The Value of Variety in Golf Course Design

variety

As the spice of both life and golf (many readers will consider them one and the same thing), the importance of variety cannot be overstated. Imagine a course without any; where every nondescript hole looks and plays much the same as the others—how uninspiring and utterly forgettable. Alister MacKenzie spelled out how fundamental variety was to […]

10 Best Public Coore & Crenshaw Courses

public coore & crenshaw

Bill Coore, a longtime golf course architect and Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters Tournament champion, are among the industry’s most prolific and in-demand designers when it comes to new builds. The beautiful Plantation course at the Kapalua Resort on Maui was their first design, opening in 1991, but they really made waves four years later […]

In Their Prime: Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

crenshaw

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have already produced an incredible resume of courses. But could it be that we haven’t even seen their best yet?   Bill Coore always said he and design partner Ben Crenshaw feel most comfortable working on one to three projects a year. Any more than that, he added, might prevent […]

The Conundrum of Centerline Bunkers

centerline bunker

Redundant and poorly managed trees cop most of the criticism aimed at golf courses these days, but another feature many don’t care for is the bunker located in the middle of the fairway, known nowadays as “centerline” bunkers. Professionals regard them with total disdain because they swallow apparently good shots. Architect Bill Coore remembers the […]

What Makes a Golf Course Bad?

bad course

Golf course design is a subjective topic and opinions on layouts differ from golfer to golfer. The exception is the greatest courses in the world, which are for the most part met with universal acclaim. Those are the Cypress Point Clubs, Old Courses, and Royal Melbournes. Debating which is best is a somewhat trivial exercise, […]