A Day at Wolf Point Club (video)

One of our favorite things is having visitors enjoy playing golf on something that we have designed and built, like in the video above. At Wolf Point our directive was to build something fun for our client to play every single day. It had to be varied, interesting and challenging for him. We didn't concern ourselves about anyone else. But the visitors reactions after playing have been incredible.

We didn't expect comments like this from a recent visitor about their favorite golf experiences from 2013: 

"one of my all time favorite golf experiences was at Wolf Point 
BEST COURSE: Pine Valley is the undoubted winner this year (*Pine Valley is the greatest golf course in the world, according to most). 
RUNNER-UP: Wolf Point which is beating out some tough competition in Sand Hills, Dismal, Ballyneal, Oakmont, Baltusrol and Somerset Hills. 
MOST SURPISING COURSE: Wolf Point" 

We were expecting this comment a little more however: 
"Best Beer on a Golf Course: Wolf Point" 

Because Wolf Point is so private very few people have enjoyed playing here. This video is the first chance we've had to show our work to more than a few people. A good friend Scott Wilson, from Flagstick Films, is the creative mind behind this video. There is more footage and he is compiling and editing his work into a more formal presentation - Stay tuned for more.

Happy 2014!

Some friends at Wolf Point -- FORE!

Not too long ago a few friends came down to play Wolf Point with Don.  It reminds me a bit of this Tiger picture from a few years ago.  Good try Sam!
Another friend also shared many, many pictures of his visit on Golf Club Atlas.  If you would like to see a ton of pictures from our round click here, if you'd rather wait to see it in person, be patient.
Happy Fall.
Cheers

Charles Joachim a mentor and friend

Charles Joachim and I first met over ten years ago when a local golf contractor asked me to GPS map their bunker work at Champions Golf Club.  Charles was the superintendent for 28 years over both courses, Cypress Creek and Jack Rabbit.  During his tenure he was responsible for a USGA Amateur Championship and five PGA Tour Championships.  He oversaw the complete remodel to Jack Rabbit, and improved the Cypress Creek course in countless ways, including resurfacing all the greens - which includes floating out and shaping the huge historic putting surfaces - they average over 10,000 square feet.

Charles office has been a breeding ground for highly successful superintendents.  One very proud accomplishment of his was how he mentored several assistants who have gone on to manage other highly regarded clubs.  He spent so much time teaching and still answers their questions when they could use great advice.

Charles gave me countless tours of Cypress Creek and Jack Rabbit.  We would talk about all the details we could improve and what was the next priority.  I acted part architect and part stenographer when compiling all of our notes over the years.

I am lucky to have had his help away from Champions over the years too, always adding great practical suggestions and lessons learned.  Fortunately we will continue to work together, as he is helping Don Mahaffey and myself on a current Greens renovation project south of Houston.

Pictured above is Charles, myself and Mr. Jackie Burke Jr., owner of Champions and the 1956 Masters Champion.  It was hard to tell where Charles ended and Mr. Burke began as they are both full of so much history, golf and business knowledge.

Charles will always be a dear friend.  Thank you.

You can find Charles here on LinkedIn if you'd like some help too:

• www.linkedin.com/pub/charles-joachim/46/a90/b58/

Boston University Engineering Magazine Profile

Recently Boston University, my alma mater, profiled my career experiences. I changed majors 12 years ago and have enjoyed bringing my engineering experiences and skills to golf design. Mark Dwortzan, the author and fellow alum, even found the recent mention of Wolf Point in Golf Magazine. You can read the article here: http://www.mnuzzo.com/pdf/ENG_Spr2013.pdf or the whole issue here http://issuu.com/bucollegeofeng/docs/engineer_spring_2013/27 

Happy Masters Dr. MacKenzie!

It has been a MacKenzian spring indeed! This week I visited Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters for the first time with my father, followed by a round of golf together at Palmetto Golf Club. This visit occurred only 11 days after visiting Melbourne, Australia where I played and studied Royal Melbourne West and East, Kingston Heath Golf Club and Victoria Golf Club. 6 MacKenzie influenced or designed golf courses, separated by 9,825 miles. I have no idea how he did it via ship. I will share more about my experiences and many details about what made all the courses great. Pictured above is one of the best three shot holes in the world, the 13th at Augusta National. For now I hope everyone enjoys this week's Masters, it is a special event and place for sure. Cheers

Golf Course 2.0

The Architect's Digest in Texas Golfer Magazine:  My most recent essay details a little of what I would recommend for a new course and how to encourage the beginning player to join us for some fun.  Click to read the pdf or the link to the entire digitial issue.

Wolf Point is one of Tom Doak's favorite discoveries of 2012

Great to read this months Golf Magazine.  Above is an article in Golf Magazine (March 2013, pg. 38) by Tom Doak listing his favorite discoveries from 2012.  We are honored to have Wolf Point be a golf course that was worth his travels and studies.  "I've looked for inspiration in out-of-the-way courses, and where I found it most was in the work of less celebrated names like Willie Park Jr., ... and Mike Nuzzo."  You can see Tom travels the globe for work and inspiration!

I'll share more from our round together on a future blog post, I have a great picture of a great shot.
Thank you Tom.

Do beginners like interesting?

Recently I read about a municipality building a six hole beginner course to compliment its main golf course.  They will be using donated funds in an effort to introduce people to golf - it will cost $10 and not take very long.  This sounds great, I'd love to have someplace to bring youngsters to play, I can think of no good place in Houston.  Hopefully they will be able to use the existing golf infrastructure to keep costs minimized.
One thing puzzled me however:

"The course would be set up as a “learning center” with flat greens, flat bunkers and holes just 60 to 120 yards long, where golfers of all ages and abilities could play."

Why build flat greens?  The most famous putting course in the world, The Himalayas at St. Andrews, is also the wildest.  All ranges of people have been playing there since 1867!  Check out these pictures. It costs $3.  And it was something I was looking forward to playing when I visited St. Andrews a few years ago.

Flat greens are boring.  If I were to introduce someone to the game, I would like them to see the fun parts first.  Golf is interesting, and complex.  Why hide its best qualities?

Pictured above is the 17th green at Wolf Point - it is filled with interest - so can every green.

Golf Club Atlas

How the ball interacts with the ground is at the soul of good golf. The natural, random land conformations found on links are ideal but skilled artifice is needed for an inland course to enjoy the same playing attributes. In all the world, some of the most graceful man-made contours of the sort that are perfect for golf are found at Wolf Point, a Mike Nuzzo design in Texas. Appreciate the scope of contour in the photograph against the silhouette of Green Keeper Don Mahaffey.

Ran Morrissett, the author of the above quote, started Golf Club Atlas ~12 years ago as a place to share pictures and golf stories with his friends.  It has grown into much more.  He came to visit recently. Wolf Point is currently the welcome picture to his website.  I'll be sharing more in the future about our round and his thoughts on the course.  Cheers

Last week The Eden Green at The Old Course was one of the best in the world.

The Old Course at St. Andrews was established in 1552, and has enjoyed the recreational golfer since the early 1400's.  It is a public and publically owned golf course.  On Sundays it becomes a park for anyone to stroll the grounds - pets are welcome too!

Today a fellow player, Colin Donaldson, tweeted the above picture - he shot a 72 amongst the rubble.

The picture is of The Eden green (#11) and is roughly 10,000 square feet – not counting the adjoined 7^th green.

I’ve heard, and remember, the slope of the green is more than 4%, or it rises 1 foot for every 25 feet.

To get the slope down to "their" desired pinable level, or more fair?!?, it would have to be reduced to ~2%.

That means if the change in elevation from the front of the green to the back is 4 feet, the back would have to drop 2 feet.

To drop the back 2 feet, it would require almost the entire side to be disturbed.

That is what is happening in the above picture.

They chose a starting point for where the green would need to be cut to achieve the 2 ft drop in the back without looking like a shelf.

The area is large, it appears as if they are disturbing 2,500 sft.

The sod has been cut and removed and placed so it can be replaced and replanted when complete.

They are using a laser to help measure and ensure that the desired slopes are achieved.

It is a usually slow process.

I assume they would also need to adjust the irrigation line and lower the surrounding irrigation sprinklers.

Why does this matter?

Last week this was one of the coolest holes in the World, now it is a little less unique.

You can follow us on twitter for now and we’ll be posting more about this greatest of holes.

It is too late, but still informative: #Savetheoldcourse.

Happy Birthday Moji!

Last night Eddie Vedder and Glen Hansard played Jones Hall, the Houston Symphony Orchestra's home venue.  I thought it was a great show filled with variety, I like variety - here is a review of the previous night's show.  

Throughout the evening Eddie would tell stories before each segment of songs.  {Don't let his most recent album's name fool you, "Ukulele Songs" has some powerful music live.  His 2nd Ukulele (from the 1950s) of the night was so strong and vibrant, he was only able to set the volume to 2?}  

When Eddie got to the early Pearl Jam set, he described how long it has been - 20 years - that we have all lived with these songs.  When he wrote them he was in a much different, angrier, place.  He shared and acknowledged his experiences with the audience as if we lived them together, because we did.  Although it was some of those anger filled songs that brought everyone together, and now that life is much clearer, hopefully for everyone, we can still share the songs in a meaningful way. (Here is the Setlist.)

The things that we share can help make us closer.  Especially common interests over an extended period of time.  Even if we weren't together, they are a form of shared experiences.  Playing the game of golf would certainly fit this long term shared experience.  Many of the people I know that appreciate the game have done so for a long time.  This is obvious when playing.  

I wish the goal of reconnecting those that share a similar passion was higher up the priority list in the business world of golf.  It seems more and more that the business of golf's goal is to provide pristine conditions and an unparalled experience?  When in truth they can't compete with the joy of sharing and playing the game as a youngster with our super-extended family.  And that doesn't cost a thing, it comes free with every round.

So who is Moji?  I had forgotten about her too.  Three years ago I saw Glen Hansard perform during his Once tour.  It was brilliant.  And that night while coaching and coaxing the audience to sing with him, someone standing directly next to me, Moji, belted out a few notes.  Moji was so awesome Glen had to bring her up on stage: check out this youtube video from that night and a review of the magical night.

Fast forward to last night.  It turns out that Glen did not forget Moji.  She was back and even better.  She sang duets with both Glen and Eddie!  And was part of the "Hard Sun" trio during the final encore! Setlist

Moji can sure show us that greatness can come from almost anywhere if we stay open minded.

Texas Golfer Fall Issue Essay

Texas Golfer Magazine published my essay in its current fall issue.  I describe how the game should be more fun for everyone, especially women.  The short version is that I tee off from the most interesting location, and don't worry about my handicap.  Click the image to read or this link to the entire digitial issue.  Cheers and go vote!

Last Call for Affordable Golf Symposium

I've been asked to speak and share my experiences at the Symposium on Affordable Golf this fall.  Specifically I'll be describing how we built so much great golf at Wolf Point for an incredibly low price.  The symposium location is very cool: Pinehurst.  This is the third year that Richard Mandell has hosted this grass roots event.  Here is the website:  http://www.symposiumonaffordablegolf.com/.  
Please fill out their survey: http://bit.ly/golfsymposium.

Some highlights from the Agenda:

2012 Symposium On Affordable Golf Agenda Complete 
The third annual Symposium On Affordable Golf will once again be held at the Southern Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, October 29th and 30th. This year, the Symposium will be one and a half days, followed by a golf outing on the Donald Ross-designed Southern Pines Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

The Symposium On Affordable Golf raises awareness and understanding of the challenges of the golf industry through open discussion, exchange of ideas and highlighting successes that promote the health and sustainability of the game of golf. As in previous years, there is no fee for attendance. Also, as in past years, members of the PGA, the LPGA and the GCSAA will be eligible to receive continuing education credits. 

There will be three case studies detailing successful and affordable golf operations, each from different regions of the world. Other topics include "The Curious Case of the Taj-Mahalics," "Let's Start Romancing the Game Again Instead of Selling the Business," and "Where Sustainability and GolfSpeak Intersect."

The picture below is the last time Rich and I spoke together.  That is Pete Dye's son, Perry, to our left.

Wolf Point with PGA Championship fairways

Earlier this week we shared how Wolf Point Club has three times as much fairway as this week's PGA Championship course, The Ocean Course at Kiawah.  One would have to hit a bad shot to miss that much fairway at Wolf Point.  Often the average player may hit every fairway from the tee.  What they don't know is that one can hit the fairway, and it still may be a bad shot. When their location in the fairway doesn't allow a chance to aim at the day's hole location, or if one does try from the wrong angle it will wind up even worse if not perfect. 

The picture below is what Wolf Point would look like if the USGA or PGA got their hands on the setup of the course.  They both like narrow fairways that challenge the driving accuracy of the pros.  The striped areas are the fairways as designed and maintained.  The dark green fairways are how the course would look with 28 acres of fairway - the same as this week's PGA.  It may not be obvious, but the average player certainly wouldn't hit 1/2 as many fairways.

What we don't like about the USGA & PGA's methodology is that they have to change the existing golf course to suit their needs, even though big fairways do challenge the best players, as long as the greens are well designed.

Three times as much fairway as the PGA Championship

This week the PGA Championship is being contested at The Ocean Course at Kiawah.  It is a very good golf course and certainly challenging, especially with so many angled fairways.  The course has 28 acres of fairway, not always easy to hit, and in my opinion way too tight for the average player.

When I tell people about Wolf Point, I describe the course as fairway everywhere.  When I say we have over 84 acres of fairway, the average player has no idea what that means.  It means we have three times as much fairway as a "Championship" golf course.

How does that effect a game a Wolf Point?  It means you can keep playing, instead of fighting off alligators, in stead of looking for your ball.  It certainly doesn't mean it is easy.

I would like to know if any golf course in the world has more fairway than Wolf Point?  I doubt it.  

*Later this week I have an illustration of what our course would look like with 28 acres of fairway.

From the space race to a cattle ranch.

From the space race to a cattle ranch. The amazing story of a designer who is reshaping the rules. 

The title of this blog is the introduction to a published profile about my past and our current work.  One never knows what a reporter is writing when talking over the phone, but Shaun got pretty close.

"Wolf Point is a fast-running teaser that brings to mind the best that the great old links can conjure up."  

"But the silver lining in this raincloud is that Mike Nuzzo has been unearthed.  A designer who brings a progressive practicality to the table and does so with great success."  

Click this link to read it in its entirety.

High praise from our recent visitor

The following is a message from our recent visitor and includes a message he forwarded on to a past partner:

G’day Adam & Paul, many thanks to you both for stimulating me to make it down to Wolf Point. WOW! It is kind of cruel that Mike’s first work, can’t be seen by enough people to catapult his career, but hopefully our project will do that for him!

I visited the most fabulous golf course in the middle of nowhere 90 mins from Houston, to meet with and review the architect’s work. It is called Wolf Point. It’s a non-descript, very plain property, where a aerospace engineer named Mike Nuzzo threw in his career to pursue his passion for golf course architecture and has, in my opinion, massaged enough movement in the landscape and tilts around the greens, to create a rival to Riviera, Kingston Heath and the Old Course as lessons in golfing greatness on flat, small properties.  And it was built for less than our last project and made very effective use of a wandering ravine and some nice stands of Oaks to create a must-play.

It is a golfing masterpiece. The course is magnificently & reasonably maintained for its clientele -- genius!


Many thanks to you Mike for reinspiring me towards great golf architecture!


Below is our visitor hitting a green side recovery to the 9th hole.  Be careful to keep it on the green from that angle towards the hole.

Take your daughter to the golf course week.

The PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association are encouraging everyone to introduce daughters, granddaughters and nieces to the game of golf during Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, July 9-15. More than 1,000 participating facilities across the country will offer free green fees to girls accompanied by a paying adult, with many facilities also offering free clinics for young ladies.


Great idea, but it is kind of like telling parents to validate to their kids.  Every golf course should encourage children, daughters, women, seniors regularly -- some more than others.  But in general, children aren't welcomed at most courses.  There is no appropriate course for me to take my daughters to play in Houston - a fun pitch -n- putt.  (I did blow up an un-fun one and built a cool golf center in its place: Swanson's).


Thankfully I do on occasion get to take them to a course we built on the coast. There is lots of room for them to play. It is great to see them have fun enjoying all different aspects of the experience.

Validation of Wolf Point's double green at 8 & 18

Recently I had a business round at Wolf Point.  We play the 8th as a warm up hole to get to the first tee.  The 8th and 18th share one large 14,000 sft putting surface.  In describing my hesitation to build a double green, he said "it would have been silly not to have done so".  There have been so many gimmicky, goofy, ugly and unplayable double greens built in the modern era.  


It turns out that our double green was going to prove it's authenticity today. Pictured below was the first time we played the green on our regulation round.  My guest is putting from the 18th green towards my ball near the 8th hole.  His shot drew a little too much and the swale exaggerated his miss.  I took the pic mid shot, he wound up inside my ball.  Nice pars.
(click the pictures for the bigger versions)

On the last hole of the day my approach ran a little long into the swale and my guest's ran quite a bit further, again the swale exaggerating his miss.  Below is his next to last putt of the day, from the 8th green to the 18th hole.  Proof that this green complex is no gimmick.  Both greens are in play from both holes.  Maybe next time we'll play to the opposite greens.

All fun and games at Wolf Point

There are very few forced carries at Wolf Point Club.  One of them, the creek at the 15th, can be cleared by a 10 year old girl, who has only been on a golf course twice!  I wish there were other places for us to play.  For now it doesn't get any better than this!

And a bonus video inspired by Happy Gilmore's protagonist!