Please US Open This Newsletter

Dear Friend,
Welcome to the second installment of the 2018 Staples Golf Design Quarterly! Hello summer!!

In this newsletter release, I’ll be touching on some fun and recent podcast appearances, my thoughts on the historical nature of all courses, as well as on-going project updates with a new project announcement! I hope you read on, and enjoy <insert fingers-crossed emoji>. But first… Shinnecock and the US Open!

Crossing the Line - 2004 v. 2018

I remember it like it was yesterday; sitting in a St. George, UT, Outback Steakhouse in 2004, just after the US Open wrapped up, discussing the issues with the 7th green during that past weekend. Mike Hansen, my business partner and founding member of Golf Resource Group was there, as was a USGA rep, coincidentally consulting with us on the construction of Sand Hollow.

As some may recall, and will certainly be reminded of if you watch this week, the USGA pushed the conditions of the course to the absolute max, and some will tell you, crossed the line. Video of balls being putted off the green and maintenance staff spritzing down the putting surface are all flashing back to me.

USGA’s Mike Davis has already stated the mishap of 2004 will not repeat itself, and I will say, I’d be very surprised if it does. It’s interesting to think that in 14 years, water management, moisture meters, and data collection have now become commonplace, and are now used at every tournament each week. Here's a quick video recap from the USGA of what happened, and why this time will be different.

The Short Par 3

Hole #7, named Redan, will play roughly 190 yards and showcase interesting approaches, and recovery shots, but I’m most looking forward to the 11th; Hill Head. This hole plays only 150 yards for the members, and upwards of 160 yards for the pro’s, but keep an eye on this yardage, as I expect there to be a day where the tees are moved way up. This is indicative of an emerging trend towards the short par 3 (short = less than an 8 iron, preferably a wedge).

I know of three courses that you’ve heard of, and one of my own clients, that have either, or are considering, reducing one of their par 3’s to a yardage of around 120 yards, or less. I hope Hill Head further helps move the needle towards understanding that short par 3’s are great for the game, and how they’ve been lost over time due to the race to gain more and more distance.

Course Histories

We just sent out what I consider to be one of our more impactful Reading the Green’s the other day, and I figured I would briefly share my thoughts from that newsletter.

Beyond stressing the importance of preserving the history of their golf course to stakeholders for the sake of future parties, it’s also important for golfers in that community to understand that the course they’re playing, has a design lineage worth exploring and understanding. The main take away from this newsletter revolved around the importance of documenting a course’s history, as well as the benefits of utilizing that history for marketing purposes. Doing proper due diligence when working on a historical golf course is something I really enjoy, and should never be taken lightly by any golf architect.

Here is a link to this RTG, should you be interested.

Building the Narrative

I’ve spent the better part of 2018 selling; selling my services, selling master plans for implementation, selling my kids on doing their homework (!!!). One of the things I’ve learned over the past few years, is that it’s really important for my projects, and of course for my clients, to be constantly selling the vision little by little throughout the planning process. This really comes down to building a strong narrative, and is integral to achieving buy-in.

• Here is an example of a private video I put together recently on the historical design context for the University Club in Milwaukee.
• And here's an example of a "blog post" I recently did on Teeing Equity for San Jose Country Club members, as this was more applicable to how their members receive info.

San Vicente and Project Updates

I’m happy to report Staples Golf recently contracted with the San Vicente Golf Resort in Ramona, CA, to lead the renovation of greens and bunkers of an original 1972 Ted Robinson-designed course. I’m incredibly excited to be doing this work, as the property is exceptional, and the opportunity to do big things there certainly exists. Also; who doesn’t love being in southern California during Arizona summers!?

Additionally, San Jose Country Club is wrapping up their Master Plan, and we are beginning discussion around implementation. The plan focuses on harnessing their history (William Watson, Alister MacKenzie, and A.W. Tillinghast), and expanding their offerings to include a new practice facility, improved teeing equity, a new entry, and expanded community space with more F&B options. Hopefully a vote will be schedule this year!

Finally, we’re gearing up of for the first phase of University Club’s Master Plan which includes a best-in-class practice facility, and 3-hole restoration of Tom Bendleow’s original design. The UClub is also partnering with Marquette University’s Golf Team, having agreed to become the Home of the Golden Eagles; very exciting news! Should current moment keep its pace, big things are slotted for 2019! We’ll definitely keep you updated as these projects become reality.

BONUS! Fun with Podcasting

I’ve been fortunate to have been invited on some great podcasts recently, and wanted to pass them along to you, should you have some interest. The first one I did was with Andy Johnson of the Fried Egg from back in April. We spoke about many things, but  the conversations most noteworthy to me revolved around the impacts of public golf within our communities, and about Meadowbrook in Detroit. If you haven’t listened to Andy’s podcasts before, they are worth checking out; here is the episode with me to get you started!

The second podcast was a wrap-around conversation with my friend Guy Cipriano of Golf Course Industry magazine, on his podcast Tartan Talks. I’m proud to say I was Guy’s very first podcast (which you can check out here), and was happy to come back to talk once again for his 24th episode of Tartan Talks. It may shock you to learn we discussed public golf the first time around, but in this latest conversation, we discussed the difficulty of the architecture game, and how risky one should get in their approach to new business. This latest episode you can listen to here. Thanks Guy!

Phew! If you've made it this far, you're awesome! Thanks for taking few minutes for me, as well as having an interest in the ongoings of my design business. Until next time, be sure to stay hydrated out there (and don’t forget the sunscreen)!

All the best,

Andy Staples, ASGCA