On Course

ELEMENTARY, WATSON!

The Manor Golf & Country Club Alpharetta, GA

On the initial walk-through, we got lost,” says course designer and 39-time PGA Tour winner Tom Watson of his first day on what would become The Manor golf course. “It was such a rough-and-tumble piece of property, and it was a cloudy day. I remember getting turned around between the eventual 17th green and 18th tee.”

And to hear Tom tell the story of his Alpharetta design, it’s been all up- and downhill ever since. “Be prepared for playing a variety of elevations—a lot of beautiful downhill shots. But you’re going to have to manage the uphill,” says the eight-time major winner. “I think the most difficult shot in golf is the uphill shot.”

Nevertheless Tom admits that he likes to narrow up the landings for the uphill shots because there’s less time for the ball to go offline. He’ll also admit he loves driving it downhill, especially on the second and ninth holes. But mostly he hopes players experience whimsy, challenge and a wonderful ride while playing The Manor’s 7,177 yards (from, naturally, the Tom Watson tees).

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RUSSELL KIRK / GOLFLINKSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM The 10th hole

I really don’t like a ball that’s lost in a hazard or a lost ball. We golfers, including me, hit the ball sideways. We worked on 350-foot widths because we wanted players to be able to find the ball even if when it’s not in the fairway.” This strategy, Tom explains, comes from beloved architect Alister MacKenzie, who said in his book on architecture that the loss of a golf ball should be avoided at all costs. Adds Tom, jokingly, “Of course he was a Scotsman and very thrifty.”

Tom eschews the idea of a signature hole. “People always ask a designer, ‘What’s your signature hole?’ or ‘What do you do differently than other people on a golf course?’ But I let the land tell me what to do,” he says. “A lot of it has to do with the prevailing winds. I try to design the four par-3s and the four par-5s going in all different directions on the compass. The wind is the major factor in playing golf.”

For Tom Watson, the goal is finding the right balance of challenge and confidence that adds up to fun. “There are certain shots that you know that when you play the golf course are going to be tough, but most should be in the framework where you think, ‘Yeah, I can play this shot.’”

MANOR VIEW The 5th green.

THE MANOR COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY: FUN FOR ALL.”

—TOM WATSON