We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro Course as well as other Coore/Crenshaw designs to be featured
Each year the team of course raters, editors and managers responsible for putting together “Golfweek’s Best” gather to honor the lifework of a particular golf course architect. In 2015, they will turn their attention to the design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who created the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.
“We are very honored to host the architecture forum,” said Matt Barr, general manager of We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. “After watching them in action during the Saguaro Course project, it’s no wonder why they’ve become so successful. Their design philosophy, professionalism and hands-on attention to detail are just a few of the attributes that have served them well.”
Over the last thirty years, Coore and Crenshaw have transformed the face of the American – and International – golf scene. They made their mark most prominently with the naturalistic, scratched-out-the-ground design of Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska. The course opened to rave reviews, earning the No. 1 position on the inaugural Golfweek’s Best Top-100 Modern list in 1997 and has remained there ever since.
Many of their other courses also appear on the list: Friars Head (No. 3); Bandon Trail (No. 21); Streamsong-Red (No. 30); Colorado Golf Club (No. 33); Kapalua-Plantation (No. 52); Hidden Creek (No. 64); Cuscowilla (No. 71); Clear Creek (No. 76); and Austin Golf Club (NO. 98).
Their work has also made an impact in Australia and Asia, with Lost Farms in Tasmania and Shanqin Bay on Hainan Island, China showcasing the ability of low-impact, design-in-the field techniques to achieve powerful results that draw international attention. Their Cabot Cliffs project in Nova Scotia, officially opening in 2016, is already turning heads.
The goal of this three-day gathering will be to experience, discuss and honor their design work. The event includes golf at two Coore/Crenshaw designs located in The Valley: Talking Stick’s North Course in Scottsdale and We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro Course in Fort McDowell.
Accommodations and all meetings will be held at We-Ko-Pa Resort and Casino.
Among the participants committed to attending include:
• Bill Coore, golf course architect
• Ben Crenshaw, golf course architect
• Ken Bakst, owner/developer of Friar’s Head in New York
• Ben Cowan-Dewar, owner/developer of Cabot Link & Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia
• Mike Keiser, owner/developer of Bandon Dunes Resort, Org.
• Rich Mack, v.p. for Mosaic Corp. and project manager for Streamsong Resort in Florida
• Dick Youngscap, owner/developer of Sand Hills Golf Club in Nebraska
Preliminary schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 15
• Golf at Talking Stick-North
• Dinner
• Panel presentation on Coore & Crenshaw in the Evolution of Course Design
Monday, Nov. 16
• Golf at We-Ko-Pa Saguaro Course
• Afternoon session: Working with Coore & Crenshaw
• Dinner
• Q&A with Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw
Tuesday, Nov. 17
• Morning session: Lessons from their designs
2015 Golfweek Architecture Summit Honoring Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, visit the Registration Site here
