Ben Cowan

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 48 total)
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  • in reply to: Michigan Walking Golfers #15316

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    I hear good things about Lincoln Hills GC, used to be private. Hemlock is solid, it is riding only though. Haven’t heard of the other 2.

    in reply to: Michigan Walking Golfers #10015

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Hi Travis,

    If you would like me to add you to the TWGS MI group email chain, please email me or reply with your email. mine-pageycowan@gmail.com

    in reply to: Missouri Rep #4257

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Brad,

    You made a great video of your first get together! Very impressive and keep up the great work.

    Ben

    in reply to: 2020 New Plays #4255

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Chris, great post.

    My new plays for 2020 were,

    Blythfield
    Columbus CC

    Really looking forward to playing Blythfield in 2021 with the much needed renovation. Good land and routing. Columbus CC is the best in Cbus imo and was fortunate enough to play it twice this year!

    in reply to: N.H./Vermont/Maine Walking Golfers #4254

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Bill, welcome to the board!

    We had a Rhode Island Gathering about 3 Falls ago at Wannamoisett & Metacomet! Winter is a great time to plan a New England Gathering for 2021

    in reply to: 2019 New plays? #4157

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Josh,

    What did you think of Franklin? A few world class holes on that track.

    Update to my list,

    Concord CC
    Rolling Green
    Woodcrest CC
    Ozaukee
    Tripoli
    Kenosha
    Blue Mound
    Lawsonia
    Kent

    been a great year for new golf. Rolling Green was the winner with Lawsonia & Blue Mound close behind!

    in reply to: Rating criteria bad for Architecture #4148

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    “0-A course so contrived and unnatural that it may poison your mind, which I cannot recommend under any circumstances. Reserved for courses that wasted ridiculous sums of money in their construction, and probably shouldn’t have been built in the first place.

    1-A very basic golf course, with clear architectural malpractice and/or poor maintenance. Avoid even if you’re desperate for a game.

    2-A mediocre golf course with little or no architectural interest, but nothing really horrible. As my friend Dave Richards summed one up: “Play it in a scramble, and drink a lot of beer”.

    3-About the level of the average golf course in the world. (Since I don’t go out of my way to see average courses, my scale is deliberately skewed to split hairs among the good, the better, and the best).

    4-A modestly interesting course, with a couple of distinctive holes among the 18, or at least some scenic interest and decent golf. Also reserved for some very good courses that are much too short and narrow to provide sufficient challenge for accomplished players.

    5-Well above the average golf course, but the middle of my scale. A good course to choose if you’re in the vicinity and looking for a game, but don’t spend another day away from home just to see it, unless your home is Alaska.

    6-A very good course, definitely worth a game if you’re in town, but not necessarily worth a special trip to see. It shouldn’t disappoint you.

    7-An excellent course, worth checking out if you get anywhere within 100 miles. You can expect to find soundly designed, interesting holes, good course conditioning, and a pretty setting, if not necessarily anything unique to the world of golf.

    8-One of the very best courses in its region (although there are more 8’s in some places, and none in others), and worth a special trip to see. Could have some drawbacks, but these will clearly be spelled out, and it will make up for them with something really special in addition to the generally excellent layout.

    9-An outstanding course – certainly one of the best in the world – with no weaknesses in regard to condition, length, or poor holes. You should see this course sometime in your life.

    10-Nearly perfect; if you skipped even one hole, you would miss something worth seeing. If you haven’t seen all the courses in this category, you don’t know how good golf architecture can get. Drop the book and call your travel agent – immediately.”

    IMO, it is better using 100 point Doak scale, 6.8 is better then 6.1. Reading Anatomy of a Golf Course and keep asking questions and learning is the best way to evaluate a Golf Course. Unfortunately many of the mags are about the raters gaining access. The rating criteria doesn’t foster individual critical thinking for rater. It facilitates ticking boxes off someone or group gives you to focus on. A course should be able to be written up in a few paragraphs too.

    in reply to: Trolley re-distribution to public courses? #4127

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Craig, Lawsonia is ordering new ones. Woodcrest went semi in NJ and ordered a dozen. Sylvania cc ordered a dozen. Things are slowly getting better! We have to be the demand for them in the game!

    in reply to: Lost routing opportunities with hard fast rules #4068

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Bump, I’m surprised this topic hasn’t been commented on more?

    in reply to: Trolley re-distribution to public courses? #4019

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Craig,

    You don’t think if we donated used ones from private clubs to UP courses your kids play, that they wouldn’t take them? You don’t think possibly that change could take place with the tools?

    in reply to: The Errors of Maint Meld & Design over last 70 years #4018

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    MM,

    I doubt you could build Askernish today for $50,000 (INFLATION). A big issue is that land values are expensive (Due to gov’t intervention). People shouldn’t have to drive 1-2 hrs to drive to play golf. Are you saying that you are against clay soil golf courses due to location? I don’t think anyone is advocating Sawgrass swamp like creation of golf courses. Are you against sand capping and drainage of heavy soil courses? Initial building of a golf course is expensive but it can be depreciated over the course of 15 years. You can build a minimalist course on sandy soil for $3M. Lot less drainage needed and if you avoid USGA greens a good deal of money can be saved.

    The biggest issue with US courses driving prices up is F&B on the private side! Many affordable public courses in the US. Trees are Weeds, and people need to understand that. Trees can overtake interesting architecture and effect the way they play via reducing wind and firmness.

    in reply to: 2019 New plays? #4013

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    MM,

    Great post. With “New Plays” i wasn’t referring to new courses, I meant first time playing a course. Many courses i listed, are US Golden age.

    • This reply was modified 5 years ago by  Ben Cowan.
    in reply to: Which 9 at ANGC would you pick? #4006

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Having not been on property, I’ll go with the front 9. I think the par 5’s are superior. #2, Hard dog leg left rewards angles. The mounding around the 8th green looks great. 13th looks great but the trees left of the green ruin the firmness of the green. 15 has no bailout and the pond looks awful.

    Par 3’s on the front I’ll give edge. 6th looks really cool, green looks wonderful. 4th edges out the 16th because putting ponds by greens is hackish imo, cool green.

    The biggest omission on the front is the original 7th hole that looked incredible. It may have needed to of been tweaked just slightly.

    The 14th looks the most interesting on the back side to play. The green is so bold and it’s bunkerless.

    • This reply was modified 5 years ago by  Ben Cowan.
    in reply to: Trolley re-distribution to public courses? #3870

    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    We have had some issues at public courses at Gatherings last year with no trolley’s or not enough. We will focus on correcting this at public courses in 2019, especially at courses where we host walking gatherings.


    Ben Cowan
    Keymaster

    Going to post this on the twitter page!

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 48 total)