Random architecture

[Andy Levett]

Just say you had a parcel of essentially flat but undulating linksland. You hire the best person available to identify the greensites.
You're not far off from a perfect golf course.
What do you do next?
a) Hire an architect of your choice, perhaps the person above,  to create some bunkers
B) Do nothing - it ain't that bad.
c) Hire a plane and drop paint-filled balloons at random, then dig bunkers at those points.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Andy, none of the three

There is only one thing to do, after all it’s Links Land, you hire the best, the original the one and only Old Tom

After all you want one of the best Designers and his fee is unbeatable at £1 per day!

[Tom_Doak]

Andy:

I think you've got the order backwards.  If you're going to drop in bunkers at random, I think you should do that BEFORE the architect locates the greens, so he's got some more to work with.  If you really do the bunkers at random after the holes are set, 60-70% of the bunkers are going to be in spots that see very little action ... you're going to need a lot of balloons if you want more than a handful of interesting holes.

The thing about bunkers on real links courses is that a lot of the bunkers that appear to be random, probably aren't.  They're in areas that were getting worn out in the early days from high traffic and divots.  If they were in play back then, they're in play for some class of players today.

[Brian_Ewen]

I dont think Mr. Doak is that "old" .

[Tom_Doak]

Brian:  I'll be 47 in March.  But, even with the fall of the dollar, my fee is more than one pound sterling per day.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Tom

Inflation is going to ruin Golf, more than a £1 a day, scandalous!

My understanding is that Martin Ebert’ fee at Askernish is £9.

Can’t expecting to make a living out of ones sport – Tut-tut

[Tom_Doak]

Melvyn:

You neglect to mention that Old Tom was taking architectural fees on top of collecting a salary as greenkeeper and professional, and making money playing matches as well.  I only have the one principal source of income -- and a payroll to boot!

[Melvyn Morrow]

Tom

With a payroll, well then I expect an exception can be made on this occasion.

Though of diversification?

Perhaps The Old Timers can still teach us a lesson or two

[Norbert P]

B) Do nothing - it ain't that bad.

I kinda like this path. Let the players make the bunkers. I'm sure it's how TOC got started, with some help from the sheep and rabbits, and I'm getting the vibe that this is what you're attempting to approach.   Sounds like The "Other" Gleneagles in Brora.

But if any course was designed like this, what would WE GCA agents do? Who would we praise or blame? We'd be muted,  decapitated, nullified!