I recently wrote that Tom Doak’s rise to prominence as one of the two greatest living golf architects most closely resembles the career arc of a band that’s a shoo-in for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Phish. Like Phish, Doak conquered the World, and did it his way showing everyone that all the mainstream artistic concepts and business models they had...
It’ll be up at Cybergolf tomorrow, here on Tuesday, but “Traverse Rock City, Exile on Fishers Island” will compare golf designers and musicians. Here’s a teaser: Pink Floyd – Pete Dye. Pink Floyd has the same monumental legacy as Led Zeppelin, but their music is slightly more accessible to a broader demographic. It’s progressive...
[Author’s Note – I’m writing as much and as quickly as I can, but don’t want to keep you waiting, Dear Reader, while I cross every “I” and dot every “T.” So here’s part one of St/ George’s…] The Other St. George’s Shines Just as Brightly STONY BROOK, NY – Never have I been so grateful that...
NEW CITY, NY – The name of this article comes from the title of a series of paintings called The Rake’s Progress, created by famous 18th century painter William Hogarth. That series shows the moral, physical, and economic decline of a young man from riches to rags over a period of years. It’s an important series in art because its success laid the...
While I finish some interviews, here are some pix from ST. George’s:
Though fall doesn’t begin until later this month, we here at AWITP celebrated the end of summer with visits to Paramount Country Club (formerly Dellwood) in Rockland County and St. George’s Golf and Country Club on Long Island. We’ll be doing a series of articles on Paramount showing “The Architect’s Progress” – several...
SEAWANE COUNTRY CLUB It’s tough being a small private country club in this economy, especially in hyper-competitive New York, where there are a glut private country clubs, many of which have long waiting lists and can be as selective about their members as pre-eminent liberal arts colleges are about their students. Still, there is good news for NYC golfers...
FOREST HILLS, NY – AWITP sources have confirmed that discussion between the PGA of America and the governing bodies in New York that Bethpage may be considered for the 2020 or 2021 PGA Championship and the 2028 Ryder Cup. Sources also confirm that Rees Jones’s restoration work at Baltusrol has gone so well in preparation for the 2016 PGA Championship...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Just how famous was Robert Trent Jones, Sr. for making Hell out of a professional golfer’s day? There’s a great story about old pro golfer Jimmy Demaret teasing Trent when he ran into him at a golf course. He put his arm around Trent’s shoulder and said, “Hey Trent! I saw a golf course you’d love. You stand on the...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – “When Tiger Woods wins at Bethpage, or Phil Mickelson wins at Baltusrol, that’s the result we’re trying to achieve. The best player should rise to the top.” So spoke the stentorian tones of Rees Jones in a June interview with golf writer John Garrity. Now Rees Jones, the self-described “Open Doctor,” is in...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Wave that flag, wave it wide and high! Americans covered the leaderboard on day one of the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club with an avalanche of stars and stripes, including a record-tying performance PGA Tour uber-nice guy Steve Stricker. The affable Stricker, Wisconsin’s favorite son but loved by all the golf world scorched...
And here it is…
Phil had fun taking Rees Jones to task didn’t he?
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Ron Whitten’s recent Golf Digest article on the new turfgrasses being tested this week at Atlanta Athletic Club’s PGA Championship is another excellent observation by one of the most intelligent voices in the game. His knowledge of architecture and travel is unparalleled. In his article he mentions a number of southern and western...
MONROE TOWNSHIP, NJ – With a golf game uglier than an Orlando Perkins waitress, your author led his punchless NYC writers golf team to a fourth consecutive epic fail against the Philadelphia golf writers, who routinely mule kick us back to the Manhattan curbside with a resounding thud during Forsgate Country Club’s annual Writer Cup tournament between the...
It may not be the greatest or most historic, but it’s definitely the coolest, most unlikely, and most memorable par in Road Hole history. Tony Korologos, the Media Guru, chief mucky-muck of the Golf Space, and AWITP contributor, made four on the 17th at The Old Course at St. Andrews in style. After sniping one off the Old Course Hotel observatory with a...