Fried Egg Stories: How to Make a Monster (The Open Doctor and His Monster, Part 1)

Today, we kick off a three-part documentary series called “The Open Doctor and His Monster,” in which we chronicle the Robert Trent Jones era in golf: its origins in Rochester, New York; its breakthrough moment at Oakland Hills Country Club; and its recent fall from favor. In this first installment, we tell the story of how Robert Trent Jones rose from a blue-collar background to the status of “Open Doctor”—and how, in the process, he came up with ideas that would dominate golf course design for decades. Our guests in this episode are Robert Trent Jones Jr., James Hansen, Richard Howting, and Bradley Klein ( @BradleySKlein ). Further reading: James Hansen, A Difficult Par: Robert Trent Jones Sr. and the Making of Modern Golf Bradley Klein, Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and His Golf Courses