[Ran Morrissett]

Having gone ‘live’ in 1999, the end of 2018 marks a twenty-year wrap, which begs the question: Did GolfClubAtlas.com achieve anything meaningful?

I think so, based largely on feedback from YOU, such as a handwritten note received over the summer, which read, in part: ‘Through GCA and friendships I’ve made, you have changed my golf life – immeasurably for the better. We are lucky to have you fighting for what matters. Without GCA, I may never have visited England for golf, and thus found the best place in the world. My dream is to retire there,and play 3 hr rounds with mates and our dogs. That, to me, would be heaven.’ WELL – that about says it all and I do think that the conversation is shifting to what truly matters in golf.

Do you look at courses differently today than 10 or 20 years ago? If so, why? Personally speaking, I always seek to find new and different ways to appreciate good and bad design. My latest pet thing is examining bunkers for traffic. Bunkers with no disturbed sand may serve some purpose (framing, indication of line, contrast, etc.) but if golf balls don’t land in them, I can’t be a fan of man-made contrivances that don't impact play. Shockingly few bunkers see activity at my local, Southern Pines CC. With 39 bunkers, it isn’t a heavily bunkered course but 21 of the 39 show no traffic after a busy weekend. I wonder where, in addition to Huntercombe, Woking, and The Sacred Nine, are the most ‘intelligently’ bunkered courses? Define it how you might but I require a bunker to see action to earn its keep. The course that has surprised me the most is California Golf Club of San Francisco, which is heavily bunkered and the vast majority see regular action. That impresses me - bunkers need to be where people go. Point being, there are always ways to look at courses with a ‘fresh set of eyes.’
 
What should the next twenty years hold for this web site? You tell me. As a mature site we run the risk of complacency and we don’t need to repeat what we have already covered. Moving forward, what should we do differently? Should the monthly interviews be podcasts, for instance? Start an Instagram page? Though page views were up, signs of staleness exist. The ever-youthful  Mike Cirba was the only person to submit articles for publication in 2018. 208 people donated, more than in 2017 but well off the highwater mark of 313 back in 2014.
 
Structural changes on the site have been few and far between and that reflects my bias that golf doesn’t need to be dolled up to be rewarding. I am old-fashioned and not so technology-oriented. When I ask someone to name their favorite book read in the past month, I often get looks like I do (in America) when I ask if I can carry my own golf bag.  I don’t know of other web sites like GolfClubAtlas (niche, high traffic, non-commercial) so I don’t have benchmarks to compare their progress. A friend did note that a certain, famous political web site had never changed its basic format and that people still head there in droves to get their daily/weekly fill of its ever changing content.
 
GolfClubAtlas has become a monster depository for information but importantly it’s a community of passionate people. The better the behavior, the more conducive the atmosphere for meaningful debate. Recently a few long threads devolved into nothing but personal attacks – that’s a huge waste. Petty sniping is boring and drives thoughtful people away from the site while simultaneously ruining otherwise interesting topics. Talk about 0 for 3. 

Chris Buie shares this pertinent gem of a Donald Ross quote: 'Now, golf is a fine game, it has been my relaxation and my livelihood since I was a little shaver in Scotland. But when the game of golf becomes so all-important and feverish and holier than anything else in life, then parents might do worse than turn their young careerists over their knees and administer an old-fashioned spanking.' Zealots have come - and gone - on this site and we will accomplish far more if people bring civility to the discourse. Personally, I see an increased flexibility in people’s views. For instance, there has been a humongous change in how Machrihanish Dunes and The Bridge are perceived. Open mindedness is quite refreshing and always welcome here, as a poster who listens and learns is far more valuable over time than one that is dogmatic.
 
As we have cleaned up our house, more people are tuning in. Statistics say unique users were up 17% last year to 212,000. There were 1.1 million sessions, 40% more than 2017. The bounce rate was well down and the average session duration rose by 77%. All good stuff, assuming that we stay on-point.  We are developing a summary posting principles and will release it before The Masters. It will remind us what we should - and shouldn’t - be posting. The purpose of the site is to promote a meaningful discussion of golf course architecture. Hence, if you can’t further the discussion, then being a poster isn't for you (though you can still read everything, attend all the events, etc.).

Several years ago, we said we would archive 50,000 threads. I have deleted thousands of threads over the years and as far as I know, no one has complained about missing a single one. If threads aren’t going to be re-visited and brought back for further discussion, they need not be archived. We’re after meat, not fat, and we are after those who generate content that people want to devour. There are almost 1800 registered posters and that number can go up or down as needed.
 
Brother John and I never imagined that this site would enjoy such global reach back in 1998 when we started to assemble material. Even more surprising is that it would become a ‘brand.’ For those interested in sporting a GolfClubAtlas logo shirt or performance zip, please contact Jason Yip at State Apparel in San Francisco on 415-244-4145. I just had a few grey and navy ones made. The performance material is high quality and by some miracle, even Jay Mickle looks sharp and on-point wearing one  . Jason is offering a GCA logo shirt for $75 plus shipping and performance zips for $105 plus shipping. These prices are reduced 15% from regular pricing.
 
Thanks, as always, to Joe Andriole for his editing prowess and to Chris Buie who assembles all the material added to the site. Speaking of Chris, he is a big admirer of the term ‘genius loci’. He wonders who is sticking up for the simpler pleasures of the game when he reads about plans to maul over the Golden Age public courses in Chicago and Washington DC for the sake of hosting PGA events. Golf needs all the friends it can get and I sincerely hope GolfClubAtlas is one such friend. Otherwise, Joe, Chris, Ben and I have wasted thousands of hours. More than 1/3 of my life is wrapped up in GolfClubAtlas, so I am all-in for what is best.
 
The Feature Interview section got off to a flying start yesterday with one from my favorite country for golf. Two architects have their questions and are working on their responses for the February and March interviews and I am working on a profile for a course among the 147 Custodians to be posted late this month. 2019 is off to a grand beginning and we hope to build on the momentum of the first twenty years.
 
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT RUN.

[Jeff Schley]

Here, here!  Great run and more to come. When you are growing you are having a bigger influence, the resources maintained here are some of the best anywhere and could be compiled into books, due to all the knowledgeable posters on here.  I hope I'm still here for another 20 years.  Very humbled and proud to be a tiny part of the community.

[Neil Regan]

Ran,


There is no doubt that the first 20 years have had a great good influence on Golf Course Architecture.
You have helped to re-root the golf world in its native soil.
The next 20 years will, I am sure, produce a myriad of successful stories of new, restored, and revitalized courses around the world which will trace their own roots back to here.


It would be impossible to catalogue the so many ways you have earned the respect and gratitude of so many.
Please accept a simple thank you for everything.

[Greg Smith]

Time flies sooooo fast...  I am amazed that it's been 20 years.  I haven't been a poster all that long, but I've been a reader since the early days.

IMO, GCA is the best "force for good" in the game.  It's also the only place I can go in my life where people will actually (and appropriately) use the term "genius loci"!

[Thomas Dai]

I could ramble on for ages but four words will suffice.....well done and thank you.
Atb

[Mike Sweeney]

The "147 Custodians" was a great addition to the site. Moving forward maybe there could be a similar "147 Old School/Niche Playing Grounds" along the lines of the conversation from the "Shrink the Game" thread:


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66699.0.html

"I love the intimate strategies of golf on 110 acres. The fun around the practice area. Playing 54 holes and more in one day. Golf does not need to be big. We need 6 hole golf courses, 9 hole courses, 12 hole courses, 5,500 yard courses. But they must be clever, interesting, engaging and FUN."

First nomination for Skyway Golf Course: https://www.skywaygolfcourse.com

[Tommy Williamsen]

      Ran, thanks for the opportunity to grow in my understanding of what makes a good golf course. I have changed my mind on many things. Among them is “width is a good thing” and “tree-lined holes don’t necessarily make for good golf.” I have been a GOLF DIGEST panelist for 26 years and this site has made be better at rating courses.
It was fun to do a “My Home Course” as “In My Opinion” used to be called. My photo essay on Ballyhack continues to be one of the most viewed threads on the site, with 344 Replies 29010 Views.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59848.0.html
My profile says that I have spent 51 days, 8 hours, and 46 minutes on the site! I have made friends and have discovered courses I never would have played because of this site. Above all, this has been fun. I do miss some of the posters who left. While they could get animated periodically, our site is poorer because they left.
I find myself going back to the interviews and “Courses by Country” occasionally. They are a bonus and I always learn something.
I know the next twenty years will be even better than the first twenty.
 

[Morgan Clawson]

Ran, 

Thank you for hosting our far flung group of golf architecture students.  It's a great community to belong to!

[John Mayhugh]

 Ran,
 
I haven’t been around for the whole twenty years, but have certainly benefited immensely from Golf Club Atlas. It has been a delight to read your course profiles and those of forum contributors like Arble & Rowlinson. As a result, I’ve seen courses I might never have even heard of otherwise. My knowledge and playing experiences have increased over the years, thanks largely to the generosity of people on this site. I don’t know that my own tastes have changed all that much, but I know far better what I like, why I like it, and most importantly – where to find courses that interest me.
 
Sometimes I wonder what my golf life would have been like had I not stumbled across this site looking for photos of Yale. I had played Yale for the first time in 1990, and it made an indelible impression on me. But between then and 2003 or so, I had played very few courses that resonated with me. Then I discovered Golf Club Atlas and the repository of information and the network of people with overlapping interests. This includes current posters, those that are registered and rarely post, those that read and have never posted, those that left GCA, and those that have left us. I have friends in every one of those categories.
 
Looking at the Contributions page, there are five people listed that have passed away: George Bahto, Tiger Bernhardt, Bob Huntley, Bill McBride, & Scott Wood. I had the pleasure of spending time with each of them, especially Bob, Bill, & Scott. I am grateful that this site allowed us to meet and become friends, and running across their old posts sometimes makes me smile. The discussion group allows them to stay with us in some small way. I’m all for pruning away junk threads if it improves the chances of running across wisdom from past discussions. But hopefully we won’t lose what they contributed just because no one has commented on that thread for some time.
 
What needs to change for the future? On the discussion group, I can think of two things to make it better. More searchability options for the discussion group would be great. Some of those old threads could come to life but they aren’t necessarily easy to find. Also local photo hosting would be fantastic. I realize that there are reasons for not doing this, but how nice it would be for a photo tour links to be stable, and not subject to photobucket or its ilk changing policies.

 
An instagram page is a good idea. I think people like Andy Johnson are reaching a broader audience through photos. Maybe some just look at the photos and move on, but there’s a level of interest and enthusiasm for golf architecture out there. And you definitely have the photos to do this. Imagine posting a couple of your photos of Huntercombe’s greens along with a link to the course profile. I cannot see how anyone could resist going to GCA to see and learn more.
 
Podcasts are great, but don’t move too far away from the written stuff. You’re too good at it.
 
Thanks for the time that you, Ben, Joe, & Chris devote to this. I can promise you it’s not wasted.
 

[Ira Fishman]

I am still a relative Rookie on GCA.com so my views should be taken with a grain of salt. At a personal level, the GCA ecosystem has been transformative. Woking, Golspie, Brora. No way I would ever otherwise experienced those courses. Next year Kilspindie and Elie. Looking at and appreciating old favorites Mid Pines and Pine Needles through new and improved lenses.


I truly appreciate the patience and generosity of the people here who explain issues and offer suggestions to me as a novice. That is particularly true of the Professional Architects, Superintendents, and Shapers on topics ranging from routing to drainage to grass varieties. But it also is true of fellow golfers who I probably will never meet who give detailed recommendations on courses to play and perhaps OT
issues like restaurants, equipment, and work outs.


And the diverse perspectives from all over the world plus the analogies to other sports, arts, and music are mentally stimulating and educational.


Going forward, I agree that improving the search function would be a major practical improvement.


At a more macro level, I would hope that we can find more ways to encourage and enable more women to post regularly. It is a voice(s) of enormous importance as GCA.com pursues its mission over the next 20 years.


Thanks again for including me.


Ira

[Terry Lavin]

I can’t think of another online site that has provided as much edification and socialization as this. I’ve enjoyed my roughly 17 year association, especially the many times I’ve introduced a gca poster thusly: “We met online, but not on Match!”

[Scott Warren]

Happy 20th anniversary, Ran!


I am pretty sure this month marks my 10-year anniversary on the site.


Which makes it 10 years next month since a thread I started on GCA.com looking for ideas for a links golf birthday weekend led to me joining Royal Cinque Ports thanks to the incredible generosity of a GCAer.


And 10 years in June since a gathering at Painswick organised on GCA led me to begin my friendships with Sean Arble, Robin Hiseman and James Boon. Along with others I met at the Buda Cup the same year, we are all getting together in Fife for a few days this May to renew bonds, six years on from our last get-together (living 17,000km away again has its downsides).


The friendships and experiences the site has given me in the intervening decade are far too many to list. My life is unquestionably richer for having found this website.


I've never seen "it" paid forward as much as on this site, and now I'm in the position to do so, I try to pay forward as much as I can, because I know the guys who enabled me to play great courses don't need or want to be paid back -- indeed a handful said to me as I gushed about how grateful I was "don't look for ways to pay me back, just make sure when your time comes you pay it forward as well". That's the best of people at work and I've been blessed by it repeatedly.


The site architecture itself is a bit tired after all these years. I don't think it needs bells and whistles, but where there are improvements and upgrades that would improve the experience of either posting or consuming content, I think it would be worthwhile to look at them.


One example would be how the site appears and performs on mobile devices. It's where I do most of my web browsing these days and I'd probably participate more if the site was easier to use on mobile. Pictures not resizing to screen width on the DG (the way they do for the course profiles and IMO pieces) and the Courses by Country index page being a bit dodgy on mobile.


I like the idea of a GCA Instagram and Twitter account more actively sharing pics and thoughts about courses, especially at topical times when they have changes made or are hosting events. Likewise Ran's takes on major championship set-ups or identifying the ways good architecture comes into play during tournaments. Having those there in "real time" during a tournament - especially on Twitter - is a great way to evangelise to golfers who might be interested in architecture but don't know it yet.


One of the things people often note of this site and topic in explaining regular posters fading away is "we've had all these conversations before", but the way a course plays during a big event -- for good or for bad -- provides a new jumping-off point to discuss merits, shortcomings, preferences and pet hates.


Here's to another great 20 years and thank you to all who maintain the site for their work.

[Mark Mammel]

I'm happy to say I found GCA a long time ago, though I have mostly read and kept quiet! GCA is an amazing resource and opportunity for those of us with this unbearable need: to understand why we play this impossible game, love its incredible playing fields, continue to believe we can in fact improve over time, (even if that just means we go backwards more slowly), and love to describe our joy at finding unexpected majesty that makes our feeble attempts completely unimportant. What a treat to find a place where we can take on virtually any golf topic, and have comments from the whole spectrum of golfers who love course design- especially those that make a living at it. The 147 is a thoughtful new step in defining what this group is about. It will be fun to see where it all goes.

Time well spent, Ran. Thanks.

[David Davis]

Ran, Joe, Ben & Chris,


A huge congratulations! 20 years is amazing in the sense of how fast time flies. We are not getting any younger. Amazing to me, but it wasn't until December that I finally met Joe for the first time and spent a few days with him. Until that point I had no idea what a significant role he played in this great site. 8 years in and I realize I know next to nothing but am grateful for finding it for all the friends made and wonderful opportunities I've had to play with different GCA'ers over the years. Events like the BUDA which I've had to miss the last couple years and the 5th Major were great venues to meet people. It really seems every year I've been lucky enough to meet or host GCA first dates. My hope is that this continues until the end of my golfing days and that this end is nowhere near.


Indeed GCA is a great learning tool and wealth of information.


In terms of improvement I agree about the search functionality, it might be of interest to have some kind of index for topics as well, like an alternative to most recent thread but organized more into categories if possible, though I realize this could bring challenges with it.


The other thing as Scott mentioned above is mobile compatibility or even an app. Though I know this is a huge investment. Let's call it the GCA digital pipe dream. I tend to look a lot on my phone as well. It can be challenging to read things and see pictures on mobile devices.


Indeed here is to the next 20 years! Cheers, guys!

[Marty Bonnar]

I HATE GOLFCLUBATLAS!


Over the last near 20 years, I’ve spent way too much time agonising over grass and sand, debating historical accuracy, absorbing greatness and nonsense, gazing wistfully at photographs, looking intently through magnifying glasses at maps and plans, studying, reading, learning.


I’ve spent a fortune on books, air travel, hotel nights, car hire, green fees.  I’ve had to have dinner and drinks with complete strangers. I’ve had to stay overnight with people. I’ve had to have people stay with me overnight. I’ve had to go on holiday to far-flung corners of the planet. I’ve had to make friends and maintain friendships with people. I’ve even had to share my best malt whisky with people.


I’ve written and I’ve read. I’ve taught and I’ve learned. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried.


Golfclubatlas is usually the first site I visit every day and the last one every evening. It’s the first website shortcut on every device I own. It’s my personal addiction, my guilty little secret, my extended dysfunctional family.


I HATE GOLFCLUBATLAS.

[Rory Connaughton]

Congratulations, Ran. There is no denying GCA's influence, for the better, on the world of golf over the last 20 years. GCA has been a great gathering place and a great resource for anyone that wants to learn. I am not surprised when industry professionals, green chairs etc., casually refer to GCA in conversation but 20 years on, it is now common for people that are not especially interested in architecture to cite visits to GCA in conversation with me. Who would have guessed?
Thank you for all of your efforts and bringing us together.

[PCCraig]

Ran -


As always, thank you for what you do here at GCA.


I've now been a member of the discussion board here for over a third of my life, having joined in January 2006 after many years of "lurking." In fact, I found GCA way back in my high school's library in Fall 1999 as I searched the internet for more information on Skokie CC which I was scheduled to play that afternoon for the first time with the golf team.


I continue to spend a lot of time here because I still enjoy it as much as I did 20 years ago. Helping organize a couple Midwest Mashies has been a rewarding experience and a terrific way to meet new friends, not to mention introduce folks to different places like Northland CC.


Looking forward to what 2019 has in store.

[MCirba]

If I were to start writing about all of the wonderful people I've met through GolfClubAtlas and the positive impact it's had on my life and my passion for golf and golf courses I'd be here for the next twenty years.

Instead, I'll simply say that the impending restoration of Cobb's Creek Golf Course would have never been possible without GolfClubAtlas.   

Thank you Ran!  Here's to the next twenty!

[Steve Kline]

Kudos to Ran (and Joe). 20 years of dedication and a lot of hard work is amazing. A true sign of passion for the topic at hand.


I'm grateful for

• reading the comments of the many knowledgeable posters
• awesome course reviews
• exposure to courses I would never have known about (e.g. White Bear and Northland at this year's Mashie)
• the instant camaraderie of fellow golf nerds, geeks, and dorks
• invitations to play wonderful courses and courses I wish I could play every day
• Meeting Jim Colton, playing at Ballyneal, and having him ask if would be alright if he came to my wife's funeral. A class guy.
• Hoping to host people this year when I finally join a club worth hosting someone at (trust me...you wouldn't have wanted to at the others)

Two things in particular have stood out for me personally. First, many on the site following and supporting for playing at the 2007 U.S. Mid-Am at Bandon. Amazingly, Mike Keiser followed my group for a few holes in some nasty weather, probably as a result of my running commentary on playing the tourney at Bandon. Second, after nearly six years away from golf, GCA was one of the first, if not the first, golf oriented things I returned. Actually, even when I was away hating the game, I would periodically check in to GCA.


Things I'd like to see improved or added:


1. Mobile friendliness. I often check the site on my phone, particularly during a slow round. It's cumbersome to do.
2. Some how to use the courses by country section to aggregate threads on a particular course and encourage comments/questions on courses to be made there so that all the knowledge is one place.

[RJ_Daley]

Thanks for the 20 years of providing a forum to learn about golf course architecture, development and related maintenance issues.  More importantly, thanks for the opportunity to interact with incredibly knowledgeable people across the globe who are similarly interested and infected to the point of devoting time to contribute their thoughts.  Thanks for the forum that led to countless meetings that led to cherished friendships.  What a wonderful day it was 20 years ago when I hazard to put a few of my ideas out onto a cyberspace website discussion forum and to my great surprise, many folks actually thought my ideas were useful or amusing or needed a counter point. 

This thread reminded me of our annual contribution tradition and sending in the equivalent of the par of our home course.  I'm glad no developers have come in to take land from our course to profit at the expense of our length and reduce us to an executive par or 9 holer.  But, the tradition also didn't take into account inflation of 20 years, yet thankfully we don't need anything of an outlier over par 72.   
I haven't posted hardly at all as I feel newcomers and more people who are out there seeing new courses and remodeled or restored courses of these recent and years going forward have plenty more to say, and I have had my run.  Last year was my first year without golf 3 to 4 times a week or more.  Due to catastrophic injuries in both my shoulders, 2 orthopedic surgeons have told me it is over.  So.... I just have to accept that and move on.  I was happy to at least travel only a few hours to attend the Midwest Mashie last year and catch up with some of those friends made over 20 years and meet some folks new to me.  I hope I might on rare occasion still drop into a few of the event evening gatherings or walk along with a 4 some that wouldn't be annoyed with a tag-along.  But, real  long distance travel just for the sake of golf seems unlikely. 

So I'll continue to look in on the discussion from time to time and if something strikes me as a subject I might have a word to add, I'll post. 

Good luck and happy wanderings in all your pursuits of the great golf course designs and discoveries.

[John Kavanaugh]

It's been almost 10 years since the last time Ran kicked me off the site. There are few experiences in life like waking up and having that feeling in your gut that something isn't quite right. Then the shocking truth that it isn't. I can only imagine the smell and sounds of a prison cell but the loneliness that comes from no longer being able to log in to a site that you truly love is a jolt to your senses. Thanks Ran for those many times you didn't push "the button", your generosity and patience over the last 20 years is something that will remain with me the entirety of my life.

[Steve Lang]

HAPPY 20th Ran!


The GCA website is certainly a gem, just a little polishing now and then as you've been doing and proper lighting is all that's needed to keep it shining for many more years.


The archives are a tremendous resource and I would suggest them being properly indexed for easier researching and linking to.  Perhaps bringing out some "Best of GCA" examples every so often would help folks look back at how things have evolved. 


I would suggest avoiding the social media interfaces, doesn't seem conducive to promoting frank and thoughtful discussion.


Play on!

[Mike Sweeney]

I would suggest avoiding the social media interfaces, doesn't seem conducive to promoting frank and thoughtful discussion.

Totally agree with Steve.


A GCAer, who shares my college sports passion, turned me onto The Athletic. Long form journalism (sports) at its best. I do get emails from them, so maybe a GCA email list when new Course Profiles and/or Interviews are posted would work. Just a thought.

[MLevesque]

Ran, while only participating on GCA for a year, its has enhanced and transformed my passion for golf.  From the books I read, the websites I visit, the podcasts I listen to and the courses I play and inspire to play; this site has been transformative.  Here's hoping the community continues to foster thoughtful, spirited but always courteous discussion about the courses, old, new and planned that bring us all together.  Thank you.

[Jason Hines]

Ran,

20 years?  I remember the days of dial up internet in order to log in, I also remember printing off threads at bed time to read at night because of no laptops, tablets or phones.  This site has also made me that, “annoying” guy on the greens committee!

I read more than I post and have learned quite a bit about about not only architecture, but golf in general.  I rarely go a day without checking in.

I think the site is just right -

Thanks Ran.

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