Customer Reviews

Driving the Green: The Making of a Golf Course

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book left me wondering! The access the author had to the developers, construction crew, and architects of the 'Ironhorse Resort' was complete. This is the book's major strength. Throughout I read a muted implicit criticism of almost all his sources. However the line of outright criticism is never crossed. The author becomes so close (he's an avid golfer and golfs with everybody) you wonder where he stands ultimately on issues he brushes against. For example, we get to know ruthless developers throwing their weight and money around as they make their deals. Environmental advocates and their concerns are introduced, then dropped. We see brief references to the Haitian migrant workers, and other hard working laborers, who toil on the irrigation systems of this luxurious playground for the rich. None of this is followed through, leaving the question open whether the author along the way abandoned the writing of a social commentary, or was just the consumate sycophant all along. This criticism aside, as a avid golfer I enjoyed the book. It might not appeal to the non-golfer. It is well written, and the anecdotes and asides into golf history that the reviewer below complains about I found fascinating. This book about the making of a modern golf course (notwithstanding the lost opportunities to educate on and explore in greater detail larger issues pertaining to the hitting a little white ball in a manufactured paradise that's replaced a natural one) is a one-of-a-kind.

CAUTION!!! The only book of its kind. John Strawn reports it as he sees and hears it. It's the perfect illustration of what is wrong with modern golf course architecture. If you're looking to hire an architect for remodelling, reconstruction, redesign or a new project... read this first. Then read Masters of the Links.

Only a small % of the population has ever heard of the
profession of golf course architect, but a large % of that
group dreams of quitting the day job and designing golf
courses for a living.

For them, Strawn vividly describes all aspects
of the building of an Arthur Hills golf course in Florida.
Strawn is equally good at describing the golf strategy that
goes into the course, the lives of the construction workers,
and the hassles with bureaucrats.

Certainly the best book ever written on the building of a
single golf course. (Ok, it's probably the only book ever
written on this topic, but it's still quite good
in absolute terms).

Steve Sailer
steveslr@aol.com

This is one of my very favorite golf reads! Presents realistic insight into the dream, conception, and final reality of a golf course. This is similar to grinding it out that all of us hackers and pros must go through to get to that stage in our round or game where it all comes together. The bird lady story is illustrative of my fascination with this book. It so kept my attention because it seemed so realistic to what real life in golf course architecture must entail. The give and take between developer, architect, and owner was exceptional insight as well.

I've reread and will continue as well as give copies away to those I know are into the game as I.

This was a big disappointment. I know people who have played the course, and thought that it was excellent. I was looking forward to the nitty gritty of course design. Instead we get all of the tedium of getting the permits, the arguements, life stories of some of the participants, and most of them were not particularly interesting. No pictures, only a few lame drawings. Where are the before and after pictures so we can see the transformation of wild land to the course? How about focusing on some design elements, maybe pick a green and show how it was made, and the thoughts on the bunkering, fine-tuning the finished product? Nothing like that was in this book. In fact, the book ends before the first shot is hit. No reactions from players to the new course. No follow up with the designer on how it turned out. No reviews by outside golfers. The book just stops when it is finally getting interesting. It took forever to build this course. It seemed to take longer to get through this book.

This could have been a very interesting book. The author is a recreational golfer who knows something about the game. What he has done here is find a guy, Alan Sher, a retired successful businessman, who found a poor piece of property in Florida and dreamed of putting a golf course on it, who in turn found a developer, Joshua Muss, inexperienced in putting together a high-end golf course residential community (who is pictured as somewhat of a jerk to boot), who found Arthur Hills, an experienced golf course architect, and followed their progress in bringing the property to life. If you know nothing about golf course construction, you'll learn a little about how greens are built, you'll learn the importance of drainage, and you'll learn that a lot of what goes on is seat-of-the pants. You'll also learn about dust and mud, moving trees, and a little about how skilled and unskilled laborers live and do their jobs, but that's about it. The story, such as it is, is random. The author, obviously, spent a fair amount of time on site, interviewed some of the participants, did a little historical research, and polished his notes into a very readable book that more or less follows the time line of project. What more did I want? Maps and photos are called for. (For some reason -- random -- the book includes two very nice drawings of finished holes by Mike Strantz, an extremely talented artist and golf course architect who died way too early.) Less mud and dust (we get the picture already) and more of the technical and financial aspects of construction. More about Alan Sher, who got the whole thing going, then lost control to Muss In short, it's not a bad book, but it lacks the depth and detail that could have been substituted for a lot of the mud and dust and made it a really great book.

The people setting out to realise a dream and their encouters with the outside world and reality are pictured very nice and vivid. The proces is given with warm observations. One comment for those who publish the book: please enclose a 1-page overview of the site and lay-out because then moving 200.000 (square)yards of dirt (soil) from lake 7 to green 12th realy has a meaning. Now, with the details given it was just impossible to understand the weight of this kind of information. Even still: a very fine read for all in golf and courses.