Friday, December 07, 2007

The Year in Review – Part 5 - My Business














No New Course

Wednesday night I learned that the new course I had been pursuing had been awarded to a golf contractor as a design/build contract.

I had been in talks with a development group about a new course to be built next spring near Grand Bend, Ontario, as part of a housing development. Most of the site was as flat and wide open and this would have taken some effort to make interesting. I had decided to use an approach based around Mike Strantz’s Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula, California. The idea was to use expansive bunkers and large lateral movement to fill the wide open space. I was going to lift the fairways, tees and greens to make them standout and avoid the use of containment mounds.

The developers had approached me for a proposal on the project, in spite of the fact that they had acquired a design from a golf contractor they had been working with. The contractor has surprisingly suggested that my involvement was unethical since he had used a golf designer to do the routing. I find this a curious allegation, since nothing on the plans shows his name. If they did - I would not have agreed to become involved.

















The Renovation Business

The strength of my business will always be with my renovation and restoration work. This year was a banner year from the start through to the finish. It began with five new Master Plans, moved onto working drawings in the summer and final three major renovations in the fall. August brought the start of a Stanley Thompson renovation to the Cutten Club using the old aerial as a guide – it was fun to work with the flashes and high faces. September brought a restorative-based project of re-establishing the grass face bunkers that A.W. Tillinghast had created at Scarboro. It was fun to work with Gil Hanse on this project and interesting to work with full grass faces. October brought the start of a Walter Travis renovation where once again I was building grass faced bunkers but this time with really small shape mounding complexes around the fairway bunkering. Having to continuously change between styles proved to be exhilarating.

This spring will see me a quick finish to Scarboro’s bunkers. The Travis work will continue through the spring and re-start with some greens this fall. The fall will bring at least one Thompson renovation with the possibilities of a second Thompson course or a new Travis bunker renovation. I’m not too worried about next year – I’m quite certain that I will have enough to do – if not I will enjoy some golf.

















Nine New Holes at Saskatoon

The coming year will be an important year for me and Saskatoon Golf & Country Club. I am quite certain that this project will be the key to showing people that I am more than capable on my own – and will eventually lead to that new 18 holes.

The work has quietly started this fall with some clearing and drainage being done while the weather co-operates. I’m certain about the plan and the design for the holes and now its time to build them. While the work will be done in the style of Bill Kinnear (at Saskatoon) I will still be building holes that fit comfortably within my own preferences in design. I have managed to avoid almost everything on my expanded list of 20 things that I don’t like and there is not a single containment mound or target bunker to be found!

In The Works

This fall featured three of the most interesting calls that I have received so far. I will say that a significant Thompson course has approached me about a major restoration in a few years time. I’ve also talked to clubs about courses ranging from Ross to Alison to Travis. I was even recommended for a Raynor project by a peer that I admire.
It was a fascinating year for sure.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ian,the no new course thing sounds like a blessing to me. Who wants their first course to be built on a flat piece of land?

Vic Ferrari said...

Love your blog Ian, esp. all of the articles about Saskatoon Golf & Country Club. I look forward to the work being completed, along with your commentary of it.

Are there going to be any more video previews of the new SGCC holes?

Ian Andrew said...

I think so - I had friends of mine I saw last nights ask why I had not done more of them.

Ian

Vic Ferrari said...

Great news that more video previews are on the way! I have a request: I know that your previous videos focus on your newly designed holes that will be located on the west property, but could you please do a video commentary of the new par 5, on the current East Course, in which you play from the current #8 hole to the current #2 green. This new hole looks like an incredible par 5and it's generating lots of conversation (all in a positive way I might add) from the membership. Personally, I can't think of a more challenging/demanding par 5, anywhere, than this one.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Just wondering if theres been any progress on the SGCC Renovation im anticipating the golf season and just wanted to know what was going on?


thanks Ian

Anonymous said...

registry smart -
registry winner -
registry winner download -
reverse mobile -
richard mackenzie direct -
rocket japanese -
rotator cuff training -
save my marriage today -
secrets book -
silent sales machine -
silver lotto -
spyware cease -
super affiliate handbook -
the 11 forgotten laws -
thebadbreathreport -
the bad breath report -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
the power pause -
tmj help -
tonsil stones remedies -
top secret fat loss secret -
turbulence training -
twitter rockstar -
uncle sams money -
underground hypnosis -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
warcraft millionaire -
warcraft wealth -
warp speed fat loss -
webcomp analyst -
wedding speech 4u -
win back love -

Anonymous said...

registry smart -
registry winner -
registry winner download -
reverse mobile -
richard mackenzie direct -
rocket japanese -
rotator cuff training -
save my marriage today -
secrets book -
silent sales machine -
silver lotto -
spyware cease -
super affiliate handbook -
the 11 forgotten laws -
thebadbreathreport -
the bad breath report -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
the power pause -
tmj help -
tonsil stones remedies -
top secret fat loss secret -
turbulence training -
twitter rockstar -
uncle sams money -
underground hypnosis -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
warcraft millionaire -
warcraft wealth -
warp speed fat loss -
webcomp analyst -
wedding speech 4u -
win back love -

Anonymous said...

your software website -
zox pro -
zygor guides -
500 love making tips -
acid alkaline diet -
acne no more -
advanced defrag -
adware alert -
adware bot -
affiliate elite -
anti spyware -
anti spyware bot -
article bully -
art of approaching -
auto pilot profits -
bbq book -
blogging in action -
body building revealed -
burnthefat -
burn the fat -
carb rotation diet -
chopper tattoo -
conversationalhypnosis -
conversational hypnosis -
cure for tinnitus -
debt free in three -
driver checker -
duplicate file cleaner -
earth4energy -
earth 4 energy -
easy member pro -
easy tv soft -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -

Anonymous said...

spyware cease -
survey scout -
the bad breath report -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
the guru assassin -
the power pause -
tmj help -
tonsil stones remedies -
turbulence training -
two minute profits -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
warp speed fat loss -
web traffic machines -
wedding speech 4u -
wind plans -
xp repair pro -
your fun business -
zygor guides -
500 love making tips -
acid alkaline diet -
acne no more -
advanced defrag -
anti spyware bot -
art of approaching -
banish tinnitus -
beat eczema -
blood pressure normalized -
burnthefat -
burn the fat -
conversationalhypnosis -
conversational hypnosis -
cpa arbitrage -

Anonymous said...

creative date ideas -
debt free in three -
digital background -
dirty talking guide -
discus fish secrets -
duplicate file cleaner -
dw insider -
earth4energy -
earth 4 energy -
easy tv soft -
easy web video -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -
end your tinnitus -
error doctor -
evidence smart -
fap winner -
fat burning furnace -
fat loss 4 idiots -
final sync -
final uninstaller -
firewall gold -
fitness model program -
fit over 40 -
fit yummy yummy -
flatten your abs -
forex auto pilot -
gain opinion -
gold secrets -
government records -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
green diy energy -
healthy urban kitchen -

Anonymous said...

highest pay surveys -
holo think -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
i want a teaching job -
joyful tomato -
keyword elite -
learn photoshop videos -
lmt forex formula -
lower body make over -
macro virus -
malware bot -
maternityacupressure -
maternity acupressure -
meet your sweet -
microcap millionaires -
moles warts removal -
money siphon system -
muscle gaining secrets -
my list strategy -
my phone riches -
natural cancer treatments -
online tv pc -
panic away -
pdf creator -
peel away ads -
pips leader -
ppc web spy -
prevent sweating -
privacy control -
publicrecordspro -
public records pro -
questions for couples -
quick article pro -

Anonymous said...

valium diazepam diazepam dosage per kg - diazepam 20 mg dosage

Anonymous said...

ambien without a rx cut 10mg ambien in half - zolpidem pill markings

Anonymous said...

buy zolpidem zolpidem 79 3 - what is zolpidem-dp

Anonymous said...

ativan without prescription lorazepam rx online - buy lorazepam free shipping

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam generic version valium - valium pills blue

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam diazepam valium chemical formula - diazepam krople 10mg

Anonymous said...

buy ativan online 8 ativan - ativan and alcohol abuse

Anonymous said...

zolpidem 10 mg zolpidem tartrate images - zolpidem er vs ambien cr

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam online diazepam class b drug - diazepam 10mg tablets pictures

Anonymous said...

discount xanax xanax drug test employment - xanax price

Anonymous said...

lorazepam drug ativan dosage long does last - ativan hospice

Anonymous said...

xanax online pharmacy xanax effects alcohol - xanax withdrawal muscle spasms

Anonymous said...

cheap alprazolam xanax side effects baby - best place buy xanax online

Anonymous said...

generic ativan permanent effects ativan overdose - where can i buy lorazepam online

Anonymous said...

buy xanax online without rx alprazolam mylan 0 5 mg - xanax retard 1 mg bijsluiter

Anonymous said...

valium pill buy valium online no membership - valium usage statistics

Anonymous said...

buy valium online are valium and xanax the same - diazepam valium sale

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online no prescription order cheap ambien - drug interactions ambien nyquil

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online cash price ambien cr - ambien for alcohol withdrawal

Anonymous said...

soma muscle relaxant carisoprodol dosage maximum - buy soma online no prescription with mastercard

Anonymous said...

valium generic valium your system long - order valium online no prescription

Anonymous said...

soma medication generic soma pill - carisoprodol 31

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol no prescription soma drug test detection - somanabolic muscle maximizer supplement

Anonymous said...

can you buy ambien online retail cost ambien cr - ambien generic versus ambien