Thursday, March 02, 2006

Article by Lorne Rubenstein....on me!

A hole that was fun and challenging to play at only 350 yards. The central bunker is 280 off the tee creating a tough decision. The mound hiding the left pin instead of a bunker creates options.
A great hole by Bill Coore

I have always had a deep respect for the opinions and knowledge of Lorne Rubenstein, undoubtedly Canada’s leading golf authority. Beyond writing, he has a passion for the game itself, and that comes across in his writings. I have had the pleasure of talking with Lorne on a couple of occasions and have enjoyed his views on golf architecture and the design business. Needless to say it was a surprise and thrill when Lorne called a couple of days ago, but to be honest, I did not expect him to be interested enough to write a story about me. So, to say the least I was thrilled.

And here is the story…..

http://www3.sympatico.ca/iandrew/Lorne.JPG

Fun is part of making the game interesting. Unusual stances, options along the ground, the need to use the contours to feed an approach; these are all fun shots to hit! But how often does any architect ask you to try make that shot? Not too often. That’s why I went out to see the work of Doak, Coore and Hanse, architects that were trying to reintroduce these shots to their courses. Those are the 20 courses I was referring to in my discussions with Lorne. I’ve probably seen 300 classic courses in my travels throughout the world now, and that has loaded me up with so many ideas on how to take advantage of different sites. I can’t wait for the opportunity, and I’m confident that my courses will be really well received.

The Architect’s role is not simply to make the golf course difficult; it is to make the game interesting.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ian,

Just finished my daily lunchtime read of the Globe's sports page and was very happy to see Lorne's column. Congratulations.

Dave