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Routing a golf course?

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Jonathan Davison:
An architect is chosen to design a golf course. The architect finds 18 of the most natural golf holes on the site.
What factors could deter the architect from using these holes?
Exclude environmental and planning restrictions.
Should wind, hole direction, climate or soil conditions over rule a natural golf course?
Safety is also excluded.

Brian Phillips:
If the soil conditions are so poor can the holes really be classed as natural golf holes?

If there is no water supply to irrigate and you need to damage one of these holes to create an irrigation source...

Brian

Jonathan Davison:
Sorry Brian maybe natural is the wrong word.
What if they were beautiful - strategic and within rolling topography.
Would you spend more money and time if some kind of restriction was involved or would you choose an easier solution if it were not as good a golf hole?

Brian Phillips:
Jonny,

I am not sure I am understanding you.  If my budget was unlimited and I could cap all the fairways for these beautiful holes then I would do it.

If the budget was limited and I would bankrupt the project sticking to my 'beautiful' holes then I would find a new routing.

If money can solve a challenge and help me produce a product that is worth it then yes i would stick by my original design if I believed it to be far superior to the cheaper holes.  You have (as you well know) a responsibility to the client to explain the plusses and minuses with what you want to do.

We have a similar problem now on a nine hole course in Norway.  It is partially located on a peat bog (again..) and they do not have the money to dig out the bog.  We are laying geotextile over the bog and filling with a sandy loam material for our fairway.  However, we are refusing to budge on greensites.  The client must dig out the green sites so as to not get settlement.  A 5 cm sinkage on a green is disastrous wheras the same happening on a fairway can be endured.

It is all about budgets in the end....one reason that I may never be able to design the dream golf course...we do not get the land or the budgets... ;)

By the way did you get the job?

Brian.

Jonathan Davison:
Thanks Brian
The job was not a job after all???

The question is based on a number of design competitions I am currently working on. The competitions are routing plans with little information on soil etc. If we look just at a survey without any other information or site visits can I only design what I feel is natural strategic golf holes.
I guess it is the difference between working in the industry & trying to work in the industry.

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