44 Decisions

[Tom_Doak]

While out on the road this summer, I wrote a stream-of-consciousness article for one of the golf magazines which detailed a day on site at Rock Creek -- all of the design decisions I made in one day on the job.  I counted 44 in all.

Anyone care to guess which of the following topics consumed the most brain power?

a) tees
b) greens
c) bunkers
d) playing length of hole
e) grading - visibility issues
f) drainage issues
g) fairways
h) tree clearing
i) cart paths

Note:  my numbers may not be representative of other architects' issues, because I had Eric Iverson and Brian Slawnik and Kye Goalby and Chris Hunt and Jonathan Resietter all on site for most of the spring, and they probably sorted out a lot of stuff by themselves so I didn't have to bother with it.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Cart paths

[Ryan Farrow]

Since we don't know the site I can’t really comment on the grading or tree clearing. Drainage should be simple enough. Fairways, bunkers, tees, seem to be in the same time category.

But just maybe you took Jordan’s comment to heart and really thought about where you were going to place the cart paths. I would say that or playing length.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom Doak,

My guess would be cart paths as well.

Primarily because they're a secondary consideration with the value of the hole being a primary consideration.

And, fitting an invisible or descrete cart path into a good hole may be a difficult task, especially if the topography doesn't co-operate.

Even if your creative process works well in this area, it can be a costly additive.

And, isn't it really a forced discipline, one that is at the perimeter or outside of the confines of the creative process in terms of GCA ?

An afterthought once the principle work is done ?

[Tom_Doak]

Only two of the 44 decisions had to do with cart path locations.  This is probably because Eric knows very well I hate having to think about cart paths when I could be thinking about golf, and he makes an extra effort to solve cart path problems so I don't have to.  But there are always one or two tough ones where you have to decide between two evils.

And, Ryan, only one of the decisions was about playing length -- whether to move a tee back a few yards on one of the par three holes, so it would have a little bigger gap with a later par three.  We did reposition several of the middle or forward tees, but only for a better view or better visibility or a more interesting angle of play.  Apart from that, I really don't care a whole lot whether a hole is 458 yards or 439 ... I just don't think it matters much.

[Rick Shefchik]

I'm guessing drainage. It has to rank below even cart paths as a sexy subject, yet it seems complicated enough (to this non-architect, anyway) to be a constant consideration.

Or maybe it's just that it's hay fever season in Minnesota, and I seem to be having drainage issues of my own.

[Peter Galea]

Grading-visibility.

Oh yeah, how far along was the project?

[Adam Clayman]

I'll guess greens. They seem to have to be so finly tuned to make a hole fun and playable.

It could be the other non-sexwertor tree clearing?

[TEPaul]

"Anyone care to guess which of the following topics consumed the most brain power?"

TomD;

Nope. I don't want to stab in the dark and guess. I expect you to just tell us.  

[Tom_Doak]

I'll wait til tomorrow morning, Tom, to see if any of the resident experts can sort it out.

[Jim Nugent]

Hasn't Doak said a course defends itself on and around the greens?   That's my guess: greens.  

[Jordan Wall]

drainage

[Matt_Cohn]

Grading, because it accounts for the majority of the acreage of the course. Doesn't this encompass drainage issues too, though?

[Tim Bert]

I'll go with fairways because of how much space they take.  Seems like there should be plenty of decisions.

I also think you'd spend a lot of time talking about bunkering, though it might depend upon the timing of the trip.

[DMoriarty]

I'll go with grading-visibility issues.  Visibility issues in particular.  

If I had had to guess blind I'd have said rock clearing issues.  

[Phil McDade]

Greens.

Most of the truly famous greens discussed and admired here on GCA -- Yale's 9th, some of those at NGLA, the 14th at Augusta, some of the new ones at Ballyneal -- seem to be more "mand-made" than many other features of a course. I always hear/read about "natural green sites" on admired courses, particularly links courses, but the nature of the green itself -- internal contours, false fronts, receptiveness to the kind of shot likely to be played into it -- strikes me as something an architect would put a lot of time and consideration into. That's my vote.

[Dean Paolucci]

My guess is drainage although I would have surmised cart paths as well.  Very complex issue depending on the sensitivity of the site.

[ed_getka]

I hope it was greens.
Next is hole length
Next is drainage
Grading for visibility.

Hard to guess after the first one without seeing the land.

Tom,
    Is this scenario site-specific, or do you generally find the decisions adhere to some sort of hierarchy?

[Joel_Stewart]

Oh yeah, how far along was the project?

This is the important question?

Since nobody has said bunkers I'll go with that for the fun of it.  I'm hoping the grading and clearing is finished so you're looking at the stregic look of the holes.

What does the winner get?

[bakerg]

I think the answer is the greens, but I think that might be too obvious.

So, I am going to say grading-visibilty.  

[John Kirk]

I'll guess drainage also, simply because it's the first answer that came to mind, and that's often a reliable way to answer a question.  Seems mundane though.

[Brian Phillips]

While out on the road this summer, I wrote a stream-of-consciousness article for one of the golf magazines which detailed a day on site at Rock Creek -- all of the design decisions I made in one day on the job.  I counted 44 in all.

Anyone care to guess which of the following topics consumed the most brain power?

a) tees
b) greens
c) bunkers
d) playing length of hole
e) grading - visibility issues
f) drainage issues
g) fairways
h) tree clearing
i) cart paths

Note:  my numbers may not be representative of other architects' issues, because I had Eric Iverson and Brian Slawnik and Kye Goalby and Chris Hunt and Jonathan Resietter all on site for most of the spring, and they probably sorted out a lot of stuff by themselves so I didn't have to bother with it.

Tom,

My guess is:

1.  Greens
2.  Tee placement
3.  Tree Clearing
4.  Fairway

That is what I think we spend most of our time on.  Tee placement is usually a hot bed of discussion between Graeme, Kenny and myself.

Cheers,

Brian.

[ChipRoyce]

I'd say tree clearing. With all the emphasis on clearing trees on the great courses, I'd say Tom and others would be very deliberate on when to *keep* a tree for aesthetic or strategic reasons.

[peter_p]

Drainage should have already been sorted out. Playing length sort of eliminates tees, and I also think visibility should have also been done earlier, leaving a short list of greens, trees,
bunkers and fairways.
Hard to pick, but I think decisions on the grading and slopes of greens would top the list.

[cary lichtenstein]

Bunkers