Course Designer Voting Bracket

It is a good contest. i will look for the results.

The voting moves too fast for some reason, but you can pause it
( see the  ||  at top ) to think about your pick, then advance it
with the arrow, to the next pair of designers.   
 
Future rounds will be tougher.    

@artmbgolf Thanks for the update. The next steps will be fun to watch.

Next round voting is today!  
 
https://www.playgolfmyrtlebeach.com/news/epic-matchups-set-todays-spectacular-16-round-myrtle-beach-golf-course-designer-bracket-challenge/

Done Art! Strantz is still a favorite. More and more difficult to choose.

Too bad I don't have an instagram account to vote.

I think the biggest upset in the first round was Fred Couples over Tim Cate. Cate designed a handful of courses (including Cape Fear National and redesign of Bald Head Island not on their list) vs just one course for Couples. Moreover I think the best Cate designs are better than Carolina National.

IMO, my pick for the overall winner is Dan Maples. Not only did he design a LOT of courses in Myrtle, he designed a lot of good ones! While other architects like Gene Hamm & Willard Byrd designed a lot of courses too, I think the Mapes courses are a step or two above in quality, and he also designed Marsh Harbour which was an iconic course for two decades.

@mbgt-golf-gourse-reviewer
 
I agree about Cate/Couples.   That was a popularity vote for Couples. 
 
I think it will come down to Maples vs Stranz.  
With lots of good courses making Maples more well known, I think he will win.   
 
It would be nice to see vote counts, to know if a 75% winner won 3 to 1 or 
75 to 25.   

@mbgt-golf-gourse-reviewer

I agree. Dan and Ellis Maples are both very underrated golf architect. Because they builded mainly their golf courses in North and South Carolina, this concentration prevented them from getting their due in architecture circles. Ellis-the father- was a superb router of courses. He was very creative. And i really enjoyed Dan Maples work as well. I like Heritage, Oyster Bay, and The Witch in particular. But he buided also: Willbrook Plantation, Man O'War, Sea Trail Maples, Sandpiper Bay, The Pearl, and Wizard. Dan Maples desserves a lot of merit for this impressive production. No doubt about that.

But my favorite golf architect, in the Carolinas, stay Mike Strantz. I am hoping that he win this contest.

I think it's hard for people to separate the name from the course. I don't think the Dye Course at Barefoot is as good a course as Tidewater, but Dye trounced Tomlinson in the voting there. Dye is certainly a better overall architect, but not with regards to Myrtle Beach.

On the other hand, P.B. Dye trounced Tom Doak in the voting and Doak is obviously a vastly superior architect to P.B. overall, just maybe not in Myrtle Beach (I personally think Heathland is a much better course than Prestwick or Moorland, but that seems to be a minority view). 

We are at the Final Fore now. Strantz against Palmer! Fazio against Nicklaus! I voted for Strantz because Caledonia and True Blue are better course design than Kings North, Southcreek and Rivers Edge builded by Palmer. I voted for Fazio (TPC Myrtle Beach and Barefoot Fazio) over Nicklaus (Pawlays Plantation, Long Bay). It was not even close in the contest between Fazio against Nicklaus. I like Kings North but it was not sufficient to beat the courses builded by Mike Strantz. 

So the final vote will be between Stantz and Fazio. I am expecting a win for Mike Strantz over Fazio, but i recognise that it is not easy to choose. Barefoot Fazio and TPC Myrtle Beach are two great courses. But, i think that Caledonia and True Blue are very difficult to beat. Just my humble opinion. Maybe i am out of bound.

While Stranz only has the 2 courses, he isn't dragged down by a mix of 
good and average courses like the others.  
 
Looks like voters are mostly course aficionados and interested in the 
unique courses.   

@artmbgolf

It is a fact Art. There are many course aficionados on this forum. Many are admirers of Mike Strantz. I am one of them. ???? 

Strantz gets my vote followed by Fazio and Palmer.

Stranz Won.  
 
Article: https://www.playgolfmyrtlebeach.com/news/champion-crowned-myrtle-beach-golf-course-designer-bracket-challenge/