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GolfSouth Magazine
A Different Side of Golf - Glen Day Alan Blalock Golf Design
By Ian Thompson
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Alan Blalock (holding plans), Glen Day (wearing a
black hat)
and other at Tartan Pines in Enterprise
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Glen Day is fast becoming a household
name on the PGA Tour. Although yet to break through for a victory,
he's come very close on more than one occasion. Alan Blalock has
been in and around the golf course design business for more than 25
years. They are now in partnership as Glen Day Alan Blalock Golf
Design based in Birmingham.
Day was born in Mobile, grew up in Mississippi,
attended Ole Miss for two years and the University of Oklahoma for two
years, and now calls Little Rock, Ark. home.
Blalock went to high school in Birmingham, attended
the University of Georgia in Athens and then moved on to Florida where
he started in the master planning business, which included some golf
course developments. He then moved back to Athens to start his own
business, mainly golf course redesign work. He found his way back
to Birmingham in 1978 and has been here ever since.
I asked Blalock and Day what the difference is
between a golf course architect and a golf course designer. Are
the two terms interchangeable as so many golf writes, myself included,
seem to think?
"It's a little like saying is it a fiddle or a
violin?" Blalock said. "They really are interchangeable
as far as I'm concerned, but I'll give you a definition of both.
"I see myself more as an architect looking at
the more technical side of the layout. It's also my role to take
Glen's strategy, thoughts and concepts as a designer and integrate them
into the final design."
"A golf course designer is extremely
instrumental in the course strategy," Day said. "The
size and shape of greens, placement of bunkers, the generally
consistency of the design.
"Certainly I think you could say an architect is
interchangeable with a designer; I don't know how to draw up plans, for
example. But not the other way around."
So how did Day and Blalock hook up together?
"I met his agent, Ken Kennerly of International
Golf Partners, three years ago at the TPC Course in Jacksonville,
Fla. We just hit it off," Blalock said.
"Nothing happened at that point, but in July
1998 he called me and asked if I knew who Glen Day was. I told him
I just knew him by reputation, but not in person. He told me Glen
was interested in us potentially working together.
"I flew to Michigan to meet him at the Buick
Open in August. He'd just finished doing a course called Salem
Glen near Winston Salem with the Nicklaus organization and was looking
for a situation where he could be more hands on. We reached an
agreement almost immediately."
So how did Day and Nicklaus meet?
"Mr. Nicklaus just happens to be the father of a
friend of mine. I found my first design project (at Salem Glen)
and met with Mr. Nicklaus and the heads of his construction and design
businesses. I told him about the project and he said to his people
'Make it happen.' Then I was on my own. He didn't directly
work with me on the project," Day said.
The Day/Blalock team are currently working on two
courses, both in Alabama. Tartan Pines is a planned community
including an 18-hole golf course in Enterprise. Owners Steve
Hagins, Ben Henderson, Ken Pittman, and Billy Cotter told Blalock they
wanted the course to take precedence over the real estate and as such it
fits the natural terrain very well It should open this fall.
Moore's Mill is also a semi-private club and
residential community. It is located in Auburn and sits on 1000
acres of property with Moore's Mill Creek running through the heart of
the course. This creek comes into play on 12 of the holes.
It is in the clearing stage and should open by late Summer of 2000.
Both Day and Blalock agree that they favor old
school, old style designers. They named Donald Ross and Alister
Mackenzie as favorites. "Mackenzie in particular was the
ultimate strategist. He gave you so many different options to play
a hole," Blalock said.
Of modern day designers the both noted Jack Nicklaus
as a favorite.
"As someone to learn from Mr. Nicklaus is just
about a genius. Muirfield Village is one of my favorite courses on
the Tour," Day said.
I asked Blalock what Day brings to the table.
"Three things stand out. First, the
credibility of a well known professional golfer. Second, he has a
great personality and an ability to communicate. He's in this for
the long haul and wants to be very hands-on. And third, he's
played across the country and around the world, particularly in Europe
and Asia, so he's seen a lot of different designs."
"I believe that on any piece of land that
there's already a golf course there, you just have to find it. I
think you should keep the land as Mother Nature intended as much as
possible. This (course design) is an art form; you don't need to
get on a 'dozer and clear all the land and then start over," Day
said.
Day is very passionate about his alliance with
Blalock. "We are equal partners and I'll pull my
weight. I'm not just assigning my name. I'd never, never do
that." |
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