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20 Golf Central • Volume 20, Issue 10 You know, there will be hundreds and hundreds of tributes, stories, and comments about Pete Dye’s passing, but the most amazing thing was how Pete lived his life. Alongside his “bride” Alice, they changed the very face of golf course architecture, and never really set out to. Even though they were 2 of golf’s Rock Stars, they remained humble, lived a simple life, and gave back so much to so many. Not only did they give back to the game of golf, they gave of their time for worthy causes, they gave financial resource to some not as fortunate, they helped young people get an education that they might not have had the opportunity to have otherwise. It is hard to put the life of Pete Dye into words. His comments were simple, yet profound, his time at French Lick Resort was invaluable, yet so unselfishly given, and his eye for golf course architecture was unmatched. We will always cherish our time with the Dyes, and it goes without saying, I know they loved and appreciated their time with everyone they came in contact with. “Drive-able par-4’s are not par 4’s” RIP Pete!

The infamous 18th hole on Harbour Town Golf Links and the iconic red and white lighthouse at The Sea Pines Resort site of the RBC Heritage. Photo courtesy of Sea Pines Resort/Rob Tipton

A true American original icon, there are as many classic Pete Dye stories as there are masterful designs. Several of my favorites originate on the South Carolina coast where Pete (and Alice) made a lasting legacy to the golf landscape. First up Harbour Town Golf Links in The Sea Pines Resort that has played host to the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage of Golf for over 50 years. Best known for its closing hole along the aptly named Calibogue Sound with the worldrenowned red and white candy-striped Pete Dye on the Carolina Coast A young Pete with his favorite design partner – his wife Alice on site at The Ocean Course

An aerial view of Pete’s Top 100 Course the Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Pete loved to create challenges at every turn including high grass at the Long Cove Club.

lighthouse as a backdrop, it’s the Par 3s there that Pete was the most proud of designing. If you ever had the privilege of hearing Pete speak about his craft in person, you know that he was immensely proud of Alice’s contributions to his efforts even crediting her as the inspiration for the infamous island hole at TPC Sawgrass. At Harbour Town I once heard Pete tell the story of how Alice was the real genius behind those devilish Par 3s. Alice, a superb golfer in her own right was also the driving force in making sure the yardages, tee boxes and overall design of Pete’s courses were as

Pete’s masterful closing holes at The Ocean Course, site of the “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup drama.

Golf Central • Volume 20, Issue 10 fair to the women as the men that play them. As only Pete could tell the story, he related how Alice made sure that her favorite ladies at their home club in Florida, Gulf Stream, would be able to easily reach the Par 3s both in yardage and with correct tee positioning. At Harbour Town Pete said , “Alice made sure every woman could make par and also insured it was impossible for anyone else.” A better Pete story occurred when he was working on neighboring private Long Cove Club. Pete was a hands-on designer – he knew how to move a bulldozer as well as a pencil and loved working in the dirt to see his masterpieces evolve. Along with Alice, his favourite design partner was his ever-present dog. So upon returning a rental car at the start of the project the car was a little worse for wear and covered inside and out with dirt – aka, Carolina mud. In horror the young man at the counter sought out his supervisor on what to do and what to charge Mr. Dye. The supervisor who knew Pete and his work ethic said, “Just put the car in the back, clean it out as best we can, and when Mr. Dye comes back in a couple of weeks, just give him that car, he’ll never notice.” And apparently he never did, he was much too concerned with the project than the condition of the car, a little different from many of today’s fly in-and-out celebrity designers. Up the coast, just outside of Charleston, at The Kiawah Island Resort is the famed Ocean Course, site of the 1991 Ryder Cup or more commonly known as “The War by the Shore.” This was the Ryder Cup that changed the event forever and it almost wasn’t held at the now famous venue. For the first time ever the future site of a Ryder Cup was announced for a course that hadn’t actually been built. Things were progressing nicely until Mother Nature intervened with 1989’s Hurricane Hugo. Devastating for the neighboring area, Hugo proved a blessing in the end for both the City of Charleston and the Ryder Cup. Kiawah suffered only a 3-foot tidal

Pete with long time friend and South Carolina PGA Pro Jim Ferree at Long Cove Club surge but that was enough to cut the island off from the mainland for a considerable amount of time. Sadly, I am not talented enough to write the story as funny as hearing Pete tell it in person. But the result was they could not access the island by road during a key period of construction. No worries. In typical down-to-earth Dye fashion, Pete loaded up a barge in neighboring Beaufort and bought in the equipment by boat. The isolation served an important purpose – no one could access the site to see what Pete was up to. So without pesky interference from local environmental authorities Pete went about building the fabulous links-style course he always envisioned and the rest is golf history. It was always a treat to spend time in the company of Pete and Alice their warmth and humor is missed but every time I tee it up on any of their courses I have fond memories and still chuckle at his telling of just how those designs came to be.

The Fort - 11th Tee

Back Home in Indiana

It’s not a stretch to say that the late, great, hall-of-fame golf course architect Pete Dye was the Donald Ross of his generation. Dye’s footprint on U.S. golf is prolific, just as Ross’ golfing ‘footprint’ remains on full display in the U.S. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus, himself a world-renowned golf course architect, is a big fan of Dye’s. “I think Pete Dye was the most creative, imaginative, and unconventional golf course designer that I have ever been around,” said the Golden Bear. While Dye’s most publicized project is probably the Stadium Course at the TPC in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the roots of his golf design genius are in Indiana. Dye’s first 18-hole creation was the Maple Creek Golf and Country Club – opened in 1961 and originally named the Heather Hills Golf and Country Club -- in Indianapolis. To honor Dye’s Indiana ties, The Pete Dye Trail was formed in the Hoosier state. It’s a seven-course trail: The Pete Dye Course (French Lick), Brickyard Crossing Golf Club (Indianapolis), The Fort Golf Course (Indianapolis), Maple Creek Golf & Country Club (Indianapolis), Tippecanoe Country Club (Monticello), and the Ackerman-Alan and Kampen courses at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (West Lafayette).

THE PETE DYE COURSE (French Lick) The Pete Dye Course (1082 Taggart Lane, West Baden, Indiana) was built on top of the surrounding hills in southern Indiana. Many adjectives have been used to describe The Pete Dye Course -- breathtaking, dramatic, and exciting, to name a few.

When you arrive at the clubhouse, it’s Indiana’s second-highest elevation point, with the best views of any vantage point in the Midwest. It’s a 360-degree view of the surrounding Hoosier National Forest. From many parts of this golf course, you can see 30-40 miles in every direction. When Pete Dye built this course, he wanted to give golfers a panoramic view of southern Indiana. “As I built the golf course, I tried to get the tees, the fairways, and the greens in position that they have these long views over the valleys and hills,” stated Dye. “The ambience of the course is the look, the vistas from all the different tees, greens and fairways.” FYI: The hilltop peak, where The Pete Dye Course clubhouse stands, is Mt. Airie -- 972 feet high.

BRICKYARD CROSSING (Indianapolis) The Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, a Pete Dye re-design, is named in honor of its famous sporting neighbor, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Golf at Brickyard Crossing (4400 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana; www. brickyardcrossing.com; 317-492-6417) is

Tippecanoe

a blend of golf and motor sports. This golf course sits inside and outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brickyard Crossing has 14 holes situated on the outskirts of the Speedway and four holes that are located within the infield of the Racing Capital of the World. To reach those four infield holes, you drive your golf cart through a tunnel which is under the actual race track. On many holes, the Speedway’s grandstands are always lurking in the

background, but they never impact play. FYI: Every pin is a black-and-white checkered flag with the logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway sewn across the flag.

THE FORT (Indianapolis) The Fort Golf Course (6002 North Post Road, Indianapolis,

had also re-designed portions of the front nine. Dye’s re-design remains as relevant today as it was back in 1963. “Our golf course features a few risk-andreward holes, a number of old trees, and is a well-designed layout by Pete Dye. It’s just a beautiful golf course,” stated head golf professional John Alexander. FYI: Tippecanoe is considered one of Indiana’s finest layouts.

26 Golf Central • Volume 20, Issue 10 Indiana; www.thefortgolfcourse.com; 317-543-9597) is considered one of the finest public golf courses in Indiana. “The Fort is a very enjoyable golf course and very secluded, yet only 25 minutes from downtown Indianapolis,” said John Swan, head golf professional at The Fort. “Our course is surrounded by the Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, so there are no residential homes on the course.” Originally called the Fort Harrison Officers Club and Golf Course, this golf course was re-designed by Pete Dye and his associate Tim Liddy in 1998. The course was then re-named The Fort. Their work has generated words of praise: “awesome” and “the best course for money in Indy.” FYI: In December 2018, Golf Advisor listed The Fort as first under the “Top 25 Courses for Layout in the U.S.” In that same list, Bethpage Black was second. MAPLE CREEK (Indianapolis)

The Maple Creek Golf and Country Club, originally opened as Heather Hills Golf and Country Club in 1961, is an 18- hole layout was created by Pete Dye and his wife, Alice. Today, the Maple Creek (10501 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, Indiana; 317-894-3343; www.maplecreekgc. com) features small tees and greens, narrow fairways lined with mature trees and natural long grass areas. A creek winds its way through the front nine. FYI: Maple Creek’s website states this course is “A shot maker’s course that cannot be overpowered.” TIPPECANOE (Monticello)

The Tippecanoe Country Club (3267 NW Shafer Drive, Monticello, Indiana; www.tippicanoecc. com; 574-583-9977) is one of the oldest and most treasured attractions in northern Indiana. This golf course – first opened in 1920 and designed by Roy Robertson -- originally had nine holes. Since then, the Tippecanoe CC has been updated. The most significant change took place in 1963. A young Pete Dye was hired to add nine holes to the golf course. Dye poured his heart and soul into the project. Upon completion, Dye had designed the back nine and BIRCK BOILERMAKER GOLF COMPLEX (in West Lafayette)

The Purdue University golf teams play and practice on two nationally respected golf courses – AckermanAllen and Kampen -- both located at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (1300 Cherry Lane, West Lafayette, Indiana; www. purduegolf.com; 765-494-3139). “It’s not often that you get to play golf at a university and play two of the best courses in Indiana. Not only that, but the two are Pete Dye-designed courses,” said head golf professional Daniel Ross. “Ackerman-Allen is a parkland-style course. Kampen is a links style.” Opened in 1934, the Ackerman-Allen Course (originally the South Course) was originally designed by Bill Diddle. In 2015-2016, Dye redesigned this 18- hole, par-72 layout. “Pete Dye took an already good golf course (Ackerman-Allen) and turned it into an incredibly fun and truly enjoyAckerman - 2nd Hole Kampen - 18th Hole

able golf course,” added Ross. The Kampen (originally the North Course) is every bit the equal of Ackerman-Allen. Dye’s redesign efforts on Kampen started in 1996. He had two main goals: firstly, create a course that would challenge and excite top collegiate golfers and, secondly, create an atmosphere of learning for Purdue’s students. At Kampen, Dye worked alongside course superintendent Jim Scott and 32 Purdue students. One of their projects was to build a water reclamation project. Thankfully, all water used on Kampen is recycled. “As a person who calls Indiana home, I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to build two of the finest university golf courses in the country at Purdue,” said Dye. FYI: Both courses have hosted the NCAA (golf) Championships and Kampen has a natural celery bog.

Pete Dye and Bobby Weed

Bobby Weed Golf Design sends its sincere condolences to the family of Pete Dye, legendary golf course designer, who died Jan. 9 at age 94. Bobby Weed’s professional relationship and close personal friendship with Dye, his wife, Alice, and sons, PB and Perry Dye, extended through decades.

Weed reflected:

I first met Pete in the 1970s at Amelia Island Plantation. That was the start of a 45-year relationship. We built Long Cove together in 1981, and I’ve been building golf courses ever since. I can hardly approve a feature without feeling Pete’s influence. Pete was always ahead of his time. How many golf course designers could that be said about? As much of a legacy as his courses will be, the impact he had on those fortunate enough to work with him may be more enduring. The stories and memories are plentiful but seem insufficient. We all have someone who took hold of us and set us on life’s path, maybe without our even knowing it. For me, that was Pete. Everything I hold dear in golf took root from my relationship with him. Not bad for someone who lived to be half of 188!

Legendary Lifestyle

Legends don’t make tee times and neither will you There’s a reason Gary Player chose Boca Grove to be his first American home and it’s not just because he made history here.

– Inaugural –Winter Park Hickory Classic 2020

OK. Close your eyes for a few minutes. Picture yourself on the first tee of the Winter Park Country Club in 1914 when the club and course were founded. Hear the puttering of a 1910 Ford Model T, a 1904 gasoline powered Studebaker or a 1909 Hudson. Now open your eyes, hitch your knickerbockers just like Arnold Palmer hitched his pants, and look around at your foursome in their “plus fours” with their hickory shafted drivers, cleeks, jiggers, or mashies get- ting ready to tee it up on the first hole of the WP9 and walk the par 35, 2480 yard track. This inaugural event was the idea of Bill Geisler, the past president of the Society of Hickory Golfers who plays the course at least three times a week with his hickory shafts. There is a group that normally plays once a week with their hickory shafted weapons and if anyone in interested in playing with hickory, contact the Winter Park 9 on Park Avenue in Winter Park. While the club was founded in 1914 and designed by architects Dow George and Harley Ward, in 2014 the Florida Department of State founded the Florida Historic Golf Trail at a ceremony at the WP9 and in 2016 golf course architects, Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns did a complete redo of the course. They changed greens, cut down trees and there is now no rough (which is especially appreciated by some of us seniors) but believe me it is still a chal- lenging course. Whatever you do, don’t duck hook it on the par 5- 4th hole, 495 yard dog leg left around the cemetery. You’ll die there. After crossing Park and New York Avenues, you can watch the commuter train Sun Rail go back and forth between Deland and south Orlando. So, grab or borrow your hickory shafted clubs and go for a nice walk. Keeping score is not required – just enjoy the experience.