Rich, Tom, D.K.,
D. just answered Tom's questions about the British Isles have courses less than the typical measurements here. Doak gave a presentation at Archipalooza and it seemed every course he depicted in slides was par in the 60's and shortish I guess, but they looked magnificent. The specifics about par and length should be dictated by the land, however, I find a problem with delivering a plan to a developer with a par 68, 6000 yards, and assuring him he can market the course at his projected levels here in the States. That is something I need to do more homework on. I mean, the guy hires you, you get squeezed by all the regulations and developer demands and you end up in this situation. Where is the documentation I can present to him that he can make a good business out of a small course. The quality of the holes can be ever bit as good as the very finest private courses in the area, particulary if it is well routed to the site's natural features, but will good golfers come, will beginners pay a decent fee to make the course a good business? I do not know. I believe in my heart you can. I mean look at the crap advertising all the market experts do for courses. Look at the ads in the magazines and the billboards. They do absolutely nothing to educate the golfer about the fine strategic qualities of their course, possibly the historical ties to previous great architects, you know something that goes beyond, the rolling fairways, and beautiful white sand bunkers by the great pro Jim Furyk??? Who??? Why can't you have a 6000 yard course par 60 that has a marketng campaign that educates th golfer about the design qualities of their course, a campaign that treats the consumer with respect, and gives them a real education about the fine points of golf course architecture. Boy, if I were an owner I would demand that. It just seems developors follow the herd, no one is willing to believe passionately in what they have, and then be bold about promoting it, be an educator about architecture. Anyway, I have forgotten what your post was about. Designing such a course would be great. I mean what is the real intent of an architect. Get the trophy jobs? maybe. Design great holes. Always. That is the one thing people do not believe in, that it matters little what the size of the course is, if you believe in the game, and you let the land show you were its golf holes are you can make great holes, whether it is low, mid, or high budget. Great holes can be found at any level.