Pass the Candy Corn!

Dear GRG Client,
Welcome to the latest Staples Golf Design Quarterly! As we gear up for Halloween (nobody likes candy corn, btw), and look forward to the all too fast-approaching holiday season, we’re excited to share with you our most recent thoughts, happenings, and lessons learned. In this volume we’ll explore “the muse of Staples Golf Design,” take a look at the future of player development, revisit an all-time favorite (tees), and then introduce you formally to our Reading the Green newsletter. You’re gonna love it; please read on!

#11 Green at Camargo Club, Cincinnati, OHWhat Makes the Great Old Courses so Great?

While driving away from Camargo after a recent visit, I couldn't help but ask myself what makes some of these great old courses so great? And, why aren’t more of these courses being built today?

For courses like Camargo, The National, SF Club, Chicago Golf Club, etc., there’s always the intangibles that are hard to explain, but continue to leave a mark on me – it’s the “I may not know why I like it, I just know I like it!” feeling. Examples I continually see include: rudimentary-shaped features, walking on continuous short grass from a green to the next tee, an old stone wall, a meandering stream, and the ever-quirky crossing hole.

I think about what aspects of my work could be considered notable, and will go on to stand the test of time. This is an incredible time to be in the design business, and producing good work is an absolute minimum requirement for getting that next project. Serious sustainability and a LOT of that “it” factor mentioned above, is what I strive for in each of my projects.

Golf Instruction Technology- Just the Beginning

One of the hottest topics in my work today is golf instruction studios. All of sudden, information such as video monitoring, speed swing, launch angles, spin rates, etc., are pieces of insight that are being sought by those joining clubs, focusing on getting better, or learning the game. In fact, it’s become mandatory to implement these devices into teaching centers at clubs and courses looking to keep their edge.

We’re at the beginning of seeing golf instruction technology play a stronger role in our game. It’s another example of balancing the right amount of golf innovation with golf traditionalism. I find it interesting to be “stuck” between these two worlds as an architect, whose job it is to make decisions for my clients today, which will impact their bottom-lines tomorrow.

#11 Tees at MCC, Northville, MITeeing it Forward – A Lost Cause??

We hear the term all the time, but why is it that very few golfers are actually playing the tees that are right for them?! I recently had a conversation with a friend that had no idea he could play the red tees, thinking they were only for women... “Red tees are only for women, right??” It surprised me in the moment, but it shouldn’t have.

We play a game called golf, and shifting a player’s mentality that is so steeped in tradition is difficult, but anyone that has played the game for a period of time realizes that as we get older, our swing speed changes. And with a variety of swing speeds, comes a variety of lengths the ball will fly, yet we still feel the same pressure to play the “back” tees, and by moving up, the game will become “too easy.”

With the help of many in the industry, including my good friend Arthur Little, I now place my tees based on how far people are actually hitting the ball, with the goal of letting golfers of all abilities experience the same golf course. If it’s long for one, it should be long for all, and conversely, if a par 4 is driveable, there should be options for all levels of players to be able to take a swing at the green.

Look at the above swing speed chart, then go to your local golf store and find out your swing statistics.  Then choose your tees according to how far you actually hit the ball. Who knows!? You might actually have more fun the next time you play.

"Welcome to Reading the Green!"

One thing you may not know, is that Staples Golf has a separate newsletter called Reading the Green. RTG focuses on our Community Links efforts, and since its 2014 inception, we’ve amassed roughly 2,500 Municipal subscribers in all 50 states! Ultimately, our goal with the newsletter, is to expose more people to the value of their golf course.

This constant dialog puts Staples Golf on the pulse of this sector like no one else in the golf industry. Beyond us sharing helpful information with them about creative course uses, industry trends, and resource efficiencies, is their sharing of information with us, which happens almost every single day!

With all that said, if you’d like to see what we’re up to with RTG, you can “opt-in” by clicking here.

BONUS SECTION!

Meadowbrook has been working with Josh Humphrey from Jupiter Aerials, and Art McCafferty at the Michigan Golfer to showcase the Club’s new course. Here’s some of the awesome new drone footage!

Thanks for everyone’s interest in SGD Quarterly! I love the comments, so please feel free to continue to share what you like (but let’s try to keep the negatives to yourself ok?! *insert smiley face emoji*).  I hope you get a chance to squeeze in a few more rounds this year and we’ll see you around Christmas!

All the best,

Andy Staples, ASGCA