Passive survivability of a golf course's architecture

[Mike_Young]

Saw this quote and felt it had much merit toward golf courses.....

"Another ancillary benefit of designing buildings for passive survivability would be a return to the regional diversity of vernacular architecture. There was a reason why homes in the Southeast had wide porches and large roof overhangs 200 years ago, why the New England saltbox had most of its windows on the south, and why homes in the Midwest’s tornado belt were so often bermed into the ground. A design criteria of passive survivability would bring back these vernacular styles."

Where we usually screw up a golf course is by going against the above quote....JMO

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Unfortunately Mike, too many would rather talk about the odds of who won the Bell South Classic then at least try to stay on this site's topic, golf architecture.

Of course it is obvious what your talking about. It's absolutely intriguing. I can go with lengthening a course to accomdate length--with-in reason. However, I can't believe that the powers that be could be stupid enough to try to convince the world that the original design intent was being preserved--from a shot value perspective. (I hate using the 'sv' word. I hate it)

It's all utter bullshit and unfortunately the way our entire methodology of how we approach things in this country, if not the world. We've all become a nation of Golf Digest Panelists with dreams of ruling the world.

Why it would make Horace Hutchinson puke!

But to stay on topic, I would blame a lot of it on Robert Trent Jones. Well maybe not blame him directly, but blame him for the mindset that he created. We went like 40-50 years without development of but maybe one to three course of any creative architectural significance. He was the guy that altered holes--along with misguided green committees like Garden City Golf Club #12 and replace it with a hole that looked like it belonged at some Vermont resort course. It's the equivalent of Frank Gehry going into Pasadena, California and building some crazy modern titanium-looking structure that looks like a constipated robot dropping.

[cary lichtenstein]

Mike:

Exactly what I have been preaching to our green chairman, unfortunately he had no clue what I was talking about

Cary

[Jari Rasinkangas]

Mike,

When talking about golf courses how would you define a vernacular style of a golf course?

Jari

[TEPaul]

Mike:

This is a subject that's just fascinating. Congratulations for broaching it. There're so many different ways of approaching this overall subject and looking at it.

When it comes to much of the old regional vernacular of buildings, particular residential buildings, there's no question in my mind the single biggest thing that drove it all was the architectural necessity to provide both heating and cooling as well as possible.

Fortunately or unfortunately the onset of central heating and cooling pretty much did away with that architectural necessitiy, regional vernacular or not.

But golf course architecture and passive survivability?

Perhaps one of the most direct theories of that philosophy was Max Behr's ideas on "permanent" golf architecture. His theory was that architects should simply mimic in what they make those natural landforms that withstand the forces of nature best---eg the erosion of wind and water.

In that vein, Behr recommended the use of the convex angle vs the concave angle as much as possible.

But think of the lack of survivability of perhaps some of the most beautiful and artistic golf architecture of all time---eg Pebble and Cypress's gorgeous looking "imitation sand dunes". Some of the fairways and greens almost looked like they were pasted onto sand---it was incredibly low profile and beautiful.

Or look at some of the bunkering and sand areas Crump did at PVGC originally. Could some of that architecture survive? Not at all. Between 1927 and 1931 the club had to "terrace" and "vegetate" massive areas of that sand and also plant 3,000-5,000 trees PER YEAR just to do what they called "hold the golf course together" (survivability).

Is there any question at all that kind of artistic architecture could not possibly survive the forces of Nature? I don't think so. Did they not understand that back then or did they just not care?

Whatever the answer, there's no question at all it had none of what you just called "passive survibability".

[Mike_Young]

read this link    
www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=141202a.xml

if the above doesn't open  check  www.buildinggreen.com and view the Dec2005 issue  For some reason it will open oncomputer but not on this link
I think much of it applies to golf arch

[Marty Bonnar]

Extremely thought-provoking (in MY head at least!) thread, Mike.

I find myself disagreeing with TEP however, In that I believe the single most important driver of 'The Vernacular' is actually the 'Ready Availability of Locally-Sourced Materials'.
Viewed in this context, Vernacular Architecture is really the fore-runner of, yes, you guessed it, this year's Buzz-word: Sustainability.

Thus, while certainly taken in the context of the local climate, a local workforce with apprenticed-skills (learned from their fathers and their fathers before them), would use material in a truly LOCAL context.

In GCA terms, to me this translates as an Architect properly analysing the climatic, geographic and botanical (to name only a few) constraints on a potential design and then properly applying that analysis in execution.

For example, in any landscape-design work, I certainly always try to utilise Native Species in preference to 'Exotics'.

FBD.

[TEPaul]

While this interesting subject when applied to golf course architecture probably falls broadly into the context of landscape design and landscape architecture it would not surprise me if someone doesn't try to draw some massive influence from the so-called "Arts and Craft" movement whose basic theme in building architecture was local materials that evolved into regional vernaculars.

[ed_getka]

Mike,
   With regards to the subject you brought up how will you be applying that process to the course over near the Jordan River? (I forget the exact location).

[Mike_Young]

Ed,
I will definitely try to use such but have to see what is avaialble first.
Mike

[BCrosby]

Mike -

Great topic.

I hope using more local vernacular is the next stage of of gca.

Survivability and low maintenance are only a part of it.

Using new and original design elements also become more possbile - elements previously thought too down home or uninteresting to be appropriate for a fancy, expensive golf course.

In the SE, let clay be clay, for example. Don't clean it up or cover it or put sparkling white sand over it. Use privets, honey suckle or maybe even kudzu for hazard areas. Use old farm fences, cattle grates, wash-outs. Use native tall grasses to define or hide things.

Where is it written that features need to look like they were lifted from great courses in New Jersey or Monterrey? Nor is there anything linksy about the SE nor will there ever be.

So let's deal with it. How's about someone build a course in Georgia that at looks unmistakably to be a course built in Georgia?

(My consulting services can be had at rock bottom prices. )

Bob  

 

[TEPaul]

If golf course architecture is really going to get into the regional vernacular, I'd like to see sand bunkers used only where the site has natural sand. Matter of fact, I'd like to see whatever is used in their stead be able to completely skirt the definition of a bunker. Has anyone ever stopped to consider how completely the Rules of Golf has fixated over the sand bunker for decades upon decades? It's gotten so comprehensive in the Rules I believe it's even effected architecture.

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