Jwfickett - Designer Showcase

hbdeveloper_SS
On October 14, 2015

1. How long have you been playing The Golf Club?
A: Since June of 2014, Early Access v.4 – Been following since the game came out but had to get a computer that could do it justice!

2. How would you describe your style of designing?
A: Realistic-fictional, with a heavy emphasis on walkability and location awareness. I need a real-life location in which to put my fictional course. It helps with inspiration and imagination. If I envision that my course could exist in real life given a suitable plot of land, that motivates me to bring it to life.

3. What do you use for inspiration when designing your courses?
A: Mostly my own imagination, inspired by real places I’ve played or been to. Even if I’ve been somewhere that is unrelated to golf, I might think, “a golf course would go really well here if someone would let it be built” and I’ll jot down my ideas in my phone or sketch a hole or two if I can. I like to find photos of holes that are strategically relevant or beautiful in design and use those as inspiration, too. But I’ll very rarely make an exact replica of a hole, famous or unknown.

4. Which two of your own courses are your favorites?
A: Ballantyne National Golf Club – This was the design that propelled me into the ranks of respectability. This course seems really silly in certain places now, looking back on it. But there are a lot of holes with real strategic interest, including 2, 5, 9, 11, 15, 16, and 17. This was the first course I was really proud of, and the first of my courses that seemed almost unanimously well-received by the community. I plan to revisit it in the Harvest theme at some point, but I have a long list of other projects that seem more pertinent.

Bailiwick Grand Golf Club – The first collaboration of Hebert-Fickett designs, with Dan Hebert and I each designing roughly half of the course. This course is one of the most-played public courses. Dan and I had a great deal of fun designing this course, and I think it will withstand the test of time. Bailiwick is just a fun golf course. Not overly challenging, nor very easy, it really shows the capabilities of the boreal theme and has quite a few really well-designed golf holes.

5. Do you play golf in real life?
A: Yes, been playing since I was old enough to swing a club. Hdcp is about 11, though it was once much lower (when I had time to play). Now, if I break 80, I’ve played pretty well.

6. Besides playing/designing in TGC, what are your other hobbies?
A: I enjoy cooking, wine/beer/whisky/cigars, playing or watching almost any sport, reading, and traveling.

7. What is your favorite ice cream?
A: Haagen-Dazs Carmel Cone.