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

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.

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

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.

Happy New Year: First round of 2012

We started off the year strong, playing every day, until the 2nd anyway.  Pictured above is an old friend playing the shortish par 4 16th at Wolf Point Club.  He lost his tee shot in the creek, not taking my advice and keeping the tee ball right of the flag. The fairway slopes will draw the ball towards the creek. He did win the match on 17 unfortunately. 


"Completely original, and more like Scotland than any course I've played in the US." were his comments after the round. 


It was the first time I remember playing in a wind that came from the north-east - a 21 mph wind. It made for some interesting differences: I didn't carry the creek on 4, I birdied 5, I drove the 10th with a 4 wood and Jeff hit the longest tee ball on 17 I've seen yet - even with that crazy swing. 


Happy New Year

An e-mail from a visitor about playing golf at Wolf Point Club

i think you achieved something truly important out there in those fields i didn't really understand it until we completed the first 18 holes and went around the house to tee off on number one the second time standing there, i saw the hole, which i did not understand the first time i played it, in a new light we are so accustomed to playing, and seeing, courses that are manufactured according to preconceived ideas of what a course should be here's the hole it's defined by trees or hummocks or water on it's sides there are obstacles near where our shots will probably land it ends in that hollow or on the flattened rise hit to position a, then to position b etc

so, teeing off on number one the second time i got it a little this is what it would be like to take a "found" landscape and play golf on it with many, many ways to play the hole, depending on your imagination and skill

i won't do a hole by hole

some things which are indelible
the topsy turvy swale in front of five green the psychedelic green on the long par five 14 the green and surrounds on three never mind there are amazing things on nearly every hole

but...

the subtle green sites on 4 and 13
which feel like someone draped smooths blanket on gentle hillsides sorta like "let's play to over there" to the side of that hill even though "over there" would be flattened by a succession of committees to make it more "fair" on any other golf course two genius green sites more so as you made them up

and the inspired bunkers
on the diagonal ridge in front of the third green and the erosion gully on the left of twelve i know you made these, too but they are the most natural feeling features i've ever seen on any golf course i felt like i was on some primeval landscape for the first time thinking this would make a great place to play a game with some clubs and a ball from here to there what should we call it?

i never had a more enjoyable time playing golf

the variety of shots required
and the variety of shots that were possible strategy blah blah you got that, too

you should be proud for having accomplished something remarkable i think back to places i've played where i was really happy beautiful places where life seemed in balance bandon pebble and wolf point more often than others

thanks

Cameron University's newest golf team member

Don's son recently committed to go to Cameron University and play on the golf team. They have a very fine team. There are lots of types of fun golf. Playing competitive collegiate golf is certainly one form. It is even more fun if this game helps one get an education.

Ryan spent most of his high school years prepping for football games under the lights. This was one of the reason's that helped Don move to Texas - his son wanted to play Texas high school football. And play football Ryan did! Starting both ways often on the line of scrimmage.

Since football has ended he has poured that same football commitment into his golf game. And boy has it improved over the last year.

Golf is a great game/sport, and it will have a lifelong impact on Ryan and his family.

Congratulations Ryan - have fun!

Tuco Visits Wolf Point Club

Who is Tuco Ramirez? Tuco is a 3.7 handicap who has been known to make double eagle and an ace in successive rounds. Tuco has seen 80+ of the World's Top 100 Golf courses. He has partied with the Foo Fighters and in 2008 he correctly predicted the rise of Gold and steep fall in the stock market.

What did Tuco think of Wolf Point?

"I've seen most of the top golf courses, modern and classic in the world. And Wolf Point is easily one of the top modern courses ever built in this bandito's humble opinion. Especially if one considers the mandate Nuzzo and Mahaffey were given and the amount of money spent, this isnt a layup or home run, this is a miracle course. For someone who loves links golf like myself, I can only envision the joy the owner of Wolf Point faces on a daily basis. Here he has a course that can play great in any wind, from any direction, not lose a ball yet play shots the way a shepard did across a lunar landscape in Scotland long ago."

"The 14th is perhaps my favorite hole. Again Mike has scattered bunkers through the landing zone on this 530ish par 5. Curiously, he also left a wonderful standout Texas Oak tree to guard the left side of the fairway. What may not be evident from this prospect is that Nuzzo did not build a simple green here for those even approaching with a wedge. The green appears to have taken the contours of the underbelly of a crab's exoskeleton -- it looked mean, nasty and sharp. The owner particularly loves the pin placements on this hole because of the challenge. I also loved putting them as Mahaffey has the surfaces at a perfect stimp for the contours."

"I really had to marvel at this golf course. Wolf Point was a shock to my system. It is beauty in its own way, like a perfectly timed bank robbery."

Don on #7

Don and I had a match recently. I had a 3 up lead until we got to #12. There is definitely a home field advantage. I haven't beaten Don or our client in too long!

I have to settle for good pictures of Don hitting out of our bunkers. At least this was a cool new angle on #7. This is the last hole we built, and it went through several changes - the end result is that it turned out very well - it gets high marks from both of us.

Resolution - See Wolf Point more in 2010

I love playing Wolf Point.
I didn't get down to play enough in 2009.
I hope to change that in 2010.
Prospective clients are welcome to join me.

We had a record drought in 2009 followed by extensive fall rains.
Don Mahaffey continues to do a great job.
I'm excited to think that the course will only get better as it matures past it's first season.

Above I'm escaping the 9th fairway bunker. I hit a great shot to the green, unfortunately it wasn't my first - the bunker is about 7 feet deep from the bottom.

Good luck for a prosperous 2010.
Cheers

The Most Natural Looking Golf Course I've Ever Seen

This year I haven't had many guests to Wolf Point - I sure do wish there were more. I have a great time playing every time I go down too!

A client/friend came to town to get some help with his master plan - non-golf portion.
We finished up quickly then headed down to play. He grew up outside New York City playing at Quaker Ridge Golf Club - a most excellent Tillinghast golf course, and has seen a lot of great courses since too. He is also a very tough critic.

"This is the most natural looking golf course I've ever seen. You should be very proud."

He can't wait to come back. Next time he should probably stay away from Infierno. I can't wait for him to come back too, I want to play Wolf Point more often this year.

Golf Course Architecture Magazine #16

Golf Course Architecture Magazine has recently launched an updated website. Fortunately they have also featured an article on Wolf Point that is also on the website.

Eagleman2

It only took one more round to see someone else hole out a shot for an eagle 2 - the last one by Don.
This one our guest hit a 6 iron from the big fairway bunker - pictured above - one hop or two right into the hole. Don and I were witnesses.
Our guests loved the course and sure had fun - even without that incredible shot.

Linksy

The 15th hole still looks docile to the new visitor. When Matt played, pictured above, the front pin looked very inviting. I told him to play a little short, and he wound up making one of his best swings of the day. Unfortunately it was a hair strong and the ball found the swale left of the green.  No birdie for you.

A comment from recent visitor:

“… it is very, very linksy in play terms. Huge width. Unbelievably firm and bouncy. Lots of small scale contour that dominates your thinking in play. It is without doubt the most ground-oriented course I have seen in the US, and frankly outside the Old Course I doubt you'd find anything more so. Windy too.”

Eagleman

We had Don and our client on the ropes in our match. We got to the 10th tee. We were playing a better ball match - remember Wolf Point is a match play course!

The 10th hole is a short reachable par 4 - down wind anyway - into the wind is a little bit of a stretch. The fairway is 70 yards wide. There are no bunkers. The lake protects the right side of the hole. If you play safe or miss away from the lake - where Don lay - the approach to the green is far more difficult than the middle of the fairway - where we lay.

Don would have been to the right of the above image with about 75 yards to the pin which was tucked up closer to the slope than above (the flag would be more towards the viewer/camera).

Basically we are way ahead. Don hits a two hopper that runs up against the green ridge - like a tight rope walker - 6 inches to the left and the ball would boomerang below the pin - 6 inches to the right it would have kicked further right. It falls right into the hole!

An amazing eagle!

Bruce + Infierno

I'll never tire of taking pictures of players in Infierno.

Today's victim is a fine player as was his opponent Matt, who did win 2 up.
The 5th green is in the distance. Bruce did get a little confused thinking it was a par 5.

Bruce really enjoyed being able to choose from lots of options, especially around the greens.  He had the honor on the 12th tee. His stance was quite different from his play so far, as was his swing. I was completely blown away by his choice of shot without any coaching. He hit the ideal shot I envisioned during design - that could get to a front pin. He hit a knock down 9 iron short and we watched it bump up over the false front and wind up around 8 feet from the pin. Matt was swearing that he missed it, but Bruce and I knew better.

It was ideal and not perfect as the 9 is a tiny bit too much loft - which is why I hit a soft, low 7 iron that landed just short of his target getting a little more roll past his and It cozied up to 2 ft. Nice birdie thank you very much.

Matt was most psyched to see our work in anticipation of what I could do for him one day soon.

Here they are on 17 green.
They made so many great comments about the course it is hard to remember them all....

Steve + Infierno

Steve got to meet Infierno first hand during his visit. He hit a great recovery to the right side of the green - the safe spot.

It is the first time I saw dormant grass at Wolf Point. It has been a very dry winter with a few frosts. I used to enjoy playing a local course when it was dormant because it was so much faster than during the summer. Not so here - Don keeps everything fast no matter the season - there wasn't a noticeable difference.

"With no doubt, the best ground game I have been on" - Steve

Thank you buddy.