 1: is correct. Al Stair Mackenzie was he did you do 929 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:55,680 Speaker 1: camouflage in the army and you did something? So it's 930 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:00,400 Speaker 1: designed by design. The the architect is trying gordless of 931 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:03,480 Speaker 1: your handicap. They're trying to test you. So when you 932 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:06,040 Speaker 1: watch your golf course, do you get after the US 933 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:08,440 Speaker 1: Open it at the country club, do you and just 934 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,920 Speaker 1: get together, you know, by yourselves and say, hey, we 935 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 1: did a good job on this whole, because that's the 936 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:19,680 Speaker 1: challenge we wanted. We liked that they but they struggled 937 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 1: with this. We like the fact that he hit it 938 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:25,600 Speaker 1: to twenty feet may par and somebody else in the 939 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:28,719 Speaker 1: group down the stretch may double because twenty feet was 940 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:33,319 Speaker 1: a good shot, not to five feet. Yeah, we we 941 00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:37,640 Speaker 1: definitely we watch. We're nervous, um and the for two reasons. 942 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:40,960 Speaker 1: There's so the the learning curve, like you mentioned, is 943 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:43,480 Speaker 1: important us because we're fortunate now we're going to be 944 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: doing this for a while. We've got a crazy lineup 945 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:48,239 Speaker 1: of course, is that we're involved with that are gonna 946 00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:51,600 Speaker 1: host major championships over the next decade um, and so 947 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:54,000 Speaker 1: we want to learn and get better that our craft, 948 00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:56,640 Speaker 1: and so we focus on things from that perspective and 949 00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:01,279 Speaker 1: see see what works and what doesn't. The bigger perspective 950 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:04,280 Speaker 1: of how we get nervous is really more the perception 951 00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:07,279 Speaker 1: of the golf course, and that's mostly through the member's eyes, 952 00:49:08,040 --> 00:49:12,320 Speaker 1: because rightly or wrongly, um, you know, if Justin Thomas 953 00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 1: shoots fifteen under instead of I know it was six 954 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,520 Speaker 1: or seven or whatever he won with somebody's can say, oh, 955 00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:21,120 Speaker 1: Southern Hills too easy, and you know that golf course 956 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,120 Speaker 1: wasn't good enough to host a major championship, but they 957 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:27,840 Speaker 1: shoot at Fitzpatrick shoots five or six under. You know, hey, 958 00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:30,279 Speaker 1: that was a tough test of golf. That was great, 959 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:32,440 Speaker 1: and the members walk away, you know, kind of excited 960 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:35,279 Speaker 1: and pumped that their golf course stood up to the 961 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:37,200 Speaker 1: best players in the world. And you get a crazy 962 00:49:37,239 --> 00:49:40,760 Speaker 1: situation like Wingfoot, which was just an odd open because 963 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:42,680 Speaker 1: of COVID and the whole thing. You know, Bryson shoots 964 00:49:42,719 --> 00:49:45,560 Speaker 1: six nme. He's the only guy under part in the 965 00:49:45,719 --> 00:49:49,080 Speaker 1: entire field. And somebody said to me, you know, well, 966 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:50,719 Speaker 1: what what was it like giving up the you know, 967 00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:53,239 Speaker 1: the record low score for the US Open at Wingfoot? 968 00:49:53,360 --> 00:49:56,560 Speaker 1: Like that was your takeaway from the whole because the 969 00:49:56,680 --> 00:49:59,040 Speaker 1: one guy I you I heard that there as well. 970 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:00,960 Speaker 1: I mean, the way Bryson was playing that week, and 971 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:03,439 Speaker 1: you know, my my family has so much history there, 972 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:05,800 Speaker 1: and you felt like there were a number of members 973 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:10,040 Speaker 1: at that Wingfoot that were upset that Riston came in 974 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:12,680 Speaker 1: and was doing the things he's doing as opposed to 975 00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:17,320 Speaker 1: going listen, he's doing something amazing on a really really 976 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:20,160 Speaker 1: hard golf course. Like you said, it's not like, you know, 977 00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:23,279 Speaker 1: six under one and lost in a playoff, and then 978 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:25,840 Speaker 1: there were two guys at five and four, at four 979 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,920 Speaker 1: and three, I mean with one guy. Yeah, And I 980 00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:33,240 Speaker 1: think that so so everybody gets fixated on the score 981 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:36,839 Speaker 1: as being the sort of the arbiter of equality. And 982 00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:39,640 Speaker 1: and as we've been discussing, that's really got everything to 983 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:41,680 Speaker 1: do is set up and weather that week, and that's 984 00:50:41,719 --> 00:50:45,720 Speaker 1: ultimately what what dictates the house score, goes our stand 985 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:49,799 Speaker 1: From our standpoint, the most important thing is that we 986 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:54,040 Speaker 1: get a great champion. You really just want, hopefully the 987 00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:57,120 Speaker 1: work that we've done in the golf course to identify 988 00:50:57,360 --> 00:51:00,279 Speaker 1: a great champion, and so that when people look at 989 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:04,000 Speaker 1: who won the major championship on that year in that place, 990 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:07,320 Speaker 1: they go, yeah, we're really proud to have Justin Thomas, 991 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:10,240 Speaker 1: We're really proud to have Matt Fitzpatrick. We're really proud 992 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:13,960 Speaker 1: that there are great players that won these events versus 993 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:18,320 Speaker 1: I no no offense to to the lesser known players, 994 00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:20,880 Speaker 1: but you really would rather not have that happen. So 995 00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:24,600 Speaker 1: I think if there's any rooting interest you might start 996 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,560 Speaker 1: to think, okay, coming down the stretchy, you know, all right, 997 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:30,080 Speaker 1: we'd rather have that guy being the major champion versus 998 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:32,600 Speaker 1: that guy. And so I think that's the only being 999 00:51:32,640 --> 00:51:35,040 Speaker 1: completely honest, that's really the only rooting interests. We're not 1000 00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:37,160 Speaker 1: sitting there going. Boy would love to see them both 1001 00:51:37,200 --> 00:51:40,279 Speaker 1: double the last sole because I think, honestly, we Jim 1002 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:43,120 Speaker 1: and I, in our own designs, we'd like to see 1003 00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 1: positive outcomes win championships. I think it's much more memorable 1004 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:48,560 Speaker 1: for a guy makes the last two in a major championship. 1005 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:51,120 Speaker 1: Then yeah, yeah, one guy made a boat. You know, 1006 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:54,040 Speaker 1: the guy made a double too. Was that That's not 1007 00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:56,040 Speaker 1: our mindset when it comes to golf and set up. 1008 00:51:56,640 --> 00:51:59,120 Speaker 1: You mentioned set up of a golf course that once 1009 00:51:59,160 --> 00:52:02,200 Speaker 1: you get to, once the design happens, you guys come in, 1010 00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:06,840 Speaker 1: you do to the renovation, the redesign, the tournament goes on. 1011 00:52:06,960 --> 00:52:10,680 Speaker 1: And you mentioned set up. Um, there are so many 1012 00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:17,239 Speaker 1: times that I think sometimes the setup can make the 1013 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:21,480 Speaker 1: golf course almost unplayable. You know, We're at Marion and 1014 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:23,680 Speaker 1: it was someday and one of the members was working 1015 00:52:23,719 --> 00:52:26,320 Speaker 1: the driving range and he said, you know, our course 1016 00:52:26,440 --> 00:52:28,440 Speaker 1: is held up pretty good. They haven't beaten it up. 1017 00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:31,560 Speaker 1: And I'm thinking in my head, you you've never played 1018 00:52:31,560 --> 00:52:35,000 Speaker 1: this golf course. You first of all, you can't play 1019 00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:38,879 Speaker 1: the configuration of what it is. But on someday at 1020 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 1: the US Open, nobody is ever going to play a 1021 00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:45,160 Speaker 1: golf course from a set up standpoint that is that 1022 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:47,880 Speaker 1: baked out, that the greens are that firm, that the 1023 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:52,000 Speaker 1: rough has gotten that much up. You the average golfer 1024 00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:55,920 Speaker 1: couldn't finish that golf course. And I think sometimes is 1025 00:52:55,960 --> 00:52:58,520 Speaker 1: it not frustrating? But as you said, golf is an 1026 00:52:58,560 --> 00:53:01,359 Speaker 1: outdoor sport. They look like they're gonna get whether they're 1027 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:04,920 Speaker 1: they're trying to stay away from that is sometimes is 1028 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:08,080 Speaker 1: there sometimes not so much frustration, but you look at 1029 00:53:08,160 --> 00:53:10,520 Speaker 1: and go off. I wish we could have kept the 1030 00:53:10,520 --> 00:53:13,600 Speaker 1: golf course set up this way as opposed to it 1031 00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:18,520 Speaker 1: being set up that way. It's usually on the the 1032 00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,759 Speaker 1: easier side, right, It's usually And we had nothing to 1033 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:24,680 Speaker 1: do with this. And you know, back earlier I had 1034 00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:27,520 Speaker 1: a small career in television when we do the U 1035 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:30,680 Speaker 1: s O going Fox at the coverage and Wednesday at 1036 00:53:30,719 --> 00:53:35,160 Speaker 1: Oakmont in that was the best conditioned golf course. I 1037 00:53:35,160 --> 00:53:38,320 Speaker 1: think I've ever seen him on life. It was incredible. 1038 00:53:38,320 --> 00:53:41,440 Speaker 1: It was so good. And then you get two and 1039 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,400 Speaker 1: a half three inches of rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning, 1040 00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:47,200 Speaker 1: and it totally changed everything. And it was like, you know, 1041 00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:49,800 Speaker 1: I can't even imagine the heartache from the superintendent and 1042 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:54,360 Speaker 1: the staff and everything. They had it so good playing bouncy, 1043 00:53:54,480 --> 00:53:57,680 Speaker 1: it was playing firm. You had guys from the fairway 1044 00:53:57,719 --> 00:54:00,160 Speaker 1: and the rough thinking, okay, maybe I can chip us 1045 00:54:00,160 --> 00:54:02,360 Speaker 1: out and get this just. I mean DJ on the 1046 00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:04,760 Speaker 1: first hole, I remember his first hole of the tournament. 1047 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:07,600 Speaker 1: He hit it into the left rough f okmon and 1048 00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:09,560 Speaker 1: I'd already seen a bunch of guys try and go 1049 00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:12,200 Speaker 1: for that green, catch the flyer out of the rock, 1050 00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:15,200 Speaker 1: bounce it over, go down that little hump, and I'll 1051 00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:19,640 Speaker 1: never forget. DJ laid it out front, edge, chipped it up, 1052 00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: put it up, made but made Burke made park. And 1053 00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:24,759 Speaker 1: afterwards A J said, you don't even know who my 1054 00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:27,000 Speaker 1: brother was in the on the first hole. Normally we're 1055 00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:29,680 Speaker 1: going white at that pin, we're making double or triple. 1056 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:34,200 Speaker 1: And he had learned that. But the way that course 1057 00:54:34,280 --> 00:54:36,400 Speaker 1: was set up, like you said on Thursday, can be 1058 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:39,319 Speaker 1: so different than the way it is by the time 1059 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:42,560 Speaker 1: it gets the Sunday. Yeah, and and we so, I 1060 00:54:42,560 --> 00:54:45,000 Speaker 1: guess the best way to is you want to set 1061 00:54:45,080 --> 00:54:48,720 Speaker 1: up we we do, other people may the priorities maybe 1062 00:54:48,800 --> 00:54:52,120 Speaker 1: reversed as we want to set up to flatter the architecture. 1063 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:56,080 Speaker 1: Is to show off every aspect of the architecture that's 1064 00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:59,319 Speaker 1: available to the set up guys, different whole locations. You know, 1065 00:54:59,560 --> 00:55:01,840 Speaker 1: you don't wanted to be so firm and so biked 1066 00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:04,680 Speaker 1: out that we can't use that whole location because it's 1067 00:55:04,719 --> 00:55:06,719 Speaker 1: just over the over the edge. You don't want it 1068 00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:09,839 Speaker 1: to be so soft that they're starting to say, oh man, 1069 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:11,560 Speaker 1: we've got to go two and a half paces from 1070 00:55:11,600 --> 00:55:13,800 Speaker 1: the edge instead of three, you know, and you're starting 1071 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:17,399 Speaker 1: to go the opposite direction. You really just the thing 1072 00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:20,319 Speaker 1: that most people don't realize, and I've been fortunate enough 1073 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,239 Speaker 1: to be involved in all of these conversations and just 1074 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:25,560 Speaker 1: or fly on the wall, is how much thought and 1075 00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:29,759 Speaker 1: preparation goes into Like you know, there's there's set up 1076 00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:34,239 Speaker 1: visits start eighteen months before a championship and then they're 1077 00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:37,440 Speaker 1: coming in they're constantly refining and tweaking, and so for 1078 00:55:37,480 --> 00:55:40,120 Speaker 1: people to think that oh, they just made that random 1079 00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,160 Speaker 1: decision to put a whole location there today and it 1080 00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:44,200 Speaker 1: didn't work out. No, they've been thinking about that whole 1081 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:49,160 Speaker 1: location for over a year. And so if the setup 1082 00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:52,640 Speaker 1: flatters the architecture, and the architectural flatters the setup and 1083 00:55:52,680 --> 00:55:55,640 Speaker 1: allows them to use everything, that's the that's the sweet spot. 1084 00:55:55,840 --> 00:55:58,759 Speaker 1: That's exactly where you wanted to be. I think we 1085 00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:00,839 Speaker 1: look at it is we don't wanted to go so 1086 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:04,360 Speaker 1: far to the easy side and the conditions because of 1087 00:56:04,440 --> 00:56:09,960 Speaker 1: the mother nature. Um, that's worse than going although you 1088 00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 1: don't want it to get gimmicky, you know where it 1089 00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:13,840 Speaker 1: goes so far on the hard side that you know, 1090 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:16,239 Speaker 1: the best players in the world, you're you know, I 1091 00:56:16,280 --> 00:56:17,960 Speaker 1: don't want to beat it up, but you know there's 1092 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:20,920 Speaker 1: like seven at Shinnekock back in two thousand four. I 1093 00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:23,120 Speaker 1: think of those guys. I mean, the best players in 1094 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:26,320 Speaker 1: the world can't hit a green with a mid iron, 1095 00:56:27,080 --> 00:56:29,960 Speaker 1: and it's like that's there's something wrong there. That's not 1096 00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:32,160 Speaker 1: right either. So you just hope and I know that 1097 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 1: John Bodenhammer, Kerry Higg and their teams they don't want 1098 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:36,960 Speaker 1: to be part of the story. They want to get 1099 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:39,840 Speaker 1: through the week and not have anybody have any blow 1100 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:42,600 Speaker 1: ups or any any issues. So it's the combination of 1101 00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:45,960 Speaker 1: the preparation hopefully the certainly the talents of the superintendent 1102 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:48,160 Speaker 1: and if but the wild card is always mother nature. 1103 00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:51,840 Speaker 1: That's what it comes down to. As an architect um 1104 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:54,680 Speaker 1: we we've talked there does seem to be a trend 1105 00:56:54,680 --> 00:56:57,520 Speaker 1: towards taking golf courses back to the way they used 1106 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:02,319 Speaker 1: to look um that style and the agronomy. I think 1107 00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:05,120 Speaker 1: it's changed there. There's been this, in my opinion, this 1108 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:08,720 Speaker 1: augustification of golf courses where there can't be any brown. 1109 00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:11,960 Speaker 1: Everything's got to be green. And as a result, still 1110 00:57:12,360 --> 00:57:14,560 Speaker 1: you have to put so much water on the golf 1111 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:18,680 Speaker 1: course to have it have this aesthetic look, so it 1112 00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:21,840 Speaker 1: looks like Augusta and no disrespect to what they do 1113 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:25,040 Speaker 1: at Augusta Nashville, but a lot of times when you're 1114 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:31,200 Speaker 1: out at that golf course, it looks somewhat not the 1115 00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:33,480 Speaker 1: only term I could come up with, Parts of it 1116 00:57:33,520 --> 00:57:37,120 Speaker 1: look like it's fake that it's it's so overdone right, 1117 00:57:37,160 --> 00:57:40,560 Speaker 1: it's so over manicure. There's these great photos that I 1118 00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:42,680 Speaker 1: come across every now and again with my grandfather when 1119 00:57:42,680 --> 00:57:45,800 Speaker 1: he won there in hit at the water on thirteen, 1120 00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:49,080 Speaker 1: and the water on thirteen looks like a ravine you'd 1121 00:57:49,120 --> 00:57:52,320 Speaker 1: find in West you know, in Texas. There's grass and 1122 00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:56,880 Speaker 1: there's all this stuff. None of it looks ultra ultra pristine. 1123 00:57:57,120 --> 00:58:00,080 Speaker 1: And I think that it's been cool. I mean, you 1124 00:58:00,160 --> 00:58:02,240 Speaker 1: went um two years ago and they went back to 1125 00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:04,960 Speaker 1: this here Congoe on the PGA tour where they went 1126 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:09,720 Speaker 1: and played what a cool golf course? Wasn't necessarily perfect 1127 00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:13,800 Speaker 1: green everywhere. It had a little brown to it. It 1128 00:58:13,920 --> 00:58:16,440 Speaker 1: had what you talked about to where you walked from 1129 00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:19,880 Speaker 1: the green to the t but it it had some 1130 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:24,160 Speaker 1: some natural parts to it. And as a designer, how 1131 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:26,440 Speaker 1: do you judge up? Because again, if the client wants 1132 00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:30,640 Speaker 1: it to look like Augusta and looked super super green 1133 00:58:30,760 --> 00:58:34,640 Speaker 1: and super super perfect, that's really a different design than 1134 00:58:34,720 --> 00:58:38,920 Speaker 1: someone saying, hey, just go find the golf holes. Yeah. 1135 00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:41,680 Speaker 1: I think that that comes down to clients selection, right. 1136 00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:45,120 Speaker 1: I mean we're and you know, I realized how fortunate 1137 00:58:45,160 --> 00:58:47,360 Speaker 1: we are and that we have the ability to say no. 1138 00:58:47,600 --> 00:58:49,360 Speaker 1: And so if somebody comes and says, hey we want 1139 00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:51,080 Speaker 1: to I guess so we want to perfect consider we've 1140 00:58:51,120 --> 00:58:52,800 Speaker 1: got to really think long and heart of it. That's 1141 00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:54,800 Speaker 1: something that that we want to do because I agree 1142 00:58:54,840 --> 00:58:57,880 Speaker 1: with you, I'm much we're much more in the line 1143 00:58:57,880 --> 00:59:02,000 Speaker 1: of natural presentation. Firm asked. I got to spend a 1144 00:59:02,080 --> 00:59:04,160 Speaker 1: year in Great Britain and part of a scholarship from 1145 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:07,520 Speaker 1: Cornell and that's what that's really what all of my 1146 00:59:07,560 --> 00:59:10,680 Speaker 1: principles and focus came from that and the natural presentation 1147 00:59:10,720 --> 00:59:12,760 Speaker 1: of golf course as well as the natural design of 1148 00:59:12,800 --> 00:59:15,480 Speaker 1: golf courses. Augusta National does what they do, They do 1149 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:18,520 Speaker 1: it better than anybody else. It's the most anticipated tournament 1150 00:59:18,720 --> 00:59:21,200 Speaker 1: of the year. We all look to it. But I 1151 00:59:21,200 --> 00:59:23,840 Speaker 1: think if you gave truth serum to every superintendent the country, 1152 00:59:23,880 --> 00:59:26,120 Speaker 1: they hate it because they look at that and the 1153 00:59:26,160 --> 00:59:27,800 Speaker 1: members come in the next day like, oh, did you 1154 00:59:27,840 --> 00:59:30,040 Speaker 1: see it was great? Degrees? Are fourteen? To look at 1155 00:59:30,040 --> 00:59:32,840 Speaker 1: that was beautiful? And look at that little brown spot 1156 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:34,200 Speaker 1: of the right. Can you get rid of that? Because 1157 00:59:34,200 --> 00:59:37,160 Speaker 1: they don't have that. Yeah, And so that's that. It's 1158 00:59:37,280 --> 00:59:43,080 Speaker 1: very frustrating for superintendents because nobody has the well very 1159 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:46,160 Speaker 1: few of course, to do that and make sure that 1160 00:59:46,200 --> 00:59:48,080 Speaker 1: they can keep it and maintain it. But it is 1161 00:59:48,600 --> 00:59:51,640 Speaker 1: it is and You're right, that's the evolution of Augusta. 1162 00:59:51,760 --> 00:59:55,120 Speaker 1: August has evolved into that. It is so iconic, as 1163 00:59:55,120 --> 00:59:57,320 Speaker 1: they said, it's so anticipated. There's no way they could 1164 00:59:57,320 --> 00:59:59,439 Speaker 1: ever change that. I mean, they just can't go back 1165 00:59:59,480 --> 01:00:03,040 Speaker 1: to the weedy banks and the grasses and the Mackenzie 1166 01:00:03,080 --> 01:00:06,959 Speaker 1: bunkers with all the rough un edges, etcetera, etcetera. That's 1167 01:00:07,000 --> 01:00:09,040 Speaker 1: sale and maybe for the better because you know, we 1168 01:00:09,080 --> 01:00:11,200 Speaker 1: all love it. It's not like people turn off the tournament. 1169 01:00:11,200 --> 01:00:13,439 Speaker 1: And that golf course has maintained too well. I don't 1170 01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:16,760 Speaker 1: want to look at that, those white stands, bunkers, it's amazing. Lastly, 1171 01:00:16,840 --> 01:00:22,160 Speaker 1: gil Um in two. From a design standpoint, Um, what 1172 01:00:22,240 --> 01:00:25,520 Speaker 1: role do you think that the designers designing golf courses 1173 01:00:25,560 --> 01:00:29,120 Speaker 1: today have to play in trying to grow the game? Um? 1174 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:32,040 Speaker 1: We've built a nine hole my dad and Kelly Gibson 1175 01:00:32,080 --> 01:00:34,560 Speaker 1: here we built a nine hole part three course. UM 1176 01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:36,800 Speaker 1: where I think the longest holes probably a hundred and 1177 01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:39,760 Speaker 1: twenty yards. It's nine holes. It's it's changed the club, 1178 01:00:39,840 --> 01:00:42,560 Speaker 1: gil Um. Guys play the main course and then they 1179 01:00:42,600 --> 01:00:44,400 Speaker 1: get done. They have launched and they load up on 1180 01:00:44,600 --> 01:00:47,280 Speaker 1: you know, booze and and get the music. Going and 1181 01:00:47,280 --> 01:00:51,240 Speaker 1: go play, you know, ninety yards eighty yard shots um. 1182 01:00:51,280 --> 01:00:55,880 Speaker 1: From an instruction standpoint, guilt getting people on golf courses. 1183 01:00:56,520 --> 01:00:58,440 Speaker 1: They're not good enough to go play. Even if you 1184 01:00:58,480 --> 01:01:01,200 Speaker 1: take them to the ladies tease, they're not good enough 1185 01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:04,320 Speaker 1: to play the golf courses. Do you think I know 1186 01:01:04,400 --> 01:01:06,320 Speaker 1: it's not call its defective, but do you think we're 1187 01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:10,880 Speaker 1: going to see more maybe nine whole, three whole, twelve 1188 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:15,280 Speaker 1: whole golf courses that aren't necessarily super super hard that 1189 01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:19,720 Speaker 1: our user friendly to help try and grow the game. Yeah, 1190 01:01:19,760 --> 01:01:22,160 Speaker 1: we we built a golf course in in a little 1191 01:01:22,240 --> 01:01:28,000 Speaker 1: nine holer and pine Hursts the cradle, it's it has 1192 01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:30,360 Speaker 1: you know, and Bob Demman, Tom Pastially, you know, they 1193 01:01:30,360 --> 01:01:33,440 Speaker 1: took a chance to make fun the front door for 1194 01:01:33,480 --> 01:01:35,640 Speaker 1: the clubhouse at Pinehurst, and you know with the putting 1195 01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:39,479 Speaker 1: giant putting green and then the cradle. And I get 1196 01:01:39,520 --> 01:01:43,240 Speaker 1: more pleasure out of watching people just tooling around out 1197 01:01:43,240 --> 01:01:45,720 Speaker 1: there with their grandkids or parents sitting in the aderundics 1198 01:01:45,760 --> 01:01:48,000 Speaker 1: watching their kids play, or ate sums of you know, 1199 01:01:48,520 --> 01:01:51,600 Speaker 1: knuckle heads playing barefoot and had drinking beers and just 1200 01:01:51,800 --> 01:01:55,320 Speaker 1: the somehow that just clicked in the magic of it, 1201 01:01:55,400 --> 01:01:59,959 Speaker 1: and that so excitement of getting people the introductory level. 1202 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:02,400 Speaker 1: So the game is based on fund versus frustration. You've 1203 01:02:02,400 --> 01:02:04,320 Speaker 1: got plenty of time to get frustrated with this game, 1204 01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:07,120 Speaker 1: have fun, get to it in a fun manner, and 1205 01:02:07,120 --> 01:02:11,120 Speaker 1: I think that that's incredibly important. We've got, um, you know, 1206 01:02:11,160 --> 01:02:14,640 Speaker 1: people I do Instagram occasionally and you get you know, 1207 01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:17,160 Speaker 1: I've stopped because like, I don't really need that in 1208 01:02:17,200 --> 01:02:19,600 Speaker 1: my life. But you know, whenever we put up pictures 1209 01:02:19,600 --> 01:02:22,160 Speaker 1: of these great private clubs that we've done, et cetera, 1210 01:02:22,240 --> 01:02:23,960 Speaker 1: they're like, oh great, you know I'm never going to 1211 01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:25,880 Speaker 1: get to play there. Thanks for putting that up. And 1212 01:02:25,880 --> 01:02:28,080 Speaker 1: it's like that's all we do. But we probably are 1213 01:02:28,120 --> 01:02:31,280 Speaker 1: most anticipated golf course is just going to open sometime 1214 01:02:31,360 --> 01:02:36,120 Speaker 1: next year is the park in West Palm Beach, because 1215 01:02:36,160 --> 01:02:38,560 Speaker 1: we fly over that when we land into two p 1216 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:40,680 Speaker 1: B I. If you're coming in off the ocean, it's 1217 01:02:40,680 --> 01:02:42,640 Speaker 1: over there on the on the left. If you're taking off, 1218 01:02:42,640 --> 01:02:44,960 Speaker 1: it's over there on the right. And that looks very 1219 01:02:45,040 --> 01:02:47,480 Speaker 1: much like when you fly over. It looks like when 1220 01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:49,880 Speaker 1: you fly over Seminole just looks like a bunch of sand, 1221 01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:53,480 Speaker 1: and it really does have that same kind of look. Yeah, 1222 01:02:53,600 --> 01:02:57,440 Speaker 1: so it's uber wide, very playable, interesting, But then again 1223 01:02:57,480 --> 01:03:02,360 Speaker 1: it's just that there's enough there that you know, somebody's 1224 01:03:02,400 --> 01:03:04,880 Speaker 1: beginning in the game could just bunted, bunted, bunted, get 1225 01:03:04,960 --> 01:03:06,360 Speaker 1: up on the green. You know, you've got to think 1226 01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:08,160 Speaker 1: a little bit. But then somebody like you would get 1227 01:03:08,160 --> 01:03:10,080 Speaker 1: out there and be like, Okay, I'm gonna attack this pin. 1228 01:03:10,200 --> 01:03:12,280 Speaker 1: That pin. You can really set that whole set up. 1229 01:03:12,600 --> 01:03:15,000 Speaker 1: And then with the sandy areas and they're all kind 1230 01:03:15,040 --> 01:03:17,800 Speaker 1: of you're not gonna lose the golf ball. There's no water, 1231 01:03:17,920 --> 01:03:20,760 Speaker 1: there's no water on the golf course. It's super friendly, 1232 01:03:20,880 --> 01:03:22,440 Speaker 1: you know, just go out and play golf and not 1233 01:03:22,480 --> 01:03:26,960 Speaker 1: get frustrated with it. And so we're almost when we're 1234 01:03:27,080 --> 01:03:29,800 Speaker 1: as excited about the opening of that because it can show, 1235 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:36,480 Speaker 1: hopefully from in our opinion, that great architecture, honestly speaking, 1236 01:03:37,360 --> 01:03:41,760 Speaker 1: great maintenance, playability, wide corridors, et cetera, can actually happen 1237 01:03:41,880 --> 01:03:44,880 Speaker 1: in the transferred to municipal golf course where anybody and 1238 01:03:44,920 --> 01:03:47,040 Speaker 1: everybody can go out there for a reasonable price and 1239 01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:50,640 Speaker 1: play that. So I think we'd love to be in 1240 01:03:50,640 --> 01:03:52,360 Speaker 1: a position to help to grow the game. We've done 1241 01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:54,800 Speaker 1: that wherever we possibly can do in pro bono stuff 1242 01:03:54,840 --> 01:04:00,760 Speaker 1: with first Tease and and municipal golf courses. Um whole fully, 1243 01:04:00,800 --> 01:04:02,600 Speaker 1: not only are we doing something that will make the 1244 01:04:02,600 --> 01:04:05,240 Speaker 1: game we're playable and enjoyable, but that's somewhere in some 1245 01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:08,000 Speaker 1: person who's just coming to the game. They'll they'll start 1246 01:04:08,000 --> 01:04:10,760 Speaker 1: to think, I wonder why I like that whole. I 1247 01:04:10,800 --> 01:04:12,960 Speaker 1: wonder why I don't like that whole. I wonder why 1248 01:04:13,080 --> 01:04:15,440 Speaker 1: this is there and that? And then I think, you know, 1249 01:04:15,480 --> 01:04:18,560 Speaker 1: and I'm sure you you know. It's when you start 1250 01:04:18,600 --> 01:04:20,840 Speaker 1: to get to a level where you appreciate architecture and 1251 01:04:20,880 --> 01:04:24,440 Speaker 1: you start to appreciate thought, that opens up such another 1252 01:04:24,920 --> 01:04:27,400 Speaker 1: element of the game versus just trying to get the 1253 01:04:27,400 --> 01:04:30,520 Speaker 1: ball airborne and and survive. When you get to a 1254 01:04:30,520 --> 01:04:32,920 Speaker 1: place where you can actually start to think about, okay, 1255 01:04:33,080 --> 01:04:36,360 Speaker 1: there are questions that are being asked out here, then 1256 01:04:36,400 --> 01:04:38,600 Speaker 1: I think the entirety of the game, and then the 1257 01:04:38,600 --> 01:04:41,640 Speaker 1: the entire beauty of the game really becomes apparent to 1258 01:04:41,800 --> 01:04:45,760 Speaker 1: two players. Well, I really appreciate you talking to me, Um, 1259 01:04:45,800 --> 01:04:47,720 Speaker 1: I could talk to you forever. I didn't even get 1260 01:04:47,720 --> 01:04:50,600 Speaker 1: to my favorite golf courses, lay bored in France, and 1261 01:04:50,640 --> 01:04:52,920 Speaker 1: I know you guys have done the second course there. Ye, 1262 01:04:53,240 --> 01:04:55,760 Speaker 1: I love that place. That's to me, that is a magical, 1263 01:04:55,920 --> 01:04:59,360 Speaker 1: magical place. Yet to see the new readsign at l 1264 01:04:59,400 --> 01:05:01,520 Speaker 1: A Tree Club where the US Open is going to 1265 01:05:01,560 --> 01:05:03,760 Speaker 1: be this year. But I'm super excited. And if it's 1266 01:05:03,800 --> 01:05:06,040 Speaker 1: anything like um, the rest of the work that you 1267 01:05:06,040 --> 01:05:09,440 Speaker 1: guys do, it's it's going to be amazing. Uh. If 1268 01:05:09,440 --> 01:05:12,680 Speaker 1: there's somebody better that in Gulf and our design, then 1269 01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:14,360 Speaker 1: what you guys are doing. I don't know who it is, 1270 01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:17,520 Speaker 1: because you guys are doing, you know, some amazing, amazing work. 1271 01:05:17,600 --> 01:05:19,800 Speaker 1: So how to talk to you guys, And uh, thanks 1272 01:05:19,840 --> 01:05:21,720 Speaker 1: for talking to us, and we'll look forward to seeing 1273 01:05:21,720 --> 01:05:24,720 Speaker 1: you at another major. I mean you're like, you're like 1274 01:05:24,720 --> 01:05:26,840 Speaker 1: Tiger Woods at this point, he's walking around and all 1275 01:05:26,840 --> 01:05:29,640 Speaker 1: the other golf course architectures architects are looking at you, 1276 01:05:29,720 --> 01:05:32,320 Speaker 1: going and another major and you're just going yet another 1277 01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:35,760 Speaker 1: major another. It's funny because people say are you gonna go? 1278 01:05:35,800 --> 01:05:39,080 Speaker 1: And I'm going, yeah, usually go sort of Tuesday through 1279 01:05:39,360 --> 01:05:41,600 Speaker 1: Saturday maybe and then leave and they're like, you don't 1280 01:05:41,600 --> 01:05:43,200 Speaker 1: stay for the end. I was like, if they're talking 1281 01:05:43,200 --> 01:05:45,240 Speaker 1: about the golf course on the weekend and something probably 1282 01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:47,880 Speaker 1: went wrong. So we cover all our bases. When once 1283 01:05:47,960 --> 01:05:50,160 Speaker 1: those guys show up, that's what the focus should be, 1284 01:05:50,320 --> 01:05:52,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's on them there. And so we 1285 01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:55,160 Speaker 1: talked about the golf course going into the tournament, but 1286 01:05:55,280 --> 01:05:57,439 Speaker 1: after that we we let them play it and see 1287 01:05:57,440 --> 01:05:59,240 Speaker 1: how it goes. But thanks, I really enjoyed. It was 1288 01:05:59,280 --> 01:06:01,480 Speaker 1: a great time to talk to you. And uh, we'll 1289 01:06:01,480 --> 01:06:07,560 Speaker 1: hope to see you here. So that was Gil Hants 1290 01:06:07,720 --> 01:06:11,920 Speaker 1: UM really really cool interview and hopefully, UM something that 1291 01:06:11,960 --> 01:06:13,440 Speaker 1: I want to try and get more on the pods 1292 01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:15,680 Speaker 1: golf course architects because they're the ones that are designing 1293 01:06:15,680 --> 01:06:17,560 Speaker 1: the golf courses that all of us are trying to play. 1294 01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:20,400 Speaker 1: And I think anytime you can kind of listen to 1295 01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:22,760 Speaker 1: what they're talking about and how they're doing things. UM, 1296 01:06:22,800 --> 01:06:25,040 Speaker 1: I actually think it can help you to be honest 1297 01:06:25,040 --> 01:06:27,000 Speaker 1: with you play better golf. So UM, I want to 1298 01:06:27,040 --> 01:06:30,480 Speaker 1: thank Gil for doing that. UM. I wanted to mention 1299 01:06:30,520 --> 01:06:33,720 Speaker 1: on a sad note, the passing of Barry Lane. For 1300 01:06:33,760 --> 01:06:36,440 Speaker 1: those of you that don't know, Barry was a stalwart 1301 01:06:36,640 --> 01:06:39,560 Speaker 1: on the European tour. UM he died New Year's Eve 1302 01:06:39,760 --> 01:06:42,280 Speaker 1: was sixty two years old. And uh he was a 1303 01:06:42,280 --> 01:06:45,760 Speaker 1: friend when I worked on the European Tour in the 1304 01:06:45,760 --> 01:06:48,120 Speaker 1: early part of the two thousand's. Um, you know, I 1305 01:06:48,120 --> 01:06:50,880 Speaker 1: worked with Barry for a number of years. Um. He 1306 01:06:50,960 --> 01:06:53,760 Speaker 1: was a five time winner in the European Tour. Uh 1307 01:06:53,880 --> 01:06:57,120 Speaker 1: he was a big part of their Ryder Cup UM 1308 01:06:57,160 --> 01:06:59,680 Speaker 1: teams in the late eighties in the early nineties and 1309 01:07:00,080 --> 01:07:02,520 Speaker 1: was just one of really one of the coolest people 1310 01:07:02,520 --> 01:07:05,640 Speaker 1: I've met. And um, he will be missed. Um, I 1311 01:07:05,680 --> 01:07:10,160 Speaker 1: think the outpouring of condolences and um the emotions that 1312 01:07:10,320 --> 01:07:12,880 Speaker 1: a lot of um, kind of the old school guys 1313 01:07:12,880 --> 01:07:16,680 Speaker 1: on the European Tour, from Ian Woosnam to Thomas Born 1314 01:07:16,680 --> 01:07:19,640 Speaker 1: and stuff. You know, Barry he played the tour, the 1315 01:07:19,640 --> 01:07:23,320 Speaker 1: European Tour for over two decades, never lost his card 1316 01:07:23,920 --> 01:07:28,040 Speaker 1: and uh was was was playing on the European Tour 1317 01:07:28,200 --> 01:07:33,000 Speaker 1: Champions their Champions Tour. But um, you know, my condolences 1318 01:07:33,200 --> 01:07:35,480 Speaker 1: go out to his wife Camilla and um you know 1319 01:07:35,520 --> 01:07:38,880 Speaker 1: a lolways look back fondly on the times that I 1320 01:07:38,880 --> 01:07:41,120 Speaker 1: got to spend with with Barry. He was he was 1321 01:07:41,240 --> 01:07:44,440 Speaker 1: just an unbelievable ball striker. Um, he was kind of 1322 01:07:44,440 --> 01:07:46,880 Speaker 1: one of the first of the old school guys. UM. 1323 01:07:46,920 --> 01:07:49,440 Speaker 1: He played from a very very shut position like we 1324 01:07:49,480 --> 01:07:52,000 Speaker 1: see a lot of the modern players. UM. He hit 1325 01:07:52,040 --> 01:07:54,280 Speaker 1: the golf ball miles. He had a lot of speed. 1326 01:07:54,640 --> 01:07:57,160 Speaker 1: He wasn't a very big guy, but UM, I think 1327 01:07:57,160 --> 01:07:59,600 Speaker 1: anybody that got to watch him hit golf balls, UM 1328 01:07:59,840 --> 01:08:03,160 Speaker 1: was just beyond impressed. And he was just he was 1329 01:08:03,200 --> 01:08:05,840 Speaker 1: a gentleman. And uh, you know he will definitely be 1330 01:08:06,640 --> 01:08:12,640 Speaker 1: UM missed and UM yeah really really sad to hear 1331 01:08:12,760 --> 01:08:16,599 Speaker 1: about his passing. UM, but want to thank everybody for 1332 01:08:17,000 --> 01:08:19,800 Speaker 1: all the listens for last year. UM. You know it's 1333 01:08:19,800 --> 01:08:22,559 Speaker 1: a new year. We're gonna try and continue to get 1334 01:08:23,160 --> 01:08:27,280 Speaker 1: good guests. UM. Hit me up on social and let 1335 01:08:27,280 --> 01:08:29,040 Speaker 1: me know the kind of guests, UM that you want. 1336 01:08:29,120 --> 01:08:31,400 Speaker 1: You want, you know, more guests from the PGA Tour. 1337 01:08:31,520 --> 01:08:33,840 Speaker 1: Do you want more guests from live? Do you want 1338 01:08:34,240 --> 01:08:37,720 Speaker 1: more guests from outside the golf space? UM, let me 1339 01:08:37,760 --> 01:08:40,120 Speaker 1: know and uh I will do my best to get 1340 01:08:40,160 --> 01:08:43,519 Speaker 1: them on but rate reviews. Subscribe to wherever you get 1341 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:46,839 Speaker 1: your podcast Son of a which comes to you every Wednesday. 1342 01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:48,200 Speaker 1: We will see you next week.