Bluejack National Video - This is NOT Satire

[newtogolf]

The video is wrong on so many levels in its use of stereotypes, I was waiting for a cameo of Judge Smails.   Whoever thought it was a good idea for one of the main guys involved to be videoed the entire time with a sweater draped over his shoulders that matched his tie. should be fired

I'd like to play the course because Tiger designed it but if sweater guy is the main demographic they're going after for the community, I'll pass.

@Lihu tanding that Pete Dye designs some of the most difficult courses out there and he was never a pro.  Course design is based on the demographics of who they are designing the course for and the land they have to work with.  I've played courses designed by pro's and didn't find them to be any more difficult than courses designed by non-pro's.

[WUTiger]

... A) Why would you even think that it's possible Tiger WOULDN'T design a course for the everyday amateur, and additionally, why would you think that a course that he designs has to be "Tiger tough?"

Lastly, what does that even mean?

In 1921, member of the New York Athletic Club commissioned Walter Tillinghast to build Winged Foot Golf Club in the western suburbs of the city. NYAC instructions: "Give us a man-sized course." (Ward-Thomas et al., 1986, The World Atlas of Golf, p. 143).

Winged Foot has two or more sand bunkers surrounding each green, plus a good scattering of fairway bunkers flanked by large trees. Tillinghast delivered what the members wanted.

... Not trying to start an argument or anything, but most of the people I know go to Angeles National because it is "Nicklaus tough". Kind of like TPC Tampa (Chi Chi Rodriguez's design). They are noted as being tough courses, and part of the appeal is because they are tough. . ...

I have played two different Nicklaus-designed courses in the area. My home course, Stonewolf, and the West County layout, WingHaven G.C.

@ClubRat invited me to play WingHaven, and I must say that Jack was in a more benevolent mood when he designed it that when he did Stonewolf. I suspect that Stonewolf patron John Wolfner wanted a Herculean layout for the course, a la the Winged Foot crowd.

WingHaven was challenging, but at least I could breathe normally on most holes, and usually could play it safe if I wanted. At Stonewolf, you thread the needle with OB/hazards on one or both sides on 16 of 18 holes - not much forgiveness for offline shots.

So, if Jack or Tiger design a public course, it likely will be less caustic than the track for an exclusive gated community. Designers try to give the money people what they want.

[Ernest Jones]

"Bluejack will eventually become a noun, a verb, all of that..."

What the ever livin' Christ does that mean? It'll become a verb? ****ing ridiculous pile of horseshit. Tiger is a great golfer but he's also a complete schmuck.

[boston blackie]

It is a pretty standard promotion video like thousands of others for destination resorts everywhere.  Whether or not these things stand up to critical scrutiny is not the point.  The goal is to lure investors to buy in early in order to move the project along.

The fact that the golf course design is Tiger's first project in the United States is of interest, and his name on the project is a valuable asset to the developers.

I am puzzled.  Why caption the post as "not satire...joke"?

[Golfingdad]

"Bluejack will eventually become a noun, a verb, all of that..." What the ever livin' Christ does that mean? It'll become a verb? ****ing ridiculous pile of horseshit. Tiger is a great golfer but he's also a complete schmuck.

"So, me and Jimmy went up to Houston to get in 18 yesterday." "Yeah? How'd it go?" "Great for about 12 holes, but then, f***ing Tiger bluejacked me with a blind carry over an oddly placed water hazard. Jerk."

[Lihu]

I stand corrected about the difficulty of the course.

But, I would still try to play the "Tiger Tees" for the fun of it.

[Ernest Jones]

"So, me and Jimmy went up to Houston to get in 18 yesterday."

"Yeah? How'd it go?"

"Great for about 12 holes, but then, f***ing Tiger bluejacked me with a blind carry over an oddly placed water hazard. Jerk."

So I was bluejackin' this waitress in the parking lot...

[Divot Master]

As an architect myself, I find the concept that "Tiger Woods the pro golfer is qualified to design a world class golf course" to be only slightly less ludicrous than the idea that "Jim Kelly the quarterback is qualified to design the new Buffalo Bills stadium."

Arnie, Jack, etc. all partnered with established architects for their early course efforts, most of which were still quite pedestrian layouts.  It will take many years of mediocre results before Tiger "designs" that "world class" course.

I see this as another distraction, contributing to his inability to regain his former playing stature.

[iacas]

As an architect myself, I find the concept that "Tiger Woods the pro golfer is qualified to design a world class golf course" to be only slightly less ludicrous than the idea that "Jim Kelly the quarterback is qualified to design the new Buffalo Bills stadium."

Arnie, Jack, etc. all partnered with established architects for their early course efforts, most of which were still quite pedestrian layouts.  It will take many years of mediocre results before Tiger "designs" that "world class" course.

I see this as another distraction, contributing to his inability to regain his former playing stature.

I think that's a bit of a stretch, Marshall. Here's why.

If I was a fan of bridges, and I'd traveled to, photographed, and studied how bridges look and feel and so on, I could work with a team of engineers (like Tiger is working with a team of engineers to handle the "engineering" of a golf course) to communicate what the bridge I wanted to build should look like. My engineers would then be capable of saying "that won't quite work, but what if we try this…" and so on to arrive at the final feasible project. I might, in cooperation with my team of engineers, build something pretty fantastic.

Obviously, ideally it helps to skip the step where the designer says "I would like to see this" and the engineer says "that's not possible, you'll have to settle for this," but it's not a requirement. And obviously golf course "architecture" is a bit less… strenuous, shall I say, than architecting a showcase building or something.

Of course, that assumes Tiger's actually doing a good bit of the design work. He's probably not; he's probably lending his name and some thoughts, but not doing the majority of the design. So then we're talking about his design team, and we don't really know how qualified (or not) they may be.

As a final note, there are plenty of golf courses that are really well known and yet which were designed by rookies, amateurs, etc. Consider… Oakmont and Pine Valley. Even some of Robert Trent Jones's first golf courses came shortly after his playing days and are still regarded as some of his best.

[Divot Master]

I think that's a bit of a stretch, Marshall. Here's why.

If I was a fan of bridges, and I'd traveled to, photographed, and studied how bridges look and feel and so on, I could work with a team of engineers (like Tiger is working with a team of engineers to handle the "engineering" of a golf course) to communicate what the bridge I wanted to build should look like. My engineers would then be capable of saying "that won't quite work, but what if we try this…" and so on to arrive at the final feasible project. I might, in cooperation with my team of engineers, build something pretty fantastic.

Obviously, ideally it helps to skip the step where the designer says "I would like to see this" and the engineer says "that's not possible, you'll have to settle for this," but it's not a requirement. And obviously golf course "architecture" is a bit less… strenuous, shall I say, than architecting a showcase building or something.

Of course, that assumes Tiger's actually doing a good bit of the design work. He's probably not; he's probably lending his name and some thoughts, but not doing the majority of the design. So then we're talking about his design team, and we don't really know how qualified (or not) they may be.

As a final note, there are plenty of golf courses that are really well known and yet which were designed by rookies, amateurs, etc. Consider… Oakmont and Pine Valley. Even some of Robert Trent Jones's first golf courses came shortly after his playing days and are still regarded as some of his best.

Erik,

You are correct and thorough in your analysis, although your sarcasm meter may be slightly out of calibration.

As you noted, celebrity golf course architects without landscape architecture degrees or equivalent practical experience are unlikely to create a world class course, unless they surround themselves with expert advisers, engineers, and contractors, and they commit to LISTENING TO THEM.

Tiger, with his career-long revolving door of managers, coaches, caddies, etc., has shown a predilection for the MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY style of collaboration.

And for every Fownes, Crump, or Neville, there are hundreds of Slagles and Elwingers out there.  So the odds are not really that good.

[iacas]

You are correct and thorough in your analysis, although your sarcasm meter may be slightly out of calibration.

Well, you didn't use the sarcasm font , Marshall! :D

As you noted, celebrity golf course architects without landscape architecture degrees or equivalent practical experience are unlikely to create a world class course, unless they surround themselves with expert advisers, engineers, and contractors, and they commit to LISTENING TO THEM.

Tiger, with his career-long revolving door of managers, coaches, caddies, etc., has shown a predilection for the MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY style of collaboration.

And for every Fownes, Crump, or Neville, there are hundreds of Slagles and Elwingers out there.  So the odds are not really that good.

Eh, we'll see. He certainly listens to his coaches when he has them, and many would point out that he listens to Steinberg too much… :)

[billchao]

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/video-tiger-takes-you-tour-his-bluejack-national/

Looks like it's coming together well. Hit it into the trees and you can still find your ball? Count me in. I like his design philosophy.

[bwdial]

Looks like it's coming together well. Hit it into the trees and you can still find your ball? Count me in. I like his design philosophy.

I second this.  If I wanted to lose every ball that didn't land in the fairway, I'd go play courses with water in play on every shot.  When I first started playing back in the early 1990s, it was at the University of Alabama's Harry Pritchett Golf Course.  There were a few areas where the vegetation would swallow an errant shot, but, by and large, a ball that went into the woods could be found and played from the pine straw.

[Golfingdad]

The shots at 1:12, 1:27, and 2:04 look very much like Augusta. I imagine people could dig that.

[Mr. Desmond]

Is it matching–tie –and–sweater–draped–over–shoulders guy?

That's the guy who sounds half-Southern Preacher, half con man ... Abbott.

Probably sincere ... but the tie and sweatier draped over the shoulders is oh so late 80's.

A bunch of Texas real estate developers over-charging millions to 550 families and making it sound like heaven and a bargain... typical.

[saevel25]

New video

I like his ideas of making the course open. Again he talks about playing the course with one golf ball as a philosophy to design a course around. He specifically mentions Augusta in the fact it is pretty much an open course where the rough isn't penal, and you usually find your golf ball if you hit it off the fairway.

[Jeremie Boop]

From the sounds of it, this course would be great to play. Problem is, I can only assume the price is going to be quite steep if this is even open to public to play.

[Golfingdad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

From the sounds of it, this course would be great to play. Problem is, I can only assume the price is going to be quite steep if this is even open to public to play.

Looks like it's totally private.  The return for the website on google calls it a "world class private club and community."

Also, if you look at their website, it looks like they're going for the Augusta National style of having members from all over, because under the 'living' tab one of its options are "member suites," which are:

Quote:

Conveniently located within the Clubhouse Village, these lodges will provide luxurious accommodations for members and guests while offering exceptional access to all of the amenities and services available at Bluejack National.

• 28 properties
• Approximately 800 square feet
• Located within the Clubhouse Village
• Luxurious accommodations for short-term visits with easy access to all Bluejack amenities and services