Waterfalls in the Desert

[TEPaul]

mgm is Michael Miller, the great artist that did those wonderful paintings with GeoffShac in the latest book on art in design??

If that's so---Michael I take back every single snide thing I ever said to you when you were mgm!!

[michael miller]

I don't know if you're serious, but in case you are, no apology is necessary. Our difference appears to be one of semantics and not substance. In any painting, of any subject matter, including still life, I have the same problem as a golf architect: How to keep features noticeable, have them be the "main event" and appear "natural" without blending them with the background and thusly, into obscurity.  In my view, MacKenzie did all of that at CP.  

[jim_lewis]

Tom:

I try hard to never judge a course I have not seen, especially one that has not been built. It is hard to imagine a situation where I would mark a course down significantly because of one offending feature, IF it were otherwise very good. Frankly, I have no axe to grind regarding waterfalls.

My only concern is that if you build a course with a waterfall (which will be viewed as caving in to the owner), will you still be able to offer your candid, and often critical, comments about the works of other architects who have done the same.

In any case, I think you can count on a free pass on GCA.

[TEPaul]

Michael:

In feel also, Mackenzie just about did it all at Cypress!  More than a few times I've said Cypress, in my opinion, may be the highest point ever acheived, before or since, at blending the architecture with nature or the overall natural look of that site!

You asked me if I was serious. I always try to be serious but I post so much on here I do try to throw some subtle humor in here from time to time. It hardly ever seems to come off, though, and that may be because subtle humor doesn't seem to translate that well over the Internet or else I'm just not a funny guy--probably both!

Anyway, I really have great admiration for the painting work you do and particularly your book with GeoffShac, "The Art of Golf Design". Your work in combination with the writing is truly wonderful and I've found the book, interestingly, to be one of the best instructionally, when attempting to educate people like members of things important about architecture.

I also found your explanation of your art in the beginning of the book exceptionally good. As for GeoffShac, to me he is the absolute best there is today at verbally presenting historic architecture, it's concept, principles, strategies and all the other things about the architecture and essence of the game that make it interesting.

One facet of GeoffShac's presentations on architecture is unlike many of the older guys who wrote (by no means all but some) who sort of regurgitated the same things over and over in slightly different words, he's extremely original in his ideas and presentations.

And of course Max Behr's articles are unbelievable.

[Tim Weiman]

Jim Lewis:

As for the tradeoff you pose, I would much rather see Tom Doak focus on building golf courses than producing an updated version of The Confidential Guide.

I want to see Tom and his team do the architecture work they are capable of.  Whether they get that much involved in commentary doesn't matter, at least not to me.

[michael miller]

TEPaul - Agreed. CP is at the pinnacle of design, by any definiton.
   No question, Geoff is very skilled in the area of architecture and its presentation in word form. I believe that anyone interested in golf architecture could acquire a more than adequate background by reading Thomas', "Golf Architecture in America" and some of Geoff's books like: "The Captain", "the Golden Age of Golf Design", The Art of Golf Design" and, "Alister MacKenzie's Cypress Point Club".

[Steve Sailer]

Dear Tom:

There are dozens of seasonal (Dec-May) waterfalls within 20 miles of your site. After all, you are up against a mountain range that rises extraordinarily sharply all the way to 10,800 feet. The snowmelt off that range over millions of years is why there are springs in Palm Springs. You can see a couple of these waterfalls from the Palm Springs aerial tramway. I would love to see a waterfall on a golf course that reproduces year round the look of those snowmelt waterfalls.

Best of luck to you,

Steve Sailer

[Carlyle Rood]

I haven't seen many waterfalls on golf courses, and I've seen ever fewer waterfalls that looked like they fit within their environment.

In fact, I've only seen ONE legitimate waterfall--adjacent to the 13th hole at Atlanta Country Club.  God designed it.  Willard Byrd identified it.  Jack Nicklaus embellished it.  And I hit my ball in it.

I wish this were a better picture; but, here it is:

http://www.arches.uga.edu/~crood/gallery/hole13.shtml