121 Ain't That Hot!

Dear GRG Client,
Welcome from sunny Arizona, to another riveting volume of the Staples Golf Design Quarterly! As we settle into the summer months, we’re excited to share our most recent thoughts, happenings, and lessons learned halfway through 2017 (halfway!?). In this volume we’ll acknowledge how import the opening of Meadowbrook Country Club was to my company, I'll touch on some thoughts about the US Open, dive into some cool USGA technology, and then wrap up with two exciting new projects I’m extremely happy to share with you.

Meadowbrook

What can I say? Meadowbrook has been an incredible experience, and I will no doubt look back on this project as a major turning point in my career.

MCC represents many awesome experiences, but most important is the fact this project is my first solo design in Michigan (surrounded by so many historic courses too!). I’m incredibly thankful for not only this assignment, but all the other opportunities that will come from it. A quick thanks to everyone that worked on this project; your dedication has been unbelievable. It’s been a great ride so far, and I look forward to years of continued involvement with the Club as it matures over time.

US Open Thoughts

As a native of Wisconsin, it was incredible to have a major championship in my home state, and I was fortunate enough to make it there for the opening round with my two oldest boys. Will and Luke got a chance to get autographs from their favorite player (Jordan Spieth), and I got a chance to see the greatest players in the world tackle such a big golf course (That. Place. Is. HUGE!).

For me, I think probably the best outcome of this US Open, was the overall spotlight on golf architecture, which seemed to be a topic of conversation like no other major in recent memory. It also brought up the serious question of whether you can actually contain today’s pros with greater length, wide fairways and (relatively) flat, receptive greens. The USGA erred on the side of caution, and was very motivated after 2015’s bold initiative at Chambers Bay to provide a controversy-free Championship, and they succeeded. I also believe that if the course wasn't as conducive to wet conditions, the Erin Hills story would be quite different.

In either case, what we learned about Erin Hills confirmed my belief that width and angles provides for strategic golf, and interesting greens with some contours are key to not only challenging the best players in the world, but in making it more enjoyable for the average guy. Finally, firm/fast conditions that aren’t perfectly green, are in fact, good for the game.

USGA Technology

Last month I was able to integrate some cutting edge technology into one of my current projects, of which many of us will likely be using in the future. The USGA is developing a "Resource Management" tool for courses to better understand their resource use and overall golf footprint. To begin the analysis, GPS tracking devices were handed out to over 100 golfers during the morning rounds at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo, CA. The small devices were placed literally in their pockets, and mapped out their traffic patterns for that day, which when extrapolated, point toward where on the course golfers are actuallyplaying.

This information can now be used to understand what areas of the course should be prioritized by management, and identify other areas that can be minimized, or even eliminated from everyday maintenance. Another great feature of this tech revolves around its cost projection calculators in making said adjustments to the course. It’s tough to do this new tech justice in a newsletter, but I’m really excited for the potential of this tool, and look forward to utilizing it more in the future.

Two New Projects!

Firstly, we’ve begun working with the University Club of Milwaukee (formerly Tripoli Country Club). I grew up about 20 minutes from this 1921 Tom Bendelow track, and played it many times as a kid. To summarize, it still has all original Bendelow greens, too many trees, and enough land to add a comprehensive short-game practice facility and short course. Work has already begun, and we look forward to construction on a portion of the project next year.

Secondly, we’ve been selected as the consulting architecture firm at San Jose Country Club in San Jose, CA. This private club was originally established in 1899, and sits high atop the hills overlooking Silicon Valley. The work will consist of master planning to include tree management, water conservation strategies, and long range improvement planning. San Jose CC is one of the most esteemed clubs in the area, and we look forward to working together for many years to come!

So that's that! I hope you all have a great rest of your summer, get a chance to work on that handicap, and have some fun out there! Keep an eye out for our next volume in the fall and as always, take care.

All the best,

Andy Staples, ASGCA