OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SUMMER 2014
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obsports.com
What is your philosophy as a golf
course designer? Golf courses should
be an adventure, an exploration of an
interesting landscape. The holes should
ask a question, offer a challenge and
suggest alternatives. Bunkers should
defend an attacking line and greens
should allow a flat putt if you are rea-
sonably close. Most of all it should be
fun, memorable and repeatable.
How would you describe your design
style in layman's terms? Classical,
natural, minimalist, rugged, dramatic,
challenging but playable.
What's the No. 1 thing golfers need
to know when it comes to play-
ing your courses? I was born
and raised in Scotland where
golf is played as much on the
ground as through the air.
Players need to read the con-
tours and look for a bounce
and roll that favors them.
What are some similar characteristics
of your courses? I like wide fairways
and large greens whenever possible, I
like the strategy to be somewhat obvi-
ous off the tee. Firm, fast and true sur-
faces are definitely my preference, so
using the ground game becomes essen-
tial if you want to score.
What's the big difference between
golf in Scotland and America? The
ground game. Golf in the U.S. is played
on soft surfaces where the ball can be
stopped quickly, leading to the aerial at-
tacking game we see week in and week
out on the PGA Tour. When surfaces be-
come firm, players have to play with
"touch and feel" not "bomb and gouge."
What is your greatest strength as a
course designer? My ability to keep it
simple and make the best use of the
landscape I begin with.
What are you most proud of? The golf
design business involves a lot of travel,
especially when your work ranges
across 10 countries these last 15 years.
But even so, I have never missed one of
my kids' birthdays and have coached
my daughters soccer team every fall.
What one word would you use to de-
scribe yourself? Gregarious.
What words or phrase do you most
overuse? Playability, playability,
playability…
What do you think golfers will like
most about playing Gamble Sands?
Its playability.
If you could play just one course
other than one of your own for the
rest of your life, which would it be?
So many choices. I could be predictable
and say Kingsbarns or unpredictable
and say Machrihanish Golf Club.
What is your fondest memory on the
golf course? I did a photo shoot with
my father and my daughter at Tetherow
a few years ago, I love those photos.
How would you like to be remem-
bered? I'd just like to be remembered!
CLICK
HERE TO SEE
HOW DAVID
McLAY KIDD
GOT HIS FIRST
BIG BREAK
HOT
LINKS
›› CLICK HERE to view a
complete list of David
McLay Kidd golf courses.
›› CLICK HERE for a
detailed biography of the
Scottish-born designer.
VIDEO EXTRA!
›› CLICK HERE to watch
David McLay Kidd discuss
his work at Tetherow and
Bandon Dunes.
l
Q&A
The designer David McLay Kidd at play.
