R.I.P Pete Dye

i thoroughly enjoyed most of his courses ... had a problem with a few holes, specifically 13th at the river course at wolf run ... guy knew how to mess with your mental game ...

Expecting a fitting tribute of some kind at The Player’s, but not suggesting anything in particular. He and his wife had a lot of impact on the game.

Know from a few other threads that Dye designs can divide opinion, so there's been plenty of that in the past and we can have it again in the future, but in remembrance of a literally and figuratively impactful course builder, how about we hear about a few favorite holes or moments on a Dye Course? :-)

For me it's our visits to The Straits on different trips with the same caddie (Matt27), our first and latest time playing #9 (of 3 total plays) me and my mate both went fairway/green two putt pars each time. When we did it the first time Matt said as we were walking up the hill after 9: "I didn't want to jinx you guys, but I pretty much never see that done on this hole." 2 Mays later he says: "I didn't want to jinx you guys, but didn't you do that last time you played here".

We all got a good chuckle out of that :-)

11 months on from Alice passing, RIP Pete.

The first time I played the Stadium Course at PGA West it became my favorite course. Love Pete Dye designs. He mind effs you off the tee.

how about we hear about a few favorite holes or moments on a Dye Course? 

Whistling Straits, 17th hole (223 yard tees), into a pretty stiff breeze. I pull 5W and hit a baby cut that starts left of the green and cuts back right into the middle of the green, pin high. 20 feet for birdie, which I make.

TPC Sawgrass. 17th hole. First day it's a back pin, no wind. I hit a PW to the middle of the green, easy par. Second day it's a 20mph cross-wind. The flag is bending. Start my first ball at the left edge of the green and it gets blown into the water on the right. Aim my second ball at the water left of the green 15 feet out. The wind pushes it onto the green and it rolls up against the fringe. Front pin and I make my putt for bogie. That was when I understood how hard that hole could be when the wind blows.

"Star Wars golf designed by Darth Vader"

---Ben Crenshaw

"Golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair?"

---Pete Dye

Mr. Dye was one of the best ever. Thankfully, his courses will continue to beffudle and bring joy to golfers for decades to come.

I wasn't a fan of his work, but may he rest in peace.

Most of his signature holes are visually stunning, but competitively terrifying ... so much fun to watch on a Sunday afternoon with everything on the line. RIP Pete & Alice.

played the stadium course a few years ago ... it's amusing that people think it's "tricked up", which is what people label something if a bunch of dirt has to be moved ... thing was built on swampland ... it's a fantastic course, full of strategy and angles and subtle tweaks that make you think "maybe not" ... so good that i vividly remember walking off the 16th green and realizing i had not thought of the 17th at all that day ... course, dumped the first in the water and made db ... he had some quirks on his holes, like that god-forsaken bump of a tree on the ocean's 4th or 5th hole ... on the left side ... don't know why it's still standing, but was told by a caddy that he doesn't want it cut down even though it's not in play unless you hit an awful shot, and even then it probably doesn't affect that much since it's short and so far left ... think i remember doaks saying he had revolutionized design twice with harbor town and sawgrass ...

hope he's with his wife, sketching some devious hole ...

Nice bogey :-)

On 17 at the Straits, I ended up down on the beach, lob wedged it back up and I hear my mate start saying ' you fu...' and then stops, I get up there and apparently I rolled it right past the stick but it didn't drop.

Missed the 4 footer for a bogey... such is golf.

Hope they do a tribute to Pete and Alice at the players,

They deserve accolades and remembrances

Lost a legend today.

i imagine they'll do it at sawgrass & harbor town & straits ...

For sure Kohler will definitely want to do something for him, as Dye effectively created those courses to get Herb big marquee events.

I love Pete Dye's work. His courses are hard and require thought, strategy, guts, discipline, and solid execution. They've proven to be great tests for the game's best and have provided us with some tremendous theater over the years. Still, I find them fair as well as fun for the recreational player, and really appreciate his creativity.

Years ago I was on a trip to Casa de Campo with my buddies and while playing Teeth of the Dog, Pete rolled up in a cart and asked how we were enjoying the course. He rode along with us as we played holes 4 thru 7 (I think he owned a house on #7). It was a really cool experience and he was both gracious and humble, expressing genuine interest in our opinions.

Sorry to see him go, but he lived a full life. Sadly, I lost my dad this morning, so feeling a little blue as well as nostalgic. Not entirely unexpected but tough nonetheless, and he was 10 years younger than Pete.

I posted this in 2018 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimers:

I played the Dye course at Mission Hills, Rancho Mirage several years ago with a couple of buddies. All of us were struggling and two of the weaker players had to bum some balls from us to finish because they lost so many in the bushes in the forced carry areas. 

There was a threesome in front of us - two older guys and a similar aged female. They didn’t hold us up but we were able to stay in touch with them. 

After the round one of the men approached us as we were parking the carts and asked how we like the course. I had played it several times and told him it wasn’t my favorite Mission Hills course, but it was a fun challenge. 

The hacks in our group whined that it was way too hard, and bushes and railroad ties are not fun, etc. 

The Director of Golf, (a friend of ours) joined the conversation and introduced us to Pete And Alice Dye. 

It was really awkward for us but the Dye’s were really nice.

An underrated Dye course is at TPC San Antonio. Great use of elevations, lots of risk reward decisions. Terrific course.

I used to live in High Point, NC, and the muni, Oak Hollow, is a Pete Dye course. I used to play it a lot, and always enjoyed it. Thanks, Pete!

I have never played a Dye course, but I remember seeing him interviewed on Golf Channel a few years ago, and he was asked about his course designs, and he said golf is not meant to be fair, and he designs his courses accordingly.

Sorry to see him go, but he lived a full life. Sadly, I lost my dad this morning, so feeling a little blue as well as nostalgic.

(((((((goodvibes))))))) to you and your family.

If you don’t love Austin Country then jump off a cliff...

Pete Dye was an artist and he will be missed...

-Chris

wasn't at my best this year at Harbour Town, but I DID manage a sandy par on 13.

that facility is a showplace.

thanks Pete.

So sorry to hear that ... best to you and your family.

Thanks @Hawkeye77

Sorry to hear your news as well. All the best to you and yours at this though time.

Never had the pleasure of playing any of his PGA circuit courses. But I do live in Indy, where he lived, and he has probably a dozen public designs here as well as those of his protégés. My favorite is Kampen at Purdue, closely followed by Brickyard Crossing (hosts an LPGA event every year). His designs are a lot of fun. Can be tough but can also make you feel accomplished when you play well, especially since most of his game is purely visual intimidation.

Very sorry to hear of your loss. May your Father Rest In Peace.

RIP Mr. Dye.

OMG...didn't even know he was sick...He will be missed.

good to know he will be using a bottomless budget to build courses where we will all end up. hopefully much much later