To renovate or restore. That is the question many historic clubs must decide when their courses are in need of repair. Just as many would view it a tragedy to deface a pristine Colonial- or antebellum-era house with modern accoutrements, prominent golf voices believe the features of classic era courses, and the architectural intent behind them, should be preserved and returned to original form.

For over 30 years, Ron Prichard has been one of the most respected advocates and practitioners of golf course restoration and has worked with some of the country’s finest clubs to help restore their courses to lost Golden Age glory, often using sketches and plans from the founding architects as guidance.

In this episode, Prichard takes host Derek Duncan into the world of restorations and shares his thoughts on, among other things:

— architects who wear ascots,

–mingling with Robert Frost and Norman Rockwell as a young student,

–the athletic prowess that once flowed through Middlebury College,

–constructing a hole that Dustin Johnson annihilated,

–his recent work at Charlotte Country Club and Portland Country Club in Maine,

— how USGA setups  = #sad!,

–the boring greens of contemporary architects and the misguided ubiquity of MacKenzie-style bunkers,

–what he thinks is one of the 5 best sets of Ross greens in the country (or maybe not),

–and the destructive legacy of Geoffrey Cornish.

Listen here to Derek Duncan discuss Tom Coyne’s “A Course Called Ireland” with hosts Rod Morri and Adrian Logue of the iSeekGolf Podcast.

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