That is, I understand, common with Tour Pros and their firms. It might be possible with a large firm...
However, it could be just at true...where the work is done in the field by shapers/shaping associates and the head guy comes out to tweak every once in a while.
Contractors are usually pretty good about making reasonable changes, providing its close to what was drawn or explained, and the changes take hours or only days. I can see them getting frustrated with any gca who repeatedly changes a green because he just doesn't know what he wants.
While the frustration level of the shaper would be the same either way, I suppose. That said, most of the in house shapers probably also get billed to the owner hourly, and there would be some extra cost for repeated shaping, there too. If not, and the gca is providing the shaper on a lump sum basis, there might come a time near the end of the project where "that's good enough" might come into play, too, as the gca realizes he's paying for it out of his own pocket, just as a contractor would. http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36235.0.html
In a few paragraphs the claims and basis for this blog are substantiated, but as one scientist had written... "An author never misses out a chance to point out a confirming instance of his theory"... so the drumbeat will continue until everyone is convinced the best service any investor could have is to have the architect leading construction daily. Above there are a few things to note:
- It's not uncommon for architects to rebuild work built according to plan; it's especially common with "Signature" designers.
- Builders having to rebuild work constructed according-to-plan get frustrated. Who wouldn't?
- Architects with a bunch of work completed, and too much of it requiring reworking will let inferior work pass. "It's good enough."
All the problems listed are easily rectified with an architect on-site daily.
An architect leading construction daily can modify features as they are being built, answer all questions builders may have in real-time looking at the work with the builder... not days or week later... or by telephone, seize every opportunity to improve the product as it is being built, and only accept excellence.
All this makes the work go faster, it's more fun, and everyone is happy... proud of the result.
Why else would an architect be on-site other than to help the builders achieve excellence for the investor?
For the best think tank on golf course architecture, I highly recommend www.golfclubatlas.com
Tony Ristola
agolfarchitect.com
agolfarchitect@yahoo.com
+49 (0)173 450 4552
1(909) 581 0080
