The latest in a continuing series on Canada’s golf designers.
Dragon Fire's DeCunha (left) and designer Danoff (right)
Years in business: 20
Recent work: Dragon’s Fire GC, Carlisle, Ont., Queenston Quarry (Niagara-on-the-lake)
Key course: Thundering Waters, Niagara, Ont.
Quote: “I have worked with many great architects from around the world and Bo is one of the
very best I have ever seen “John Daly
Strengths:
- Work at Dragon’s Fire demonstrated interest in making courses playable, walkable.
- Very current with aesthetic trends in the industry.
- Ambitious — left Ted Baker’s firm to take on Thundering Waters project
Weaknesses:
- Courses demonstrate little regard for strategy and ignore shot values.
- Difficulty of his courses designed for Ted Baker (Royal Ontario, for instance) results in slow paced rounds.
- Work at Thundering Waters has not been well received and the course has already had a significant renovation, reworking several holes.
Overview: Formerly an associate with Ted Baker who worked on Loyalist near Kingston, Royal Ontario in Milton and Royal Niagara in Niagara-on-the-lake, Danoff left the firm to create Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls. The course, apparently co-designed with John Daly, has turned off many who expected a wider course, and instead received a target-style facility. His more recent work at Dragon’s Fire, with its wide fairways and heightened playablity, is a significant improvement. However, he still has a lot of naysayers out there who have little positive to say about his work to date.
What’s possible?: Until Dragon’s Fire, there was little suggestion Danoff could rise up the food chain of golf designers in Canada. That course has been well received, but it comes at a time when few new courses are likely to get built. A project called Queenston Quarry in Niagara-on-the-lake (what is it with Niagara courses and this guy?) is stalled in approvals.
Overall: C
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in 
Sir:
“Shot values” is a very common but nebulous term. Perhaps you could cite an example of a hole or two that Mr. Dannof has designed that lacks any sort of shot value or strategy.
Sure — the opener at Royal Ontario is a good example, as are several holes on the back nine. There are the mirror-image 9th and 18th holes at the same course, both of which utilize the same shots.
I recall a conversation with touring pro Alan McLean after playing Thundering Waters. He was convinced the designer — who he didn’t know — had little understanding of hazard placement or hole design.
I’m sure there are others that would say otherwise. Danoff’s most recent, Dragon’s Fire, had less of this.