To Dye For

by Mulligan Stu on May 7, 2008 11:51 AM EDT in News

Speaking of Pete Dye, he's been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the "Lifetime Achievement" category.

I don't know off the top of my head how many course architects are in the Hall of Fame. But as long as any architects are going in, then Pete Dye most definitely deserves to be one of them.

Even if some of his favorite touches - railroad ties banking water hazards, for example - now seem a tad cliche because so many other architects copied him. And even if a rash of copycats have created a lot of golf courses that are probably too difficult for their audience (weekend hackers) because they were trying to be Dye-abolical.

Many of the most memorable courses of the past 50 years were designed by Dye, and he's still going strong at age 82.

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Just flipped through the ranks of the World Golf Hall of Fame - looks like there are four others who are in the HoF mostly for their course architecture instead of playing or administration.

Robert Trent Jones Sr
Allister MacKenzie
Charles Blair MacDonald
Donald Ross

I'm not counting names like Nicklaus, Palmer, Greg Norman, or several others since they are in the Hall for their play.

The name that I didn't realize is NOT in the Hall is A.W. Tillinghast. "Tillie" had a few passable designs under his flag. A few people have heard of Bethpage Black, Baltusrol, and Winged Foot. There is a great book by Phillip Young about Tillinghast and his work - "TILLINGHAST Creator of Golf Courses".

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 7, 2008 12:35 PM EDT 0 recs

No Tillie?

That's inexcusable.

I think C.B. Macdonald went in last year. Seth Raynor and Harry Colt should be there. Others that will probably get in down the road include
William Flynn, Perry Maxwell, Stanley Thompson and George Thomas.

by Mulligan Stu on May 7, 2008 1:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

Pete Dye

I went to Rollins College with Pete - and played golf with him a few times. St. Margaret-Mary Catholic Church (Winter Park, FL) had a seven a.m. Sunday Mass and Pete and I sat on folding chairs just inside the entry door. When the priest finished the blessing to the congregation and turned back to the altar, Pete and I were "gone".

Rollins students played Dubsdread CC golf course without charges. Thus, we wore out the place.

Little factoid not remembered by very many; when Nicklaus was still an amateur, he had a year when Pete outranked him in Dolf Digest's annual year-end rankings. Pete could play!

Concerning the Sawgrass Course being played this week - Alice O'Neal Dye, Pete's girlfriend when at Rollins who later became his wife, is the one who told Pete what to do about his dilemma with building #17...you might have read about that. Alice also designed a few courses - - she also was a very strong player when in college and after.

Never up, never in.

by rcrusoe on May 7, 2008 8:18 PM EDT 0 recs