Old MacDonald: Bandon might be a nice place for an internship

With all the news lately about the fourth course at Bandon Dunes, perhaps the most interesting is the role of Tom Doak as architect. Doak calls his design firm Renaissance Golf, and his team of architects, renaissance men. Mike Keiser, the buddha of bandon, has gone on record that, even though he broke with his strategy of unique architects in hiring Doak a second time, the true architect of Old MacDonald will be CB Maxwell, err, I mean, MacDonald himself.

Given the locale, the team, and the ownership, how’d you like to have a shot at a paid internship at Bandon, with Doak and Keiser, and the spirit and spirits of C.B. MacDonald? Well, you’re a click away. CLICK HERE.

Tom Doak offers two paid internships per year for budding architects. The text of one of the site pages reads like this:

Tom Doak has always believed in allowing young aspiring designers to get a taste of golf course design and construction, as he was allowed with Pete Dye and family. Since his first solo job, at High Pointe Golf Club, the company has employed summer interns whenever arrangements could be made.

In 2003, the program was expanded and formalized, with notices sent to every Landscape Architecture and Turf Management program in the United States and Canada. Three- or six-month internships are awarded based on the student’s individual circumstances, and are designed to include both office work and construction experience, plus some opportunity to travel on consulting assignments and to see and play a few of the best golf courses in the world. Since the expansion of the program, more than 75 applications have been received each year, not only from the USA and Canada but from several foreign countries as well.

I’m going to make an application for 2007, as I believe that my students are in need of a break. I’ll let you know what I learn. Wish me luck.