The Value of Variety in Golf Course Design
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 […]
Great Downhill Golf Holes
Jack Nicklaus said golf is a better game when played downhill. The Golden Bear doesn’t speak for everyone of course, but he’s won more of the really big tournaments than anyone and is one of just a handful of architects to have worked on 300 courses or more. It doesn’t take a multi-major champion or […]
The Best Architect You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
Mike DeVries has been quietly, but steadily, building a reputation for designing great courses He’s been interviewed on Golf Channel and designed a course in the world’s top 25. His star is unquestionably on the rise. Yet, Mike DeVries remains something of an unknown. Unless you’re in his home state or halfway around the world, […]
LINKS Golf Podcast Episode 55: Golf Course Architect Mike DeVries
On this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast, Digital Editor Al Lunsford is joined by internationally acclaimed golf architect Mike DeVries, who is featured in the Summer 2020 issue of LINKS Magazine. DeVries talks about growing up in Michigan and working at Alister MacKenzie’s Crystal Downs, his crown jewel at Cape Wickham in Australia (ranked […]
What’s Tougher: Renovating a Course or Designing New?
When asked if they’d rather build from scratch or renovating existing courses, most architects say they prefer to build new. Some pause a moment, however, before adjusting their response. “Actually, it depends.” There’s a lot to think about. Before taking on a new course, the architect must consider the quality of the site, how far […]
