Hochstein Design takes an organic approach to golf architecture--from routing to shaping to detail finishing to turf grass selection. Golf is nature's game!
Joined June 2014
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Brett Hochstein retweeted
One of the saddest facts about the East Potomac situation is that it was being renovated - Trump’s problem is that it wasn’t being renovated by himself.
The National Links Trust was raising private contributions, making much needed repairs, and had a world class golf architect lined up to do the upgrades for free.
Those plans preserved the historic character, maintained affordability, and protected public access to the rest of the park.
Would trees have come down? Yes. Would land be moved? Yes
Would there be the uproar there is now? Absolutely not.
If Trump had really cared about the people this impacted he would have worked with the NLT to expedite their plan. But he didn’t. And he doesn’t.
This is not about giving the people a world class public course. It’s about giving himself a 17th.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
The Trump administration has finally admitted that its plan for a redesigned East Potomac Golf Links eliminates the road, bike path, and all other recreational areas at Hains Point.
Tom Fazio should be embarrassed to be involved in this heist of public lands.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Feels like every Oklahoma fan who made the trip has shared this exact sentiment. This is the real world. People are mostly good. We share so much in common. Stop letting culture war political commercials suggest otherwise. Social media isn’t real life.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
There are no bad days with the Good Doctor.
Last week, Fried Egg Golf Events swung out west for a visit with Alister MacKenzie's Pasatiempo Golf Club. A full field spent the afternoon taking in the restoration work of Jim Urbina Golf Design, @HochsteinDesign stopped by to talk about the project, and golden hour delivered a perfect sunset over the Monterey Bay. We would recommend this doctor to a friend.
Next up: Mountain Ridge Country Club
Brett Hochstein retweeted
The pictured plan here would take the golf course at East Potomac all the way out to the shoreline, eliminating the road and bike path around the perimeter, as well as the open recreational area at Hains Point.
As President Trump toured the East Potomac Golf Links in D.C., he carried what appeared to be plans showing a far more extensive redevelopment of the course than officials have publicly disclosed, potentially transforming it into a championship venue. wapo.st/4varmox
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Jack Nicklaus today on the golf ball rollback, laying much of the blame for a "debate" about it at the feet of the equipment companies.
"Most of the reason why the guys will complain about the golf ball being brought back is because of the manufacturers. And I mean, the manufacturer complains to a player and says, No, no, don't you tell 'em that you want that golf ball rolled back, otherwise you aren't going to be working for us. You know, we got manufacturers that are in there because they can tell the players that they got to do that. I think we had one instance of that earlier by a fellow who used to play out here. But -- and it was -- it's the -- and I don't understand why a manufacturer would worry about that from the standpoint because, you know, if you make the best golf ball you're going to continue to make the golf ball whether it goes five yards further or five yards shorter. It's not a big deal. It's just now getting to the point where we got to buy more land to build, to do anything. I mean, we had, we have probably, in this country today we probably have, if you don't touch the golf courses that are out there, and play 'em the way they are, we probably don't have 20, 25 maybe 30 golf courses that are really of championship caliber, really, without fooling around with 'em. If the ball was brought back a little bit, you know, we would have a lot more golf courses. Anyway, it's not a popular subject."
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Sequoyah CC is coming together. Pic from new 3 tee. Remember having this in my mind about seven yrs ago. Thanks to @theturfyoda @labargolf @sequoyahcc team, PZ and @hochsteindesign for bringing it to life.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
🤌🤌🤌
Glad this is getting out there. Let’s get everyone’s cards on the table. Very much pro-rollback. But tough to be pro *this* rollback. Let’s do it right. And do more than just the ball.
An interesting story out of the PGA Championship.
Multiple sources confirmed that Cameron Young has been using a golf ball that would very likely be deemed conforming under the new testing standards set out by the R&A and USGA.
Read ⬇️
golfchannel.com/pga-tour/new…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
I find the desire for unreasonable green speeds at the expense of original greens contouring to be offensive.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
It’s hard to convey how logistically impossible it would be to host a major/Ryder Cup on this piece of land. Meanwhile the USGA and PGA of A have no appetite to bring any of their flagship events to the property
These two renderings of a potential "reimagined" East Potomac Park appear in a fundraising document distributed by the new "National Garden of American Heroes Foundation."
It's unclear to what degree these (very AI-looking) images represent Tom Fazio's actual plans for the golf course, but I think they reveal some important things about the Trump administration's intentions at East Potomac:
1) The new "championship" golf course would take up most of the island. This would mean losing the perimeter road and bike path, the open space at the southern tip of the island, and perhaps even the famous cherry blossom trees, which feature prominently in an annual festival. These non-golf resources at East Potomac Park are used heavily by D.C. residents.
2) Building a bigger course would also mean reducing the number of available golf holes at the facility, likely from 36 to 18, as well as eliminating a historic, recently restored mini-golf course. Inevitably, this would make golf in D.C. less accessible, especially to beginning golfers.
3) Green fees for East Potomac's Blue Course currently top out at $48. There's no way the number would stay there post-reno.
4) The whole nouveau-riche, water-feature-centric aesthetic shown in the renderings is very much in line with Fazio's past work, but not at all representative of East Potomac's historical character and purpose.
5) The administration and the President himself have been open about their hopes to bring a major championship or Ryder Cup to the renovated East Potomac. I think it would be tremendously difficult to stage a tournament of that scale on this island, even after the reno. It does not appear to me that there's enough room.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Without getting political the deficit is $1.9 Trillion but the U.S. Govt is going to take over a golf course from a group that was funding a restoration with private money with an architect taking a pay cut to restore it.
This is the exact opposite of what conservative government is supposed to be. This is MAGA Meddling.
There is zero public good- this is a big government move.
I 100% oppose this decision.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
The answer here is not to bring the ball back to what it should sensibly be, but rather softer backboards, mushier courts, and wider baskets to keep up with how far it is bouncing.
March Madness’ overinflated balls may have made halfcourt buzzer-beater bounce out in Nebraska-Vanderbilt sbnation.com/college-basketb…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Relevant passage from my recent article linked below:
“Stubbornly, the video doubles down on a tired, tone-deaf position by putting 100% of the responsibility for adapting to the changing equipment on the golf courses themselves. "Repositioning bunkers or growing rough in key landing areas can create real consequences for missing the preferred line, increasing the importance of precision over power," says the narrator.
“This continues to be an insulting, victim-blaming argument. Absolving the multi-billion-dollar equipment companies of all responsibility for the problem that their admittedly impressive R&D capabilities have created is wrong. Forcing golf courses to take on the entire expense of solving that problem is galling. Demanding that courses reinvent themselves without asking the best golfers in the world to adapt is preposterous. So is the "the horse is out of the barn" excuse: using past USGA and R&A regimes' inaction on equipment to deny them an opportunity to correct things now, especially when, following the PGA Tour's own logic, reining in driving distance would not adversely affect competitive golf.”
golfpass.com/travel-advisor/…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Lots to be seen & read & enjoyed in Brett’s 2025 overview. The lead off photo…I love the bunker with no sand, by the way. The “blueprints” are fantastic…great photos & good projects developing!!!
Need a break from (gestures in all directions) things this Monday morning? A review of golf (mostly) in the UK and NY Met may help: hochsteindesign.com/blog/202…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Nice to see the SF skyline from different parts of @Sequoyahcc Can’t wait to get started w/ @theturfyoda @LaBarGolf @HochsteinDesign and the rest of our great team.
Brett Hochstein retweeted
Hard to convey the minor miracle it was that a group with such deep golf course expertise and a national network of friends to help has been so invested in local municipal golf course management. Throwing them out makes no sense.
We are devastated to report that the Trump administration is officially terminating our 50-year lease with the National Park Service to manage and renovate the three courses. The termination is effective immediately.
Read more: washingtonpost.com/sports/20…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
This hasn't resonated yet outside golf, but what this administration is essentially doing is taking over a national park for invented reasons so that the Trump Organization can run it and profit from it. Imagine if Yellowstone suddenly cost $1,000 but mostly served lobbyists.
We are devastated to report that the Trump administration is officially terminating our 50-year lease with the National Park Service to manage and renovate the three courses. The termination is effective immediately.
Read more: washingtonpost.com/sports/20…
Brett Hochstein retweeted
“How has the National Links Trust been doing? Pretty stellar!” The Trump-D.C. muni golf controversy, explained. 9 questions and answers golf.com/news/trump-dc-muni-…
