The Ghost Name in Golf Course Architecture

Joe Hancock may be the most-mentioned, least-seen name in modern golf course architecture.In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore sit down with Joe (@joeytheknows on Twitter), golf course shaper, designer, superintendent, operator, and longtime DeVries Design collaborator.Joe has one of those golf lives that seem to run beneath the surface of the game and the grounds we play on. He grew up around golf in Michigan, worked as a superintendent, owned and operated a family golf course, helped build The Mines with Mike DeVries, and has since shaped and collaborated on projects with some of the most respected architects in the modern game.The conversation dives into:Joe’s friendship and working relationship with Mike DeVries, from childhood summers on Crystal Lake to shaping The Mines in Grand RapidsWhy being a former superintendent and golf course operator changed the way Joe thinks about clients, budgets, maintenance, and the people who actually play the courseThe quiet art of shaping, including how a shaper learns when to execute, when to suggest, and when to let the land do most of the workBroomsedge, Candy Root, and the design decisions that create charm, confusion, restraint, half-par holes, and shots that stay with you after the roundThe case for more accessible, affordable, interesting public golf — and why the future of the game needs more than expensive destination architectureConnect with our guest🚜 Joe Hancock — https://devriesdesigns.com/joe-hancock — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/JoeytheKnowsFollow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag Drop🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Join the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubSupport our Partners🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.comConnect with Matt &amp; The Professor🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/Chapters00:00 Allergies, handkerchiefs, putting woes, and intentional practice10:02 Titleist fitting, descent angle, and getting on to the show12:08 Joe Hancock joins The Bag Drop14:16 Growing up with Mike DeVries and finding golf course work22:17 Building The Mines and discovering a life in shaping26:45 What owning and operating a golf course taught Joe about service32:13 Collaboration, humility, and getting inside an architect’s head42:15 What the best architects have in common44:25 Broom Sedge, challenge, charm, and half-par golf47:39 How Joe ended up at Broom Sedge56:04 The mystery and strategy of Broom Sedge’s 18th hole01:06:38 Firm golf, color, turf, restraint, and maintenance expectations<