The Ghost Name in Golf Course Architecture
play Play pause Pause
S1 E276

The Ghost Name in Golf Course Architecture

play Play pause Pause
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:
  • Joeโ€™s friendship and working relationship with Mike DeVries, from childhood summers on Crystal Lake to shaping The Mines in Grand Rapids
  • Why being a former superintendent and golf course operator changed the way Joe thinks about clients, budgets, maintenance, and the people who actually play the course
  • The 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 work
  • Broomsedge, Candy Root, and the design decisions that create charm, confusion, restraint, half-par holes, and shots that stay with you after the round
  • The case for more accessible, affordable, interesting public golf โ€” and why the future of the game needs more than expensive destination architecture
Connect with our guest
๐Ÿšœ Joe Hancock โ€” https://devriesdesigns.com/joe-hancock โ€” ๐Ÿฆ X/Twitter: https://x.com/JoeytheKnows

Follow The Bag Drop
๐Ÿ“ธ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop
๐Ÿฆ X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf
๐Ÿ“บ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolf

Listen to The Bag Drop
๐ŸŽง Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006
๐ŸŽง Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH
๐ŸŽง Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/

Join the NewClub community
๐ŸŒ Website: https://www.newclub.golf
๐Ÿ“ธ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/
๐Ÿฆ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf
๐Ÿ“บ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf
๐Ÿ’ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclub

Support our Partners
๐Ÿ NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf
๐ŸŒ๏ธ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com
๐ŸŒ Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.com

Connect with Matt & The Professor
๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Matt Considine โ€” ๐Ÿฆ X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | ๐Ÿ“ธ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | ๐Ÿ’ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/
๐Ÿ“š Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") โ€” ๐Ÿฆ X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | ๐Ÿ“ธ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | ๐Ÿ’ผ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/

Chapters
00:00 Allergies, handkerchiefs, putting woes, and intentional practice
10:02 Titleist fitting, descent angle, and getting on to the show
12:08 Joe Hancock joins The Bag Drop
14:16 Growing up with Mike DeVries and finding golf course work
22:17 Building The Mines and discovering a life in shaping
26:45 What owning and operating a golf course taught Joe about service
32:13 Collaboration, humility, and getting inside an architectโ€™s head
42:15 What the best architects have in common
44:25 Broom Sedge, challenge, charm, and half-par golf
47:39 How Joe ended up at Broom Sedge
56:04 The mystery and strategy of Broom Sedgeโ€™s 18th hole
01:06:38 Firm golf, color, turf, restraint, and maintenance expectations
01:13:06 Candy Root and doing less to the land
01:20:29 Public versus private golf and the future of access
01:31:26 Whatโ€™s next for Joe Hancock

What is The Bag Drop?
The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.

What is NewClub?
Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

Creators and Guests

Matt Considine
Host
Matt Considine
Founder of NewClub and our resident feel player. Mattโ€™s junior golf career led him to the University of Akron where he met our co-host. During his junior year, Matt Studied abroad in Ireland and discovered golf societies. Subsequent trips to Scotland fed his passion for the history, ideals, and culture of accessible, affordable, and sustainable golf, a concept he would later bring to the U.S. with NewClub. Known for his interviewing style, quick wit, and compelling storytelling, Matt brings thoughtful, reflective conversations to The Bag Drop. His professional journey before NewClub included multiple leadership positions in growth-stage startups, where he managed teams responsible for more than $250 million in revenue. Matt actively gives back to the game as a Board Member of the First Tee of Akron and past chair of the Evans Scholar Foundation. Proudly based in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, Matt finds inspiration in family life with his wife, their three children, and their golf dog, Gypsy.
The Professor
Host
The Professor
NewClub's Chief Ambassador and every golf sicko's favorite educator. Kevin is a thoughtful and deeply curious host. His studied, constructivist approach adds intellectual enrichment and balance to the show. As a professor of Math Education at the University of Georgia, Kevin's background in applied mathematics and cognitive psychology uniquely informs his insights on golf strategy and performance. Originally from Ohio, Kevin was a Division I collegiate golfer at the University of Akron, where his passion for understanding mathematical thinking began. After earning his doctorate from Arizona State University, he combined his analytical expertise with his love for golf by co-founding Golf Blueprint, an organization aimed at helping golfers optimize their games through data-driven strategies. Kevin enjoys balancing deep philosophical discussions with simple pleasures, such as indulging his sweet tooth, cheering on college football, and spending relaxed evenings with his friends, his wife, and their beloved dog, Nole.