Is Winter the best season to study architecture in the field ?

[Patrick_Mucci]

With all of the trees and shrubs bare, does winter provide the best time to study a golf course's architecture ?

[TEPaul]

Without question!

The other incredibly important thing the winter season can do is allow those contemplating the removal of trees to see far more accurately what the golf course would look like after the tree removal!

I once had in mind the removal of a good deal of trees in one area of my golf course and I was about to recommend it but then the winter season came and I went back out and looked at what those trees blocked the view of (off the property) and very quickly changed my mind. Without question the removal of those trees would've been a virtual visual disaster had it not been for the benefit of the winter season!

[Mike_Trenham]

I am often amazed of how much more you can see the slopes on a green during the winter.  My guess has always been the lower angle of the sun provides this effect.

Access is also a bit easier.

[Craig Disher]

The low sun certainly does have an effect - as does the less humid, clearer air. The best aerial photos I've seen were taken during the dead of winter.

[Jeff_Mingay]

I really, really hope your theories are correct. I'm off to see a potential golf course site in Nova Scotia, Sunday. And, I'm scared!

It's gonna be cold, which is fine. I just hope there's no snow on the ground. If your theories are correct, I'll have a good look at the property!

[Mike_Trenham]

The low sun certainly does have an effect - as does the less humid, clearer air. The best aerial photos I've seen were taken during the dead of winter.

Craig most of the great arials we have of St Davids from the early era were taken during the winter and are from the Hagley collection.   Was this purposeful or consistent with the others from that collection?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

This would probably explain why I have never been fully able to appreciate Ted Robinson's brand of golf architecture-the humidity and the sunlight always seem to be the same here in SoCal!

[TEPaul]

TommyN:

You cats in SoCal also have a fake winter season!  

[wsmorrison]

It is also the best time to take green committee members around so they can see for themselves the effect a prudent tree removal plan would have.

[ForkaB]

Pat

The answer is "no" for two reasons:

1.  You can't really judge GCA unless you can see how the ball reacts on the ground.  In winter, the ground is either too wet to highlight architectural features or so frozen that features are only seen in microcosm

2.  If a course needs to be denuded of vegetation in order for it's greatness to be revealed, it is not a great course.  Great courses reveal themselves even when fully clothed, just like great women.

[wsmorrison]

"2.  If a course needs to be denuded of vegetation in order for it's greatness to be revealed, it is not a great course.  Great courses reveal themselves even when fully clothed, just like great women."

Rich,

Great courses are still great even if tree proliferation impacts the effects of wind, strategic play and agronomic conditions.  The architectural underpinning remains.  But wouldn't the course be even better if with a sound tree removal plan where encroachment compromises playability?  If this is the case, the winter season (Tommy N--here in the NE at any rate) is an excellent time to show what can be and it does register even with some of the most dense members of green committees.

[TEPaul]

"2.  If a course needs to be denuded of vegetation in order for it's greatness to be revealed, it is not a great course.  Great courses reveal themselves even when fully clothed, just like great women."

Rich:

That's a pretty myopic statement. I've seen some beautiful women in my life and some beautiful women who were really well dressed but in each case they all looked a lot better to me if and when I saw them denuded! I never made a regular practice of it but I never thought it was more enjoyable to make love to them when they had their clothes on compared to when they didn't!

[ForkaB]

Tom

As usual you are terribly, tragically worng.  But, as it's just golf and women we're tallking about, iit doesn't really matter.......

[TEPaul]

If you want to try to make love to a beautiful women who's fully clothed then that's OK with me pal!

[bstark]

  Good topic.
  Played Shinnecock yesterday and played shots from a variety of tee boxes. Given the rough was cut down we got to play a few shots from different angles, since we normally wouldn't have found the ball in summer. Winter gives you a cleaner perspective on the flow of the terrain. The summer  obscures the overrall contours. When there is no high grass the routing becomes much more visible.
  I really found the view walking up the 14th even more striking than in the summer. It was something to see the large hill on the right completely barren and the way the green teased you from a distance.
  The other thing you take note of (from the 13th tee box) is the incredible string of golf holes there will be looking west as you see Sebonack take shape. With the Peconic Bay in the distance I don't think there is a better view in golf.

[Gary_Nelson]

A golf architect once told me his favorite time to view a golf course was right after the shaping was complete... before any grass was planted.  He said the fairway lines and different grass heights makes it more difficult to see the natural flow of hills and swales.  Seeing it "in the dirt" was a more pure viewing of the course design as he had created it.

Perhaps Winter is the same... with a couple inches of snow you get back to a clean look without any maintenance issues that might obstruct your view of the architecture.

[Neil Regan]

 ...  Played Shinnecock yesterday ... Winter gives you a cleaner perspective on the flow of the terrain. The summer  obscures the overrall contours. When there is no high grass the routing becomes much more visible.
  I really found the view walking up the 14th even more striking than in the summer. It was something to see the large hill on the right completely barren and the way the green teased you from a distance.
  .....

Brian,

  The 14th has always been my favorite at Shinnecock. Here's a picture from summer 2003. Although the grass is high, the recent tree clearance has made visible even a right-side flag. I'd love to see some winter pictures.

Neil