How former champion Byron Nelson changed his handling course
When Lanny Wadkins won the Byron Nelson Classic in 1973, he received a $35,000 payout and a trophy, personally presented by the tournament’s namesake.
Wadkins was 23 years old, at the beginning of his career. Nelson was 61 and long retired from competition. The two became friends with World Golf Hall of Famers. Their connection would not end there.
Over the decades, Wadkins watched as Byron Nelson moved from place to place, leaving his home at Preston Trail Golf Club for other courses in the Dallas area. Nelson remained its official manager until his death in 2006, and his name has followed the event ever since. Wadkins, on the other hand, has built a new relationship with himself as the architect of the renovation of TPC Craig Ranch, which hosts this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
“Oh, I’ll be there watching,” Wadkins said over the phone. “I want to see how these guys take it.”
Wadkins is 76, but he’s no old dog learning new tricks. He has been involved in course design for decades, collecting credits that include Blackjack Crossing in Lajitas, Texas, and TPC Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. After his playing days, he climbed the broadcasting tower and spent 18 years as a TV analyst. Now that that chapter is also closed, he is completely focused on designing. “I don’t really like to do anything unless I go in completely,” he said.
His work at TPC Craig Ranch was the catalyst for a $25 million renovation by the club’s owner, Invited Clubs. Work began as soon as last year’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson wrapped up, with Scottie Scheffler running away with the title by eight shots at 31-under par. The course, a Tom Weiskopf design that opened in 2004, had never been touched. Now it has happened.
Wadkins’ mandate was typical of the modern era: strengthen the defense against the game’s best players while keeping the course playable for everyone. One of the structure’s strengths, he said, was its flexible tee options, important in Texas, where the wind is always close. Leaning on that, he extended several holes that played with the wind. He also repositioned and deepened the bunkers and adjusted the angles on several holes. The 9th green now sits next to a creek, for example, while the 11th green — a false-side bunker that Wadkins describes as reminiscent of the 14th at Augusta National — wraps around a lake.
“That’s the way to protect yourself these days,” he said. “I’m trying to get the driver back to playing as an important team.”
On the greens, Wadkins and his team went with bentgrass, a receptive turf that allowed them to create challenging contours. Dungeons are located in low areas, so players will be rewarded with direct paths. But a sloppy shot must be punished, leaving players with long, crooked putts or testy recoveries on the fairways.
“Without stellar iron play, it’s going to take real thought to play well,” Wadkins said.
Growing up in Virginia, Wadkins cut his teeth on Golden Age designs, including two studies by William Flynn. Those experiences stayed.
“I’ve done well enough in my career that I’ve played a lot of great courses,” he said. “But I always liked antiques.”
At Wake Forest, his home course was the Old Town Club, a design by Perry Maxwell, and he says Maxwell’s wrinkled, contoured greens influence his work.
Some of that old-school insight comes from Craig Ranch. The par-3 4th now features a Biarritz green, a classic design feature, with a deep swale that bisects the putting area. The 11th green, with no accommodation and a series of fairways leading away from the hole, is reminiscent of the 14th at Augusta. On the 6th hole, Wadkins and his team added a fairway to the front, reinforcing the demands of the short par 4 that Wadkins watched players make last year. They also extended the tournament tee back to the fence and added fairways to 320 yards, forcing players to decide whether to lay safely on the tee, or challenge the sand.
How hard will the course play? Wadkins isn’t convinced. A lot depends on the setup, he doesn’t control. He plans to play a practice round with his sons to get a feel for things – though he’s quick to note that his game is no barometer of elite golf. “I hit it short, I can feel it hitting the ground,” he said.
If he had his way, the haystacks would be thick and the greens moving like lightning. “I think they can play them at 13,” he said, “although I don’t think the Tour would want to play it that early.”
It’s hard to know what the winning number will be. The purse, however, will be much different than when Wadkins won. The total payout is $10 million, with the winner taking home $1.8 million.
