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The first project Kyle Franz ever worked on was Tom Doak’s masterpiece, Pacific Dunes, a course now recognized as one of the best in the world. That fortuitous turn launched his design/build career where he amassed one of the business’s strongest pedigrees shaping courses for Bill Coore, Tim Liddy, Gil Hanse and others. His big solo break came with the commission to re-establish the original Donald Ross character of Mid-Pines near Pinehurst, NC, and later to its sister property, Pine Needles, which will host the U.S. Women’s Open for the third time in 2022. The runaway success of these renovations and his work at other places, especially Seth Raynor’s gorgeous Lowcountry design at the Country Club of Charleston (host of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open), Minikahda Club in Minneapolis and even the Kohr Golf Practice Facility, has allowed Franz to become one of the first architects of his generation to achieve design independence.

In part 2 (part 1 here), Derek and Kyle pick up their discussion about the leap forward represented by Sand Hills and Pacific Dunes, how those two courses are not alike, Tom Doak as Orson Welles, reversible architecture, bunkering down in the wilds of Rio to build Gil Hanse’s Olympic Course, finding his own vision and voice, taking artistic risks in design, the future of ground-game architecture and whether or not there’s one more great course to be built in the Nebraska sand hills.

(photo: countryclubofcharleston.com)

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

The post Episode 26: Kyle Franz Part 2 appeared first on Feed The Ball.

The first project Kyle Franz ever worked on was Tom Doak’s masterpiece, Pacific Dunes, a course now recognized as one of the best in the world. That fortuitous turn launched his design/build career where he amassed one of the business’s strongest pedigrees shaping courses for Bill Coore, Tim Liddy, Gil Hanse and others. His big solo break came with the commission to re-establish the original Donald Ross character to Mid-Pines near Pinehurst, NC, and later to its sister property, Pine Needles, which will host the U.S. Women’s Open for the third time in 2022. The runaway success of these renovations and his work at other places, especially Seth Raynor’s gorgeous Lowcountry design at the Country Club of Charleston (host of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open), Minikahda Club in Minneapolis and even the Kohr Golf Practice Facility, has allowed Franz to become one of the first architects of his generation to achieve design independence.

In part 1 of this podcast episode, Franz discusses the Pinehurst area’s total commitment to golf as a lifestyle, the early ball-busting version of Mid-Pines, the alteration of historic courses through good intentions, the evolution of Ross’s bunker style, walking the walk in the technology debate, becoming the “Open Doctor” for women’s championship golf, the “religious experience” of Pacific Dunes, some unique geological history of Oregon and Washington state and being a teenage architectural junkie.

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 25: Kyle Franz Part 1 appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Mike Nuzzo seemed to have struck gold when he was hired by a wealthy Texas businessman and rancher to build an ultra-exclusive golf course intended only for the client’s personal use. For almost three years, Nuzzo, a first-time architect, and Don Mahaffey, a turf and irrigation specialist, coaxed out a wide, bouncy and fascinating 18-hole creation that became Wolf Point Ranch, one of the most acclaimed and secretive courses in the U.S. The experience has given Nuzzo a unique perspective on golf design as he finishes his next project, the equally creative Grand Oaks Reserve outside of Houston featuring a full 9-hole course, a 1,000-yard 9-hole short course and an innovative putting course.

In Part 2, (Part 1 here )Mike describes how he lured Mahaffey to coastal Texas, the true cost of building Wolf Point, the mystery of the secret prohibited Golfweek rater, how the luckiest person in golf is a guy named Dale, the current fate of Wolf Point, the new Nine Grand course at Grand Oaks Reserve, the concept of tailoring courses to available time to play and making it into the Confidential Guide.

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 24: Mike Nuzzo Part 2 appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Mike Nuzzo seemed to have struck gold when he was hired by a wealthy Texas businessman and rancher to build an ultra-exclusive golf course intended only for the client’s personal use. For almost three years, Nuzzo, a first-time architect, and Don Mahaffey, a turf and irrigation specialist, coaxed out a wide, bouncy and fascinating 18-hole creation that became Wolf Point Ranch, one of the most acclaimed and secretive courses in the U.S. The experience has given Nuzzo a unique perspective on golf design as he finishes his next project, the equally creative Grand Oaks Reserve outside of Houston featuring a full 9-hole course, a 1,000-yard 9-hole short course and an innovative putting course.

In Part 1 (part 2 here) Mike talks about how he left his career in aerospace engineering to pursue golf course architecture, identifying with the music of your children, tips on getting the best golf course photos, transitioning from New Jersey to Houston, learning architecture through great public courses, how CAD applies and doesn’t apply to golf design, the long and difficult juggling act required to maintain clients and the benefits of not being perceived as “fancy.”

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 23: Mike Nuzzo Part 1 appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Architect Jeff Mingay broke into golf course architecture working projects for his mentor and fellow Canadian Rod Whitman. In 2009, after completing a trio of Canada’s most exceptional modern golf courses — Blackhawk, Sagebrush and Cabot Links — he opened his own design business and found immediate success renovating and restoring courses in British Columbia and Washington state. Through that work he’s helped re-establish the reputation of Vernon Macan, a lesser known Golden Age master whose work exists almost exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, and Mingay continues to work on courses across Canada and the northern U.S.

Jeff and Derek discuss how music influences his work, how his career began with a not-so-small fib, making the jump from golf architecture fan to excavating dirt, finding A.V. Macan and turning luck into jobs, explaining the “restoration” conundrum, the depressing absence of relevant mid-20th century architecture, the refreshing absence of “difficulty” intent in Sand Hills and Pacific Dunes, the incremental sameness creep of of today’s best architecture and his ideal dream course.

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 22: Jeff Mingay appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Sweetens Cove has captured the hearts and minds of the architecture world. Rob Collins and design partner Tad King began building the 9-hole course, 30 minutes west of Chattanooga, in 2012 and have watched it become an impassioned touchstone for a vocal, hardcore group of golf course fanatics as it marches steadily up the golf course rankings lists. The course, which Collins purchased from the original owners during the grow-in phase, is meant to be dynamic and ever-changing, but it can also be punishing and unrewarding in certain circumstances. This, and the chance to play a variety of unconventional shots around the massive greens, is what so many believers love about it.

Collins graciously joins the podcast to discuss Derek Duncan’s reservations about the extremity and balance of the features at Sweetens Cove, where the architectural line is between acceptance and repellence of approach shots, the role of luck and the difference between a good shot and a good result, the cost and control advantages of the design/build model, capitalizing on the success of Sweetens Cove and selling the King-Collins product against the major architectural firms, the art of not giving a shit and which rival team this devoted SEC man is least hostile toward.

(photo: sweetenscovegolfclub.com)

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 21: Rob Collins appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Mike Young has seen the golf course design business from all sides, starting as a rep for maintenance and turf companies before establishing himself as one of the state of Georgia’s most prominent and prolific architects. Young builds his courses the old fashioned way — himself — and his years as designer, builder and also golf course owner have taught him how to cut unnecessary costs and cut through the industry bloat.

He joins Derek Duncan on the Feed the Ball podcast to talk about giving public players an experience commensurate with an affordable green fee, entitled superintendents vs. real grass guys, “carving the statue,” the backscratching relationship between many architects and general contracting firms, the fearful protectionism of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, spending an evening at a table with Robert Trent Jones, working in red clay, how his new renovation work at Bowden Golf Course in Macon could be one of the country’s next best new public golf transformations and how the new generation of shapers and builders represent the hope of golf design.

(photo: haciendapinilla.com)

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 20: Mike Young appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Tim Liddy began his career working closely with Pete Dye in 1993, transitioning into golf course design following a career in landscape architecture. The two men have enjoyed a close collaboration for a quarter century, with Liddy becoming fluent in the Dye vernacular while also establishing his own independent firm responsible for highly acclaimed original courses and redesigns.

Libby joins the Feed the Ball podcast to talk about everything you wanted to know about Pete Dye, the Midwestern sense of humor, the connotation of Amos Jones, the influence of MacKenzie’s camouflaging and force perspective, the multiple levels of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, bulldozer lines vs. the angle of repose, Herb Kohler as a client, assembling the A Team of shapers for the Dukes Course at St. Andrews, the business of golf vs. the game of golf, the true value of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the benefits of re-discovering a match play mentality.

(photo: timliddy.com)

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 19: Tim Liddy appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Peter Kessler was the face and voice of the Golf Channel when the station first went live in 1995. Over the next seven years he commanded the show, mastering ceremonies and interviewing virtually every important figure in golf and instruction. In the course of that time period, and for years following hosting his show on Sirius XM’s PGA TOUR channel, Kessler has intersected with virtually everyone in the game of golf, old and new.

In part 2 (listen to part 1 here), Peter discusses what years the Augusta National course was at its best, how the course has changed aesthetically and in regard to shot values, Tiger Woods’s “tune-up” prior to the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 1999 Masters and the fatalistic psychology of Greg Norman, a chipping contest between Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria-Olazabal and meeting Arnold Palmer for the first time on his own turf. [Note: this talk took place the Friday prior to Masters week.]

(photo: Stephen Mundy/Getty Images)

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 18: Peter Kessler, Part 2 appeared first on Feed The Ball.

Peter Kessler was the face and voice of the Golf Channel when the station first went live in 1995. Over the next seven years he commanded the show, mastering ceremonies and interviewing virtually every important figure in golf and instruction. In the course of that time period, and for years following hosting his show on Sirius XM’s PGA TOUR channel, Kessler has intersected with virtually everyone in the game of golf, old and new.

In part 1, he joins the podcast for an entertaining discussion leading into the Masters about how to project a winner, what happened during the infamous interview with Arnold Palmer over the non-conforming Callaway ERC II driver, trying to understand the bewildering argument behind the resistance to bifurcation, how ad dollars influence the way the media addresses the distance and technology debate, and a question about why golf can’t limit the ball flight the way tennis slowed its ball. [Note: this talk took place the Friday prior to Masters week.]

(photo: Stephen Szurlej)

Twitter: @feedtheball

Instagram: @feedtheball

Feed the Ball on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Google Play

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

The post Episode 17: Peter Kessler, Part 1 appeared first on Feed The Ball.