Dean Barnett shares an interesting article in The Weekly Standard this month about a renaissance in golf course architecture that began in 1994, when Sand Hills Golf Club opened for business. He argues that this minimalist design is ending the modern trend of moving copious amounts of earth, often creating uninspiring golf courses on land better suited for strip malls. Excerpts from his article are included below.


Sand Hills #8 by DustinJo at flickr.com

The Coore & Crenshaw masterpiece at Sand Hills ushered in a new era in golf architecture that aficionados characterize with one word: minimalist. The guiding principle is deference to the land. Minimalism holds that a golf course developer should look for land that is ideal for a course, and the architects they hire should let the characteristics of the land dictate the nature of the course.

Shortly after Pacific Dunes debuted, Tom Doak journeyed to remote Holyoke, Colorado, where he would create what is perhaps the fullest expression yet of golf as it was meant to be. The Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club of Holyoke opened for business in July 2006 and has already won the highest accolades. In its first year of operation, Ballyneal debuted as the 46th best course in America and the 83rd best in the world according to Golf Magazine. Ballyneal is the youngest course on either list.


Ballyneal by rebjr at flickr.com

There remains the pressing question of what long-term impact places like Sand Hills, Bandon Dunes, and Ballyneal will have on golf architecture and the game itself. The early attempts at golf-course design by Jack Nicklaus's successor as king of golf, Tiger Woods, may offer a clue. When someone asked him to describe his design philosophy, Tiger Woods used the magic word: "I'm more of a minimalist," he said.

Putting Golf Back on Course - Dean Barnett, The Weekly Standard

Labels: Articles, Ballyneal, Course Architecture, Courses, Pacific Dunes, Sand Hills