Golf World UK - August 2017

August 2017Golf World 67

Bobwantedthenewgreen.ReesJonesusedtotellme

‘Youdon’tbuildachurchforEasterSunday’,butthat

was Bob’s mentality.”

ThelateStevePosler,theon-siteprojectmanager,

called Whitten urging him to come to Erin and stop

Lang.“StevetoldmeBobwasoutinhistractor

markingnewbunkerswhereverhecouldfindspace,”

saysWhitten.“Bynowhehadtotallyforgottenour

original plan and was only thinking of building this

unrelentingUSOpencourse.Itoldhimhehadtogive

hiscustomersabreakbuthewouldn’tlisten.”

Hurdzan was similarly disappointed, saying he had

beenhiredtobuildalay-of-the-landpubliccoursethat

wasnowbecomingsomethingverydifferent.“Itwas

meant to be very minimalist,” he says. “We had moved

verylittleearth,butBobrejectedthatidea.”

FryadmitsheactuallylikedafewofLang’schanges

butthathewenttoofar.“Ifwesuggestedonebunker,

Bobwouldbuildthree,”hesays.“Whenwesuggested

three,he’dbuildfive.Hejustcouldn’tstophimself.”

Langhadclearlyfallenintothetrapsomanygolf

coursedevelopersdo–puttingthecourse’sreputation

aboveitsplayabilityandfunfactor.“Hewantedhis

course to be different, striking and conspicuous,” says

Whitten. Lang also removed the Dell Hole, whose

greenhadbeenmodeledonthatofLahinch’sfamous

par-35th–amovethatdisappointedbothHurdzan

and Whitten.

Despiteinitiallyhittingitoffandsharingagreat

interest in the American Civil War, Whitten and Lang

NTEAM

pie ce for this year ’s US O p en s tor y.

‘If we suggested one bunker, Bob would

build three. When we suggested three,

he’d build five. He couldn’t stop himself’

US OPEN