The Fried Egg Golf Podcast · The Fried Egg

Golf Architecture with Blake Conant

·1 hr 10 min·4 clips

Blake says he once thought Langford was “the best architect in the world,” but has cooled on the work as he’s seen more golf.

1. The Fried Egg Golf Podcast episode centers on golf architecture with Blake Conant, with Andy Johnson steering a long discussion of Old Barnwell, Tom Doak, and construction choices. 2. Andy Johnson is the host, Blake Conant is the guest, and Blake matters because he has worked with Tom Doak, on Old Barnwell, and on his own projects like Shorehaven. 3. The episode asks what it means to build golf that is honest, functional, and strategically interesting without hiding the earthwork. 4. Blake explains why Old Barnwell’s first-hole berms were left visible, saying the scale made it hard to start fairways gracefully. 5. He says the berms act as a theme, provide a glimpse of what comes later, and in many places help steer stormwater. 6. Blake contrasts that approach with the modern preference for naturalism and says the team was “okay with not being graceful.” 7. He describes some earthmoving as “cutting two feet here” and “plopping it over there,” then choosing not to disguise the result. 8. Blake says working on his own has felt easier because the opportunities have come organically rather than through cold-calling. 9. He frames his career as a transition between solo work, work with Brian Schneider, and ongoing work with Tom Doak. 10. He says the part of the profession he likes most is planning and executing golf, whether it is a new course, a renovation, or a restoration. 11. Blake says Tom Doak looks at greens from the perimeter and judges recovery shots, not just internal contours. 12. He says that method broadened his own idea of a green and pushed him to think about surrounds as part of the green complex. 13. Blake notes that the green complex can extend to the next tee and sometimes out to where grassing lines end or a shot can throw 75 feet. 14. On building by himself versus with others, Blake says good ideas can come from interns, associates, or the person editing the work. 15. He says being with Tom can act as a safety net when something feels “wacky,” but working alone requires him to edit in his own head. 16. Blake’s strongest taste shift in the episode is his reassessment of William Langford after seeing more golf and more styles. 17. He says Langford’s raised green pads and aerial-only perspective matter to his judgment, even while he still likes the bunker strategy and the provocative shapes. 18. The tone stays conversational and technical, with Andy asking direct architecture questions and Blake answering in long, example-heavy explanations. 19. Listeners who like golf design, Old Barnwell, or Tom Doak will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting only tournament talk or short answers may skip it.

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