Jerry Matthews Designs

[ignatiuswriter]

Hi Folks,

Been a long while since I've posted. I'm just starting my 2017 season (the weather here in Michigan has been hit or miss. Every day I've had the chance to play, we've had thunderstorms. Until today...). I've been thinking about golf course design and last season I really found myself playing a ton of Jerry Matthews courses. Donald Ross has always been my favorite designer, but the more and more I play Matthews courses, the more I feel impressed.

So I'm wondering: What's everyone's take on the natural design philosophy? Have people here played Matthews courses? Any advice on other designers with a similar philosophy I might like?

 

[WUTiger]

Here's the lead-off principle of Natural Golf Design.

• Allow nature and the existing contours of the land to suggest the placement of holes and the flow of the golf course.

If you've ever seen some of the courses from the early 1900s and pre-World War II, this was they most courses were designed. Back then, the designer couldn't move 10,000 cubic yards of soil to shape a short par 3. The designer had to work with nature, and tweak the tee and green areas to make things fit. Work got done with horse-drawn dirt carts, shaping plows and men with picks and shovels.

In St. Louis, about two miles apart we have Normandie GC  designed by Robert Foulis, and Glen Echo CC. designed by Jim Foulis. They were apprentices of Old Tom Morris from Scotland, and with brother Dave build numerous courses in the Midwest. Normandie (see No. 9 green below) is the oldest public course west of the Mississippi, and Glen Echo the oldest country club west of the Mississippi.

Despite the fact the courses were built with primitive tools, both courses feature a number of distinctive and interesting holes.

The past two decades, many US courses were built or redesigned to mesh with the Audubon Sanctuary Program. This allows integration with wetlands and other nature, and created multiple sensitive no-go areas - hazards where you can't hunt for your ball, you just do a lateral drop for one stroke and play on.

In my area, some of the Audubon  courses have retrenched a little, and removed the interior grassland swatches between holes that greatly fostered slow play. The military Cardinal Creek course at Scott AFB has gone to more natural areas between holes. Players tell me than there's not much fairway between the grasses, and it's an unfair layout because of it.

I'm all for coexisting with nature, but let's make sure we still have a playable golf course out there.

[ignatiuswriter]

15 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

I'm all for coexisting with nature, but let's make sure we still have a playable golf course out there.

+WUTiger+ That's some really great information. Thank you. I played a Matthews' course today and was very happy with the play (the course was in phenomenal shape and the price was excellent). Perhaps I haven't played any courses like the one's you're describing. Almost all of the natural design courses I've played have been very playable. 

[Wally Fairway]

Living in Mid-Michigan there are Jerry Matthews courses all around; and they read like my list of favorites

[iacas]

39 minutes ago, ignatiuswriter said:

+WUTiger+

FWIW… https://thesandtrap.com/how-to/mention-members

[bkuehn1952]

21 hours ago, ignatiuswriter said:

So I'm wondering: What's everyone's take on the natural design philosophy? Have people here played Matthews courses? Any advice on other designers with a similar philosophy I might like?

I think many of us agree with you that moving as little earth as possible and following natural contours makes for some great designs.  Living in Michigan, I have had the opportunity to play 20+ Jerry Matthews courses (including some that no longer exist).  At his best, he rates with many of the top architects.

He also seems to get a fair number of assignments that do not give him much with which to work.  A classic example of this is Gateway (Romulus, MI).  I think he was quoted as saying something like, "that property was the flattest, most featureless piece of land I have ever seen."  Still, he turned out a decent course.

Locally (SE Michigan) I think "Majestic" is his best work.

[MSchott]

As others in Michigan have done, I've played my fair share of Jerry Matthews courses and others from his family. I have to say most of them are fairly forgettable designs although I do like the concept of moving as little dirt as possible. Of the courses I've played, Elk Ridge, St. Ives, The Majestic, Timber Ridge and Hilltop are my favorites.

[Buckeyebowman]

In my area we have an assortment of old Donald Ross Courses, a selection of courses from other major designers (Dye, Weiskopf/Morrish, Fazio), and there's even one Tillinghast course. Most of the newer upscale daily fee courses have been done by Brian Huntley, who works out of Canton, OH I believe. He designed Eagle Creek where the TST outing for NE Ohio was held last year.

One of his local designs, The Links at Firestone Farms, features vast natural areas. It's like playing in a nature preserve, yet the wild areas don't intrude on play very much. It's not a walker's course. You can leave a green and have a half mile hike to the next tee. Still, very crafty routing and a challenging course. Just wish it was kept in better condition.

Another local effort is Kennsington GC. It was built on a piece of property that has some of the steepest ravines and gorges I have ever seen! I'm not a fan of cut off fairways, but it's hard to make fairways on land that's nearly vertical. I have a love/hate relationship with this place, basically because it's so damned difficult!