Building off of our latest Golf Architecture 101 episode, Garrett Morrison sits down with golf historian Bob Crosby to discuss the historical roots of the notion of fairness in golf course design. Garrett and Bob explore how two major figures of the game in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Laidlaw Purves and John Low, came to represent opposite sides of the fairness debate—a debate that still rages today.
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1:04:42
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1:04:42
Deep Dive: Cypress Point
On today’s episode, we dive deep into the history and architecture of Cypress Point Club, site of the upcoming 50th Walker Cup. First, Garrett speaks with David Normoyle, author of Cypress Point’s soon-to-be-published centennial book, about the history of the club. Then Garrett offers some of his own reflections on the course’s land, routing, and design features. Finally, he brings on Joshua Pettit, founder of the Alister MacKenzie Institute, to discuss a few lesser-known facts about Cypress Point’s construction.
(0:00-8:35) Introduction and Personal History
(10:26-51:07) Interview with David Normoyle
(53:24-1:21:55) Cypress Point's Land, Routing, Design, and Presentation
(1:21:55-1:40:48) Interview with Joshua Pettit
(1:40:48-1:50:53) Concluding Thoughts
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1:52:23
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1:52:23
Golf Architecture 101: Fairness
In the latest installment of our Golf Architecture 101 series, Garrett sits down with PJ to discuss the hot-button issue of fairness. What does it mean for a golf course to be fair? What kinds of design features might be considered unfair? Should we expect fairness out of a golf course? Garrett and PJ discuss it all in this episode.
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1:10:54
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1:10:54
Bringing the UK Golf Club Model to the U.S.
American golfers who visit the UK often come back wondering the U.S. doesn’t have more private golf clubs that encourage outside play. There are a number of reasons for the differences between the UK and U.S. club “models”—some tax-related, others having to do with history and culture. Still, it is possible to create a golf club in the U.S. that combines a strong local membership with a welcoming posture toward the public. That’s exactly what a group of people in Michigan is trying to do by reinventing Dunham Hills Golf Club as Proving Ground Golf Club.
In today’s episode, Garrett sits down with the architect behind this project, Mike DeVries. Mike is a partner with the firm Clayton, DeVries & Pont and a decorated solo architect whose designs include Kingsley Club, Cape Wickham Golf Links, Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club, Diamond Springs Golf Course, The Mines Golf Golf Course, and Pilgrims Run Golf Club. Mike and Garrett discuss the story behind the Proving Ground project and the benefits of emulating the UK club model. In the back half of the episode, they dig into Mike’s approach to designing and building affordable, accessible golf courses.
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1:02:12
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1:02:12
Why a Golf Course’s Footprint Is So Important
One of the most important discussions in golf architecture today relates to the “footprint” of a golf course—that is, how much space a course takes up, both physically and environmentally. As the USGA Green Section discovered in a recent study, golf course footprints have gotten substantially bigger over time. To explore this phenomenon, Garrett Morrison sits down with George Waters, the manager of USGA Green Section Education. Garrett and George discuss how golf courses have evolved over the past 100 years, why course footprints have grown while many course features (fairways, bunkers, greens) have shrunk, and what these developments mean for the future of golf architecture.
Designing Golf is a show about golf courses: how they’re built, who builds them, and which ones are worth playing. Hosted by Fried Egg Golf’s Garrett Morrison, Designing Golf will explore all facets of golf architecture, from its basic principles to its history to its practitioners to its best examples in the United States and abroad. Each episode will investigate a different topic in a fun, concise way. Whether you’re a longtime aficionado or a beginner in the subject, Designing Golf will deepen your knowledge about and fascination with golf courses and golf course design.
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