ANDY MICKELSON (L) of Mistwood Golf-NICK LARKIN (M) of The Shack-KENT KNEBELKAMP (R) of the Willow Hill Golf Dome/WH Holiday lights show. Three men who are getting Chicago area golfers through the winter months that have now arrived. So visit the Mistwood Golf dome in Bolingbrook. The Shack in Glenview. Willow Hill Golf Dome in Northbrook. Because these are three places where golf and winter can mix.
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram.
Architect Mike Benkusky takes the gavel for the office of president, for the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).
EDITORS NOTE:
With the recent announcement by the USGA, of a golf ball roll back. Golfers on Golf decides to reach out to various golf architects to get their take.
I spoke with four members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), to see if the roll back rolling will affect their business and courses they work on.
LAKE IN THE HILLS IL. Architect Mike Benkusky who recently assumed the office of President for ASGCA, was asked about the recent USGA announcement, his current and upcoming projects. Benkusky recently completed Arlington Lakes Golf Club in Arlington Heights, and will upgrade the AHPD’s 9-hole course Nickol Knoll (also known as Payton’s Hill-for former Chicago Bear RB Walter Payton).
Benkusky is working on two courses in Florida at the Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota, and former long time Western Amateur site Point O’ Wood’s Country Club in Benton Harbor Michigan.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW with ASGCA President Mike Benkusky.
Architect Todd Quitno who recently completed work at the Schaumburg Golf Club, will oversee a four year renovation of Cantigny Links in Wheaton.
TODD QUITNO
Was kind enough to take our call while driving to the St. Louis area. But when you are as busy as Quitno is, that might be the only time Quitno can answer the phone.
Golfers on Golf spoke with the Park Ridge IL. based Quitno in September in regards to his Cantigny Links project. Because that will run for a period of four years.
So at the time Quitno and GOG agreed to resume our conversation on his project at Canal Shores, and now the Merit Club. But for Quitno it’s also now the state of Wisconsin that will be calling him back north again in the short future.
But there was the topic of the golf ball roll back and how it might or might affect golf for courses Quitno finds himself working on.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR the full interview with architect Todd Quitno on past, present and future projects. But with thoughts on the recent USGA golf ball roll back announcement.
Architect and Evans Scholar Ray Hearn at Mistwood Golf Club, one of several Hearn Illinois projects.
ARCHITECT RAY HEARN based in Holland Michigan has worked on numerous projects over the years.
Hearn’s work in Illinois includes the highly rated Mistwood in Romeoville, and home of the Illinois Women’s Open.
But it doesn’t stop there. Because Hearn’s work at Flossmoor Golf Club will be honored for the second straight year. When Flossmoor hosts the 2024 Illinois Open in early August. Because of the strong reviews the course received this past August at the 2023 Illinois Open. The IPGA decided a return to Flossmoor one more time was in-order. Hearn’s other work in Illinois includes the Midlothian Country Club, and perhaps another announcement coming shortly. So stay tuned.
But what is well known and will open in summer of 2024-is Hearn’s new nine hole par-3 course. Boyne Resorts in Northern Michigan is the home of Doon Brae. Hearn expresses some great thoughts and comparisons on the USGA ball roll back as well.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR PART 1 of the interview with Evans Scholar Ray Hearn.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR Part 2 of the interview with architect Ray Hearn.
Greg Martin speaks at the recent open house for the redesign of Maple Meadows.
ARCHITECT GREG MARTIN of BATAVIA IL. and Past President of the ASGCA, appeared on Golfers on Golf Radio in September. At that time Martin spoke about his upcoming project at Maple Meadows in Wood Dale. Martin did the multiple award winning work across the street at The Preserve at Oak Meadows.
Martin spoke to the work at Maple Meadows in our recent feature here at Golfersongolf.com. Summer of 2024 Martin will be working at Willow Hill in Northbrook designing the new Par-3 course at that location.
So in regards to the recently announced golf ball roll-back announced by the USGA, he offered these thoughts on how it could affect golf course architecture moving forward.
Let me preface: I don’t know enough about the details, but I understand this will only affect the pros.
It’s been needed as technology has outpaced architecture. Safety, cost and pace of play are just a few of the issues adversely affected by the golf ball going further.
Here’s the defining issue: golf is the only sport where there are no defining measures for the playing field. Baseball is the closest, but has general acceptable standards. Golf offers some very basic standards for lengths in relation to par. Outside of that, every playing field is different. But the capacity of the golf ball has surpassed existing infrastructures for many golf courses-particularly the classic courses by Golden Age Architects making them obsolete.
And of course… Golf is about strategies, shot-making, thinking and execution-not distance.