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THE GOG BLOG, by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. In the clubhouse of the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort, with the Hall of Fame Architect.

The news hasn’t been good about Pete Dye the Hall of Fame Golf Architect.

He’s slowing down one person said, another said Dye was slipping. But at age 90, Dye might not be as fast as he was earlier in life, but he still isn’t the most easist guy to catch up to.

When it comes to his afternoon walk around his home course of Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel Indiana, if you want to keep up with Dye it helps to have your running shoes on. He can move up the par 4, 10th hole and back down the par 5, 11th hole, faster than some members will do in their golf carts.

Pete and his wife Alice are there to greet all the golfers coming off the 18th hole at Crooked Stick.

Dye doesn’t miss much when it comes to what’s going on around the “Stick”.

Dye was just back in Indiana after a winter in Florida, and he couldn’t help but notice the new homes being built around the course, and the ones that were being torn down only to have biggers homes going in on the same lot.

Some architects and golfers might not like homes around the golf course, but Dye doesn’t mind, “they sit far enough back from the course,” says Dye. “Nobody here is hitting over a barbeque or a swimming pool,” Dye chuckles.

Dye has made some changes to Crooked Stick since the 2012 BMW Championship, there are some new tees, new bunkers and new lake that runs alongside of the par 3 17th. But Dye admits that water won’t bother the pro’s much come tournament week, “they all hit so far these days.”

Dye remembers when the pro’s hit it just over 250, then the average went to 275, 300, 315, and 317 he says. He expects the PGA Tour to shorten one of Crooked Stick’s par 5’s into a par 4.

The suggestion box at Crooked Stick is just to the right of the 18th fairway.

You might think Dye would be slowing down on the work front, after some 57 years in the golf course design business.

After his walk around Crooked Stick earlier this week, he told a recent visitor he had to get ready for the next day, as his crew was coming to get him and take him to another property to look at. He wasn’t exactly sure which one, but there are many these days.

Dye is again working for Herb Kohler, as the two men look to add another course along the shores of Lake Michigan in the middle of Wisconsin. He is involved in the renovation at Ackerman Hills on the Purdue University campus in Indiana.

The Nemocolin Woodlands Resort just outside of Pittsburgh has one Pete Dye course, now Dye is helping them with a second course that is under construction. TPC Sawgrass home of the Player Championship is having some work done on the greens and a couple of other places on the course. Dye has been there too.

The new lake on the Par 3, 17th hole at Crooked Stick.

Not long ago Dye opened a brand new course called Keswick Hall in Virginia. The reviews have been very good.

The golf course architecture business has changed in recent years, and Dye is quick to admit it.

“All I’m doing now is fixing up my old courses,” said Dye.” All 75 of them or whatever there is” (the number is more like 120+ but who’s counting). Even though the Kohler course will be new.

Dye admits the new Kohler course will be different than Whistling Straits. “About 5 holes on the lake,” says Dye. “But that’s it because of all the tree’s, humps, bumps and mounds.”

Click here to hear the interview with course designer Pete Dye while he walked the 11th hole at Crooked Stick Golf Club.

When asked about creating courses where the color brown is the new green, and with ideas so the courses require less water or other things, Dye says, “(I) don’t build’em that way.” Still big and bold Dye is asked, “yep big and bold” he responds.

With that he told his visitor it was nice to see him again and bid him farewell. He had to go see the 12th hole before walking home. The BMW Championship was coming in three months and he was still planning on adding a new surprise for the tour players by the time they arrived tournament week. Dye said it he didn’t know what that surprise was going to be just yet, but he’d figure it out. Just like he had been figuring it out at Crooked Stick over the past 50+ years.