Mark
Thanks for the excellent article. I especially like the following quote.
Above all, don’t fall for the architect’s
most subtle trap—a large ego.
There’s a reason that Flynn set it up
the way he did: He wanted the golfer
to believe he or she could take a
breather. Short hole, no problem.But
Flynn, like all great golf course designers,
knew that the most dangerous
attitude a golfer can adopt is
complacency or a false sense of security.
By tempting the better player
with the possibility of an easy birdie,
Flynn subtly tightens the screws and
adds some pressure to the mix. His
design forces the player to hit shots
that pressure can make very difficult.
Jeff Brauer and Tom Doak were intimating the same philosophy of prodding the ego – provide a fair landing area short of a driver length and put out some tempting bait so the “LHN”’s wrap themselves round their own graphite shafts in pursuit of their Holy Grail – an ace from 300 yards.
I must concede to the LHR’s in practise rounds I’m guilty of falling into the same trap - that’s one of the great thrills of golf – trying to execute the impossible shot and every now and then getting away with it. However if something’s on the line a slyer mental attitude should kick in.