Ask John Houck about Course Design & Development

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by Three Putt

What is John's view of a forced water carry in a public park setting. By water I'm not talking about a creek where you can reach down and pick up the disc, I'm talking deep or fast-moving water where a disc that does not make it over will be lost.

He says safety first and he'll get back to you with more details.

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by Marty McFly

Tell John that I'm still mad about making hole 3 at Harry Myers 109304 feet long - (It's my favorite hole)

Actually if I only get to say one thing... Make it this: How can I grow a cool beard like John?

Stay single and don't shave. Dee
Thank you. I love hole 3 also. John

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by DavidSauls

How do you find fairways on heavily wooded, fairly featureless property?

I'm thinking, in this case, of the Jackson Course at IDGC, which may be the only Houck course I've played, and especially the rather level parts of it. How do you visualize an 800' hole when you can only see 80' through the woods? How do you take virtually a blank sheet and come up with a design?

I'm partly responsible for---some might say guilty of---designing one private course, where we could do it one hole at a time over several years and where there were all kinds of cool terrain features we could incorporate. Which is much, much easier. (And made easier by some of your articles I've read on course design).

Thank you for the compliment about the articles. I'll write back a longer response later. John

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by WillACarpenter

I'd like to ask John what he's got up his sleeve for the Rochester, NY area concerning the 2011 am worlds.



\/\/

I made an initial visit there last year and saw a lot of potential in the courses. It's really up to the local people what they do with the courses. I hope my suggestions were helpful and I always look forward to spending time in Western NY. John

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by AdamH

Is it bad to have holes that are par 3.5 or between par 3 and 4? Meaning only the the best of the best have a chance to deuce it, getting a 3 is nothing special and you feel like you screwed up when you card a 4? Thanks.

John's written a couple of article about DUMB holes and he knows this is an important discussion. He'll write back to you when he has a little more time. Dee
Here is a link of the article.
http://www.houckdesign.com/dumbholes.html

[HouckDesign]

Originally Posted by Cgkdisc

Could also be Gentry and my sleeves depending on John's schedule...

Chuck, you have to prove that you can eat 50 FIRE HOT chicken wings in under 3 minutes before they will let you land at the Buffalo airport. Either that or you have to be able to name every starting player from the Bills 4 superbowl teams. John

[Cgkdisc]

I'll make sure not to wear my Browns gear and bypass Buffalo to visit Rochester by car.

[cheddapig]

hey wouled you guys be interesed in designing a course in pottstown pa

[All GUNKed up]

lagrassa is on the pdga course designers group. he is a member here and lives near reading. give him a try.

[Cgkdisc]

Just for clarification, the DGCD course designers group of 135 members is independent from the PDGA. However, the PDGA relies on the DGCD to produce documents and standards which the PDGA usually adopts. Everyone on the PDGA Course Committee happens to be a DGCD member: Kennedy (Chair), Houck, Doyle, Gentry, Wallis, Monroe and Lyksett.