Fairways • Fall 09
Rees Jones

by Mike Stansfield

Rees Jones, son of Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is consistently ranked as one of the top five golf course architects in the world. This summer he added Victory Ranch, just 17 miles north of Park City, to the list of prestigious golf courses he has designed or renovated, including Baltrusrol, Congressional, Hazeltine National, Pinehurst No. 2, Bethpage “Black” and Torrey Pines South.

Ever mindful of the average golfer, Jones designed Victory Ranch with multiple tees, generous fairways and open entrances to the greens. We caught up with him as he finished playing Victory Ranch, his first Utah course. He talked about course design, Victory Ranch, technology and championship golf, so Hey Listen Up!

I don’t have a favorite hole. When you play Victory Ranch a foursome of golfers will all have their own favorite hole but none of them will ever forget the finish.

All the land between holes is going to be left in a natural state. You don’t get opportunities like this in golf course architecture anymore.

I think you have so much natural land between golf holes that you could have a US Open here and have the most fans they’ve ever had because there is so much land.

I’ve done seven US Opens, six PGA’s, four Ryder Cups, you just have to raise the height of the grass, move the fescue in, make the rough higher, speed up the greens and cut the pins more.

You don’t build a church just for Easter Sunday. You build a golf course that everybody can enjoy and play on any given day.

I definitely think Victory Ranch is a candidate for a top 100 golf course.

I can’t believe that there could be a golf course in Utah that finishes as spectacularly as Victory Ranch.

Sometimes the land just speaks to you.

The more spectacular the site the more spectacular the golf course but you’ve got to know how to lay it out.

It helps to be a single digit player, not a pro, not a high handicapper, it helps to know how everyone plays the game because this is a golf course for everybody and I think it helps to have the person who designed it hitting some bad shots.

I think that this is a signature golf course.

I think technology is pretty much at a stand still because the USGA has finally come to a methodology using computers to determine whether or not equipment complies with regulations.

It’s going to make the game of golf better for everyone as they gain control of the game.

Dialing back the ball would only make a difference for the major championships and the PGA tour.

Young people like to hit home runs and so do the old guys.

I don’t think the golf course gets enough credit in the championships. They talk about everybody who is playing in it but it is the golfer versus the golf course.

You have to beat the golf course in order to become the champion.

Mike Stansfield is the marketing director for Fairways Media.