[George Pazin]

Kelly has graciously agreed to be the next victim...and the timing is ripe, as he will be in my neck of the woods this weekend. Should anyone have any problems with him, I can take the matter up in person...

I've always enjoyed Kelly's blunt style on this site, and his written pieces on here and in Paul Daley's Golf Architecture tomes have struck a chord as well. I'm quite embarrassed that I haven't made it out to the eastern part of PA to enjoy one of his courses, but that will surely be corrected if I can ever pry off my ankle tracker.

Kelly's site: http://www.kellyblakemoran.com/

Kelly's piece on Augusta: A Framework for Considering Changes to Augusta National Golf Club

Fire away!

-----

On Deck: Joe Hancock

Scott Warren

Jordan Wall

John Moore

Jason Topp

Brian Phillips

Full list of participants:

Click here

[Tony_Muldoon]

Surely KBM and GMBF are the most stylinsh members of this forum?

Kelly front left


I got to play an afternoon round of Foursomes agianst Kelly in the GCA day at Muirfield. I noticed him at lunch perfectly attired, Jacket, Tie and Cowboy Boots.

Kelly please share us an anecdote or two about Bob Von Hagge, you spoke warmly of him that day.

[JLahrman]

Kelly,

Does Lloyd Cole ever confuse you with Kelly Joe Phelps?

And more seriously, I noticed that you have done several courses in South America.  What do you think the effect of Brazil hosting Olympic golf will be?  Based on your experience, is the continent at a stage, both economically and from a general interest level, to be a growth area for the game?

[Brian Phillips]

Kelly,

1.  What is it like losing to a golfer from Norway, twice I might add?

2.  I loved Lederach, has it picked you up any contracts?

3.  Do you wish it was private?

4.  Still married to that beautiful woman I met last time I was over?

[Matt_Ward]

Just as a quick comment / re: Kelly.

For years the State of Pennsylvania was blessed (is that the right word?) for the low level parade of woeful public courses. Kelly changed that dynamic with the ascension of Morgan Hill (sorry to all your walk-a-holics it's a cart course) and for what he did in nearby Hawleysville with Lederach. Now I have two good reasons to cross the Delaware for quality public course options.

[Sean_A]

Kelly

Talk me through what you were thinking with Lederach's 11th?  I have gone over this hole many times and I can't get my head around it.

Ciao

[Matt_Ward]

Kelly:

Since we are on the subject of one's thinking -- can you outline what decision you had to face in creating the 17th at Morgan Hill.

One last question -- do you see the 18th at Morgan Hill as a letdown hole ?

thanks ...

[George Pazin]

Standard questions apply:

What drew you to golf?

Architecture?

This site?

[Anthony Gray]

  Kelly,

  i know very little about ypu so let's start with the basics.

  How old are you?

  Where are you from?

  Have you played Cruden Bay?

  How did yio become a GCA member?

  Occupation?

  Where do you live?

  Thanks for playing Kelly.

  Anthony

 

[John Foley]

Kelly,

How many iterations did Morgan Hill go through before you got the final routing?

Are you happy with the end result or do you wish you had the ability to change anything now that it has been open for awhile?

What older course gives you the most inspiration?

What architect do you admire or wish you knew more about?
 

[Kyle Harris]

Sean,

I am forever befuddled by the absolute rejection of the 11th at Lederach (and it's pretty widespread). The play on the hole is incredibly simple if the golfer is simply able to take the shot in front of him and not try to create too much from the next shot while on the tee. It should be painfully obvious that going down the right side is not the play. But for whatever reason, the golfer cannot seem to understand that sometimes the architect puts in too much risk to make the shot worth it.

I think the concept would fit quite well in a play like North Berwick.

[Kyle Harris]

Kelly,

I'd like to hear a little bit about the current project at Heritage Creek. How you came to be able to design a sub-6000 yard golf course and how that design has evolved since you first got the project.

Now that 6 holes are open and usually very busy - do you see a market for smaller 6-12 hole courses?

[Steve Lapper]

Kelly,

   Is it true you are warped just enough to demand to see pictures of little children dressed in Longhorn-Orange garb as a means of payment for a losing wager???
 

[Lou_Duran]

KBM,

What courses did you work on for BvH?

Of his courses, which are your favorites?

Do you consider his use of mounds to create interesting shadows an integral part of gca, or more artistic in the sense of "eye candy"?

Are you at liberty to discuss the relative roles of BvH and Bruce Devlin in their practice?

In a nutshell, what are the two or three things you try to accomplish in your design work?

[Joe Bausch]

I'd like to pass along a message from Mike Cirba:

"Kelly and I have had our differences over the past few years, but I've played a lot of courses and I'd just like to contribute two thoughts;
 
1) I never thought anyone could build a goood golf course on a piece of land as severely sloped as Morgan Hill, and
 
2) Lederach is the most daring and boldest golf course architecture I've seen built in the past 20 years.
 
If this freaking recession puts artists like KBM out of the game, then golf really is the loser.
 
Thanks for letting me add 2 cents to this thread."

[mike_malone]

 I hope you aren't offended when I say you are wacky. That's the way I feel after playing your greens. I think if people have been overseas they can better appreciate your skills. I love your architecture. It seems be more creative than extensively thought out. Am I offbase with that observation?

[Sean_A]

Kelly

Talk me through what you were thinking with Lederach's 11th?  I have gone over this hole many times and I can't get my head around it.

Ciao

It is difficult to go back to the beginning when I first saw the site for the hole. It is an attempt to do something with a sharp doglegged right hole that is not conventional. The basis is upon examining the various lines of play from the tee and providing very different experiences from which to approach the green. Straight away if you play 180 to 200 yards you have an open view of the green but a long approach shot. Play the tee straight away 240+ yards you are actually above the green, and I believe have a somewhat shorter approach to the green, clear view of the green. Anything in between straightaway and you have a blind shot. Now any line toward the green to the narrow fairway can be played with a shorter club, say a 2 or 3 iron for a good player to a very narrow fairway and you are left with a short approach shot. If you want to make certain you reach the fairway you could overcook the tee shot and put it into the rough beyond the fairway and have a very short shot to the green, but from a difficult lie. And, some big hitters go have a go at the green, I witnessed the general manager do this with success, but the penalty for a stray shot can be severe, mainly lost ball in the junk. So because of the land features, the sharp angle of the hole, I wanted to open up a myriad of angles from which to attack the tee shot, but each angle gave a different lie, yardage, site from which to approach the green. Pictures of the tee shot follow and there is a picture of the green site, although it is very old, at the time of grow-in so the turf does not look normal.




Plan of the 11th hole


Hole 11 Tee shot




Approach to 11 green from the narrow fairway; picture taken during growin.

Kelly

Cheers.  A few more questions about the 11th.

1. Did you have to build the hill blocking the view of the green from the left fairway? 

2. What gave you the idea to build a front to back green?  This is perhaps my favourite green on the course.

Now, onto the 9 & 18th.  If you had to do it again, would you have shaped the holes differently?  Maybe toned down a bit?

It seems to me that you have created an incredible set of greens which are VERY varied.  Did you purposely have this in mind.  Were there any greens you used as models for Lederach?

Ciao

[Steve Lapper]

Kelly,

   Is it true you are warped just enough to demand to see pictures of little children dressed in Longhorn-Orange garb as a means of payment for a losing wager???
 

Steve,

LOL.....Picture on the way!!!!

The world would be a better place if more children wore Burnt Orange. It pains me to see little kids in colors like Notre Dame, they seem unsure of themselves, bitter, constantly make excuses, overall just unhappy and unstable.

Actually, you wanted to bet $1000 on the UT-USC game and instead all I asked was for a picture of your newborn in the burnt orange onesy I bought for her. You never produced the picture so send the CASH!

[JC Jones]

KBM,

I just moved to Naples Florida and I hate "Florida Golf."  From what I am told, your course down here, The Hideout, deviates from the norm (and I mean that in a good way).

Can you explain your philosophy with the course, what type of site you had to work with and how much manipulation you had to do?

[Dan Boerger]

Kelly - I do the Florida golf thing with buddies somewhat frequently, often on the west coast. The course I most look forward to is The Hideout. I really enjoy how you use the natural terrain, particularly as a visual hazard off the tee. If you don't mind, can you comment on the 9th, specifically the use of the trees 100 yards out? Thanks in advance!

[JC Jones]

Kelly - I do the Florida golf thing with buddies somewhat frequently, often on the west coast. The course I most look forward to is The Hideout. I really enjoy how you use the natural terrain, particularly as a visual hazard off the tee. If you don't mind, can you comment on the 9th, specifically the use of the trees 100 yards out? Thanks in advance!

Great minds, Dan

[TEPaul]

If you guys think you are going to figure out where Kelly Blake Moran is coming from with his architecture I think you're going to be disappointed because I don't think Kelly Blake Moran even knows where he's coming from sometimes with his architecture and that is precisely why I've always like him, his attitude and his approach to architecture! 

[Brian Phillips]

If you guys think you are going to figure out where Kelly Blake Moran is coming from with his architecture I think you're going to be disappointed because I don't think Kelly Blake Moran even knows where he's coming from sometimes with his architecture and that is precisely why I've always like him, his attitude and his approach to architecture! 

Shit, imagine a night over a bottle of wine with you two! That is scary.

[Dan Boerger]

JC - Great minds indeed! I hope you get to The Hideout soon ... it's a really wonderful course.

[TEPaul]

"Shit, imagine a night over a bottle of wine with you two! That is scary."


Oh horsehit, Brian, that wouldn't be scary at all. But a night over about six bottles of wine might be! And I must admit, and sadly, that I have never been able to reprise that wonderful old fashioned spirit of "flask" architecture to anywhere near the degree I once hoped I would be able to.
 

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