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Derek Duncan

@feedtheball

Architecture Editor @GolfDigest. Host, Feed the Ball podcast. University of Colorado. Dad. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fee…
Decatur, GA feedtheball.com Joined December 2011
973 Following 6.7K Followers 8.4K Posts

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Derek Duncan @feedtheball
Yes, but again, in all of these comments no one is talking about the design of the course. These issues are ephemeral to what will be permanent. Please, someone talk about the architecture.
Joseph Stewart @joe3jax 5d
A new course, it takes a couple growing couple of growing seasons to mature. We also dealt with difficult weather conditions this summer and into the fall here in SETX . When I was there in July, there were fewer patches than shown. You just don’t know how mounds/high points or low areas will handle the stresses.
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Derek Duncan @feedtheball
The criticism about the green fee is fair because the value is subjective, but it’s not out of place with peer public courses (unfortunately).

Telling, though, that this is all about services and amenities. What about the design? The design will endure long after the amenities are built out.

“Critiques” like this are pretty useless when they’re based entirely on the course’s newness. The exact same things can be said about Rodeo Dunes this year. Almost everything written here will be irrelevant in a year.
Quarter Zip Sports Verified account @TheQuarterZip Nov 5
Wild Dunes review from the Texas Golf FB group:

I suspect I'll get ripped for this but I'll stick my neck out and say it: Wild Spring Dunes is way overrated. I recognize that it opened only a month ago, there's going to areas the course still needs to develop, and they are working out the kinks with their logistics.

It's magnificent terrain for East Texas, Tom Doak did an amazing job with the layout, and the course features feel spot on.

It is so overpriced I cannot believe it. There's no practice green, no driving range (I don't count 2 hitting nets towards a warmup), and the massage table feels gimmicky and misplaced; even for being a 2 hour drive from the nearest major airport it's just a blatant tip-money-grab.

I'm a retired caddie but don't consider myself a harsh critic. I mentioned my experience to the host when I arrived but got zero help. The mandatory caddie fee could be justified if they were properly trained but Bermuda grain takes a trained eye to read and they fell far short. Not to mention I had to correct several approach numbers and had to play through mixed feedback to place halfway decent.

Great course for locals but the price is going to drive them out quickly. They better pray the Coore/Crenshaw course turns out better and they need to figure out the management before I consider revisiting.

Ranked it 30 out of 172 I have played, 22 out of the 52 new courses I have played in 2026. Full Eden review attached
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