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From the Archives: July 2014 Interview with Kye Goalby

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4 years ago

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Editor’s note: This interview was originally posted on BuffaloGolfer.Com, in July of 2014. Its subject is Kye Goalby, a designer, shaper, and bunker-maker for golf courses. Goalby is a Wake Forest alumnus, the son of a Masters champion, and a well-traveled student of important and sustainable, golf course architecture. 

Most of us know the golf course. We play on top of it, sometimes daily. Hardly ever do we meet the people responsible for it, the ones who altered or didn’t alter, the ground. The ones who laid out the trace, placed the hazards, shaped the undulations. Today, that changes. Kye Goalby works in the development of golf courses. He runs bulldozers and other big equipment. He returns classic courses to their classic condition, reversing years of trifling by ignorant, selfish architects and zealous greens committees. He works with some of the most important designers in the game today and also has time to run his own business. Kye took time to answer some questions from across the globe. We are grateful. Photos of Kye Goalby on his favorite equipment are courtesy of Joe Wachter and Glen Echo Golf Club.

1. Your dad is a Masters champion. Your cousin is a successful PGA tour player. Your other cousin and you decided to head to Wake Forest and play some golf, etc. Talk about your growing-up in the game and what some of the important moments were.

As you pointed out I grew up around some pretty good players  With my Dad obviously in the same house  when he wasn’t away playing on the Tour, and my cousins, Jay Haas and Jerry Haas living about 6 or 7 houses up the street in a fairly small town outside St Louis.  While I was a decent junior, and sometimes amateur player, it wasn’t too hard for me to figure out I was not nearly  as good as some others around me and more importantly,  that I was not as motivated and driven to be great.  They all worked really hard at the game with a strong focus, and that, as much as talent, is what gave them an edge.    Growing up in this environment, just like any kid,  It was all I really knew, so it wasn’t something to really think about or even realize it was that different than anybody else’s experiences. There were obviously some nice perks that I did understand I was  fortunate to have, like attending the Masters, getting inside the ropes at golf tournaments and getting to meet guys like Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus  and when caddying for my dad during college summers, getting to meet and talk with guys like Bobby Orr, George Brett and Stan Musial during pro-am rounds.  That part, I realized was pretty darn cool,  and that I was quite lucky to get the opportunity to experience.

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2. You graduated from Wake Forest some time in the 1980s. If you were like me, you asked yourself, “What the heck do I do now?” What were your first jobs out of college and what kept you from pursuing them?

After College, I had completely burned out on golf and I don’t think I even touched my clubs during my senior year. After graduation I just wanted to move to the northeast ( Boston, NYC) and make money and keep living the college lifestyle, but with cash!  Being a naive 22 year old I thought that was easy.  I ended up working for Fidelity Investments for a few years and realized, just like golf, that there were other people in the financial industry that were much more talented and and a lot more motivated to be rich than I was!   I also couldn’t stand being in the office all day and really wanted to get outside. 

 

3. At some point, you got into the building of golf courses. For someone who grew up on top of fairways, tees and greens to morph into someone who made a living beneath those spaces is a monumental series of steps. How did you get into building golf courses?

It was really a lucky break to get into the golf design business.  I was kind of floundering in  Boston and thinking about switching up the career path. I knew a guy that had a golf construction company and thought about giving that a shot, when out of the blue in 1989 someone offered my dad  job designing a golf course in the town where we grew up.  My dad was still playing Senior Tour golf and doing TV announcing , so he needed help with the supervision and execution of the course design. Being a 25 year old with no experience in golf design,( but knowing pretty much everything) I figured I was the perfect associate!  I mean how hard was designing and building a golf course?  I had played a lot of golf, my dad was Tour pro and I had seen a lot of Tour golf courses, so hell yes I had all the experience I needed!  It took a few years,  but I learned that I didn’t know squat.  I began studying golf design on my own by reading everything I could on the subject and going to see every course I could. i also  learned to run a bulldozer and track hoe to build my own greens bunkers etc, which, in 1997 led to an opportunity to work with a rather unknown guy named Tom Doak. That has led to  lot of great experiences over the last two decades working on some fantastic golf courses all over the world.

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4. There come two points in every successful career, I think. The first is the one at which you feel like throwing your hands up and quitting. The second is when you have an epiphany and say, “Wow, this is for me.” Did you have either of those moments? If so, talk about them.

The “wow this is for me” moment came really early in that  first job of my dads.  It didn’t take me long to figure out it wasn’t as easy as I thought, but I did seem to have a knack for certain elements and really enjoyed getting out there every morning and putting the pieces together, working with the construction crews and trying to explain details to them.  The beauty of it was it never seemed like work even though we were out there sweating and getting dirty 10 to 12 hours a day. I knew that was a special dynamic and its something I still feel 25 years later. I honestly have never had a throw up my hands monument where I felt like quitting.  There were a few times when work was very slow and I thought I may have to do something else to survive, and that is always a thought that stays in the back of the mind as the golf business sometimes doesn’t seem sustainable with our focus on snobby, expensive,  over maintained, over constructed, unsustainable golf courses as many peoples ideal of what golf is about.    

5. Tell us about the best golf course you’ve ever had a hand in building. Who was the architect and what made it the best?

Seems to be  a theme here…, I have been really fortunate to work on a lot of great courses with Tom Doak.  I think Old Macdonald, Ballyneal, Sebonack and  Rock Creek Cattle Club, are all in Golfweek Top 15 modern courses. Of those Ballyneal was the  by far the most fun to work on.  We had a great team, an owner who allowed us to do our thing, a great site and a great routing by Tom Doak.  We knew it could be special, but nobody was stressed out, we were all confident we could do something great and while working very hard in the middle of nowhere, we had fun every day we were out there and a lot of the nights too.  I have told the story often, about the team and fun environment we had in place there during construction,  being transferred into a really fun golf experience as well.  I really believe  the spirit  we had building that course resonates every time a golfer steps onto the course. Its just a place that you puts a  smile on your face as you play, no matter how you are playing. To me that should be what golf is about.  Life is hard enough, golf should be fun.

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6. Tell us about the most fun you’ve ever had while building a golf course.

Well that job at Ballyneal was a blast, but I have had great times on many projects.  It all starts with  the ownership or club leaders ( depending if it is a new course or renovation of an exciting club) creating a well planned environment where you can succeed.  Also working in cool locations can add to some great fringe benefits if you enjoy a little adventure and travleing.  In the last four years I have worked in North Berwick,  Scotland for a summer.  Tokyo, Japan for 6 months, Mangawhai, New Zealand for about 7 months and Southern California during a couple of winters.  The job I am on now for Tom Doak in New Zealand is phenomenal.  We have a great crew of young guys learning the business with  real international cast of characters.  We have a couple of Americans, a Kiwi, an Aussie and an Englishman. Working with these young guys who are trying to learn the business and working their tails off is a real treat, as is getting to meet a bunch of great new friends from New Zealand, and experience a new culture in a fabulous beach town 12000 miles from home. 

Working in Japan was also a fantastic and fun experience.  I did a co design with Brian Silva there in 2012.  My job was to be on site every day and rebuild all the greens and bunkers at an existing golf course.  I was the only guys on a crew of about 30 that spoke English and thought it would be a nightmare, but it turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.  Th Japanese people were exceedingly kind to my wife and I, and again we made tons of friends, some who spoke English and some who barely could.  The funny thing was even though I couldn’t verbally communicate with the crew there I tried to have a lot of fun with the course and the vibe of fun seemed to  translate.  We did some things on that course which were not the normal for Japan and even their culture and the crew really got into the work and the “rule breaking” It became more of me and the golf course features leading by example and them sort of understanding by watching what I was building.    I think they enjoyed having the ability to  break out of some of the rather ridged Japanese  convention and methods of doing things. We had a lot of smiles on the job every day and it paid off, The course won Golf Magazines Best International Renovation in 2013.

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7. Without giving away the name, tell us about the worst experience you’ve had building a golf course and what made it so wretched a time.

It is pretty easy, the only thing that really bugs me, and its only happened a few times, is when an Architect I may be working with makes decisions based on politics, ego, or lack of preparation.  I have mostly worked on my own jobs or with Tom Doak for twenty years  On my jobs I am there very day and take time to think things trough and with Tom he never makes a quick judgment, he will usually be on site for a day or two before really making any changes or big decisions. His vists usually last about a week, so he has time to let things percolate and to think through  the array of elements that go into every design decision.   Most importantly he is also not afraid to say “I don’t know”.

In contrast there have been a few  guys  I have worked with who make one day site visits, get out of a car with an entourage of owners etc, walk up to a green and start pointing out stuff  to change without having much idea what they are even looking at.  They might say something like make this bunker wider here, cut this green eight inches there,  etc without actually realizing it may completely destroy the surface drainage, make something not visible from the fairway etc, etc. But it makes them look decisive and valuable in front of the group who are usually paying their fee!  While there is no doubt  some thoughtful  changes can help, these types of impulsive and pompous decisions often make the golf less good.  It can also get expensive,  as  often after the guy is gone someone in power realizes the ramifications of those moves and  time and money have to be spent to put it back to something similar to  how it was  previously.

8. Where are you now and what is the name of the project? What are your future plans?

I am in Mangawhai , New Zealand working for Tom Doak on  project called Tara iti.  it is in dunes along the beach about an hour and a half north of Auckland.  When finished it may well  be the best course I have ever worked on.  The owner’s directive and goal was to find a great site and to build a top 50 course in the world.   I don’t control  the rankings element, but I  know it will  for absolutely  be the most visually stunning course I have had a hand in and probably the most stunning I have seen anywhere. The site is just beautiful.  There are views of the south Pacific from every hole,  and quite a few greens are close enough to the beach that I have seen the maintenance crew guys  take a break from mowing, go grab their  surfboard off the utility vehicle and ride a few waves before finishing up the work!After finishing up here and sadly leaving,   the road show continues.  I have a few months of work in Santa Monica, California then some renovation work of my own to do on a really cool, old  William Langford course in Wisconsin.  That job is very rewarding because the club does not have a lot of money to spend, but by being smart and efficient and working with the in house crew, we can make some really quick and dramatic improvements without spending a lot of money.  While I have gotten to work on a lot of high profile and very well known clubs, it might be my Midwestern upbringing coming out, but  I get more satisfaction by providing these under the radar clubs with hands on improvement without spending a lot of money. 

9. What question haven’t I (or anyone else, for that matter) asked that you would love to answer? Ask it and answer it.

Not sure. I will have to think about that and get back to you!  Not too many people  interview me!

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Five Things We Learned: Friday at the PGA Championship

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5 hours ago

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May 18, 2024

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Early on Friday morning, a vendor working for the PGA Championship was struck and killed by a tournament shuttle bus. Nearly at the same time, as he arrived for his second round of tournament play, Scottie Scheffler attempted to detour around the scene, and was arrested, booked, then released. Somehow, Scheffler returned to Valhalla and played his second round of the tournament. Despite the jokes and memes of some in the golf industry, the tournament took a back seat to life and humanity on Friday morning. Our prayers are with the family and friends of the vendor, as well as with all involved.

Day two of Valhalla’s fourth PGA Championship did not see a repeat of the record-setting 62 posted by first-day leader, Xander Schauffele. The low card of 65 was returned by five golfers, when play was suspended by darkness. Five golfers still on the course, were on the positive side of the expected cut line of one-under par, while 12 more either had work to do, or knew that their week had come to an end.

The best 70 golfers and ties would advance to the weekend. 64 golfers figured at minus-two on Friday evening, with another 15 at one-under par. The most likely scenario saw those at even par, headed home. The formula was simple: finish under par and stick around. Play resumed at 7:15 on Saturday, to sort through the last six threesomes. Before the night turned over, we learned five important things to set us up for a weekend of excitement and excellence. It’s a pleasure to share them with you.

1. The 65s

On Thursday, three golfers etched 65 into the final box on their card of play. On Friday, nearly twice that number finished at six-under par for the round. Collin Morikawa moved from top-five into a spot in the final pairing. The 2020 PGA Champion at Harding Park teed off at the tenth hole, and turned in minus-two. He then ran off five consecutive birdies from the fourth tee to the eighth green, before finding trouble at the ninth, his last hole of the day. Bogey at nine dropped him from -12 to -11.

The same score moved Bryson DeChambeau from 11th spot to T4. Joining the pair with 65s on day two were Matt Wallace and Hideki Matsuyama (each with 70-65 for T11) and Lee Hodges (71-65 for T16.) Morikawa, Matsuyama, and DeChambeau have major championship wins in their names, while Wallace has been on the when to break through list his entire career. Hodges epitomizes the term journeyman, bu the PGA Championship is the one major of them all when lesser-known challegers find a way to break through.

2. The Corebridge team of PGA Professionals

Last year’s Cinderella story, Michael Block, did not repeat his Oak Hill success. Block missed the cut by a fair amount. Of the other 19, however, two were poised to conclude play and reach the weekend’s play. Braden Shattuck had finished at one-under par, while Jeremy Wells (-2) and Ben Polland (-1) were inside the glory line, each with two holes to play.

With three holes to play on the front nine, Kyle Mendoza sits at even par. His task is simple: play the final triumvirate in one-under par or better. If Mendoza can pull off that feat, and if the aforementioned triumvirate can hold steady, the club professional segment of the tournament will have four representatives in play over the weekend.

3. Scottie Scheffler

In his post-round interview, Scheffler admitted that his second round, following the surreal nature of the early morning’s events, was made possible by the support he received from patrons and fellow competitors. The new father expressed his great sadness for the loss of life, and also praised some of the first responders that had accompanied him in the journey from course to jail cell. Yes, jail cell. Scheffler spoke of beginning his warm-up routine with jail-house stretches.

Once he returned to Valhalla, Scheffler found a way to a two-under, opening nine holes. He began birdie-bogey-birdie on holes ten through twelve, then eased into a stretch of pars, before making birdie at the par-five 18th. His second nine holes featured three birdies and six pars, allowing him to improve by one shot from day one. Scheffler found himself in a fourth-place tie with Thomas Detry, and third-round tee time in the third-last pairing. Scheffler’s poise illustrated grace under pressure, which is the only way that he could have reached this status through 36 holes.

4. Sahith!

It’s a little bit funny that the fellow who followed 65 with 67, is nowhere to be found on the video highlight reels. He’s not alone in that respect, as Thomas Detry (T4) was also ignored by the cameras. Theegala has won on tour, and has the game to win again. The Californian turned in four-under par on Friday, then made an excruciating bogey at the par-five tenth. He redeemed himself two holes later, with birdie at the twelfth hole.

Theegala is an unproven commodity in major events. He has one top-ten finish: the 2023 Masters saw him finish 9th. He did tie for 40th in 2023, in this event, at Oak Hill. Is he likely to be around on Sunday? Yes. Will he be inside the top ten? If he is, he has a shot on Sunday. If Saturday is not a 67 or better, Theegala will not figure in the outcome of the 2024 championship.

5. X Man!!

After the fireworks of day one, Xander Schauffele preserved his lead at the 2024 PGA Championship. He holds a one-shot advantage and will tee off in the final pairing on Saturday, with Collin Morikawa. Eleven holes into round two, Schauffele made his first bogey of the week. The stumble stalled his momentum, as he had played the first ten holes in minus-four. Will the run of seven pars at the end signal a negative turn in the tide of play for Schauffele? We’ll find out on day three. One thing is for sure: minus twelve will not win this tournament. Schauffele will likely need to reach twenty under par over the next two days, to win his first major title.

 

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Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla

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1 day ago

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May 17, 2024

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As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police on the way to Valhalla Golf Club this morning due to a traffic misunderstanding.

“Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club. The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car.

“When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car.”

Darlington also posted a video of the dramatic moment which you can view below:

There was an unrelated accident at around 5am, which is what may have caused some of the misunderstanding of which traffic was moving.

Speaking on ESPN, Darlington broke down exactly what he witnessed in full detail:

“Entering Valhalla Golf Club this morning, we witness a car pull around us that was Scottie Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police officers, placed in the back of a police vehicle in handcuffs after he tried to pull around what he believed to be security, ended up being police officers.

“They told him to stop, when he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle, and Scheffler then travelled another 10 yards before stopping the car.”

“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, attempting to pull him out of the car, before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs.

“Very stunned about what was happening, he looked towards me as he was in those handcuffs and said ‘please help me’. He very clearly didn’t know what was happening in the situation.”

“It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively. He was detained in that police vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. The police officers at that point did not understand that Scottie Scheffler was a golfer in the tournament, nor of course that he is the number one player in the world.”

Due to the accident, play has been delayed this morning. Scheffler’s current tee time for the second round of the PGA Championship is 10:08 a.m.

Scheffler’s mugshot following the incident:

*Update*

Scheffler has been charged with 2nd Degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief 3rd degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

*Update*

According to ESPN+, Scottie Scheffler has been released and is now on his way to the golf course.

*Update*

Scottie Scheffler arrives at Valhalla ahead of his 10:08 a.m second round tee time.

*Update*

The PGA of America released this statement regarding the fatal accident, which diverted traffic at Valhalla this morning.

“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.” 

Per the PGA Tour, Scheffler released the following statement.

We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.

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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

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2 days ago

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May 16, 2024

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It was a year ago that we the north, found ourselves with toes and fingers crossed. The Oak Hill PGA Championship of 2023 finished on schedule, despite the iffiness of weather in upstate New York. It’s 75 degrees today across the Niagara Frontier, which makes it two out of three (2022 was the same way) for sultry, unseasonal weather.

Louisville is, let’s be honest, a much better bet for a May PGA Championship, and Valhalla is an exciting venue for the year’s second major championship on the men’s circuit. Brooks Koepka came in as the defending champion, and Rory McIlroy arrived as the last golfer to win a major at the Nicklaus-designed course. That was a decade ago, and lord, have things changed in the world and golf.

Day one at Valhalla offered walk-in eagles, buckets of birdies, and potential for a record-low, winner’s score. We’ll get right to the meat of the matter, with five things that we learned. After all, if you can make par from the muck, anything’s possible in the land of the horses.

1. X marks this spot

Xander Schauffele went head-to-head last Sunday with Rory McIlroy, at least on the practice green. By the end of the round, Rors had won for a fourth time at Charlotte, while the X Man sat scratching his head, wondering what went wrong. Fortunately for us, Xander didn’t sulk.

The San Diego State alumnus absolutely torched Jack’s track with 62. Four birdies on the front nine, were followed by five more on the inward side. Schauffele never looked as if bogey was a consideration, and he might have gone even lower. Despite winning the Covid-delayed Gold medal at the Japan Olympics (I consider it a major, btdubs) Schauffele continues to chase an initial men’s major, and the validation that it brings. If 62 doesn’t get you over the hump, who knows what will.

2. Scottie starts strong? Aye.

Last month, Mr. Scheffler won a second green jacket at Augusta National. Last year in Rochester, Mr. Scheffler tied for second in this event. Mr. Scheffler began play today with a walk-in eagle, a one-hop affair that never looked as if it might go anywhere but to its home. Scheffler had a few rough holes, but that’s to be expected from a new dad. Each time he made bogey, he bounced back with birdie, so he has that short memory that winners crave. Surprisingly, Scheffler failed to manage one last birdie at the reachable 18th. Perhaps that miss will motivate him in round two.

3. LIV Check-In

It’s good to check in on the departed from time to time, to ensure that the fellows formerly known as PGA Tour members are doing well. It’s safe to say that some of them can still play. Defending champion Brooks Koepka posted 67 on the day, He had an eagle and three birdies on the day, with only a stumble at the 17th. He’s tied for 7th. Bryson DeChambeau made an eagle of his own, but also had a bogey, at the 12th hole. He cohabits eleventh position with Cameron Smith, who ALSO had a bogey on his card. They are one shot behind Koepka, and a fistful more behind the leader.

4. Sahith and Tony at Schauffele’s heels

Both Finau and Theegala represent a special sort of athletic golfer. Their power and their charisma blend to draw golf fans to their groups. Let’s be honest, too, and say that they don’t look like the traditional professional golfer. As much as Tiger Woods did in the 1990s, they have the power to bring greater diversity to the sport.

In terms of their play today, well, only Xander was better. Finau had a clean card, with six birdies and twelve pars. Theegala had seven birdies, ten pars, and one bogey. Each combined power and finesse to insert themselves squarely in contention, ahead of round two. How will they, and Xander as well, manage the afternoon putting surface on Friday? That’s the great unknown!

5. All those other guys are here!

Rory, Tom Kim, Collin, and Viktor are all at minus-three or lower. Valhalla may not be a traditional golf course, but it is the type of course that the world’s best play well. McIlroy currently sits at minus-five, tied with Robert MacIntyre, Kim, and three others in fourth position.  Maverick McNealy finished fast to reach the same figure, as did Tom Hoge. Morikawa closed with birdie to join the sextet at five below. Both Scheffler and Morikawa finished their rounds late on Thursday, meaning they should see smoother greens on Friday morning. If someone is a betting soul, wiser wagers could not be placed on better names than those two, two-time, major champions. Rory will tee off in Friday’s afternoon wave but, hey, he’s Rory, and he won going away last week at Quail Hollow, a course not unlike Valhalla.

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