Coore & Crenshaw Design
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are widely regarded as two of the finest golf course architects of the modern era. Together, they lead Coore & Crenshaw, a design firm celebrated for its minimalist approach, deep respect for natural terrain, and emphasis on strategic variety rather than visual extravagance. Their work is especially admired by purists and architecture aficionados.
Their projects at Talking Stick Golf Club were on of their first major public-access desert courses, and it's still a standout example of their versatility. Instead of resorting to flashy desert features or artificial elevation, they embraced the natural flatness of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa lands, crafting two courses with contrasting identities.
“When commissioned to design Talking Stick Golf Club, our charge was to create two golf courses to accommodate public play yet each decidedly different, with respect to playing characteristics. Talking Stick Golf Club’s O’odham Course (formerly North Course), with its broad, angular holes, rewards thoughtful play through the rise of its many options according to one’s level of skill. Its low profile, slightly crowned greens and close-cropped approaches encourage running as well as aerial assaults. The Piipaash Course (formerly South Course) with its tree lined fairways and raised greens defended at the sides offers a more straightforward style of play. It presents its challenge and strategy in an open and clear-cut fashion. Whichever course one chooses or prefers, it was our desire to portray golf in a traditional sense, which quietly merges with its tranquil desert surroundings.”– Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw
Coore & Crenshaw Design
Admiration and respect for the classic golf courses of the “Golden Age of Architecture” inspired Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore to establish the firm of Coore and Crenshaw Inc. in 1986. Theirs is an architectural firm based upon the shared philosophy that traditional, strategic golf is the most rewarding, and the creation of courses that present this concept with the greatest artistry is the ultimate goal. They have blended their personal experience and admiration for the classical courses of Ross, Mackenzie, Macdonald, Maxwell, and Tillinghast to create a style uniquely their own.View Portfolio
