When Mike Keiser opened Bandon Dunes in 1999, his son Michael was 18 years old. Michael Jr. went on to play a key role in the expansion of the Keiser family’s Dream Golf empire. Along with his brother Chris, he oversaw the development of Wisconsin’s Sand Valley, one of the most architecturally experimental golf resorts in the country. Now, Michael is creating three new resorts of his own, all opening within the next year and a half. There’s Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, Rodeo Dunes in Colorado, and Old Shores in the Florida Panhandle. He and his wife are also supporting a handful of municipal golf projects. In this episode, Garrett sits down with Michael to explore this fascinating new phase of Keiser golf — what Michael is borrowing from the past, and how he’s trying to innovate.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among America’s greatest golf courses, the East Course at Merion Golf Club is one of the oldest. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s relatively small, occupying only about 115 acres. Still, the East Course remains a legitimate championship venue, with the 2030, 2040, and 2050 U.S. Opens on its docket. Next week, the club will host the U.S. Amateur for the seventh time. So there’s no better time to discuss Merion East in depth and ask why it has endured so strongly. Garrett opens the episode with a quick rundown of the course’s key characteristics, including its routing and primary hazards. Then he brings on historian Wayne Morrison for a full exploration of Merion East’s history and its intricate Hugh Wilson-William Flynn design.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On any golf course, the greens are the center of gravity. Around 40% of the shots we hit in a given round on a regulation course are putts. Over half will be either putts or chips. And any decently hit approach shot will also interact with the green or its surrounds. So today’s Golf Architecture 101 topic is an important one. Garrett is joined by his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark to talk about greens: how they’re designed, how they’re built, and what makes a good one.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next week, Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, will host the Open Championship for the 11th time. The pros will probably love it (because they almost always do), but will we like it? In this episode, Garrett discusses all things Royal Birkdale with his Fried Egg Golf colleague Joseph LaMagna, who recently visited the course. Garrett and Joseph talk about Royal Birkdale’s history, land, routing, greens, and architectural philosophy before delving into the changes the club made in preparation for this year’s Open.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest stories in the golf course industry over the past 30 years has been the rise of the public destination golf. The 2020s in particular have seen a remarkable surge in remote developments featuring neoclassical golf architecture. So where are we now in the evolution of this type of resort? How has public destination golf influenced golf architecture? After reviewing several ongoing projects and discussing some recent trends, Garrett brings on architect Mike Koprowski to discuss his work at Candyroot Lodge, a new resort in the Carolina Sandhills. Garrett and Mike dig into the nitty-gritty of the design of Candyroot’s first course and how he’s challenging certain conventions of the public destination style.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Flynn, the designer of Shinnecock Hills, was one of the greatest golf architects of the Golden Age. In this episode of Designing Golf, we explore his distinctively naturalistic, restrained design style. First, Garrett lists what he believes are the five essential Flynn courses. Then Garrett brings on Jim Nagle, an architect who has helped restore many Flynn designs, to delve deeper into Flynn's career, philosophy, and legacy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In two weeks, the U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, for the sixth time. This episode of Designing Golf dives deep into the course’s history and current William Flynn design. First, Garrett talks with his Fried Egg Golf colleague Matt Rouches about the six things that make Shinnecock a great course. Then Garrett brings on golf historian Bob Crosby to discuss how the early iterations of Shinnecock Hills represent the evolution of golf architecture between the 1890s and the 1930s.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a surprisingly controversial PGA Championship at Aronimink, Garrett brings on his Fried Egg Golf colleague PJ Clark to chat about championship golf course design and setup. First they discuss the factors that made Aronimink a polarizing venue: the lack of trees, the firm greens, the provocative pins, and the relatively low emphasis on driving accuracy. Then Garrett takes PJ through a brief history of the championship setup wars, starting with Robert Trent Jones’s “Open Doctor” shenanigans in the 1950s and 60s. Finally, Garrett and PJ both lay out what they’re looking for in a 21st-century major championship golf course.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.