[Bryan Izatt]

Bryan,

Nice question. (fawning)

Wow, that feels good.  Just think how Tom D always feels around here 

One of the things I enjoy most about the site is the ability I have to get a little GCA mental stimulation.  I am up here in Idaho by myself and sometimes need a little infusion of theory and debate to reflect on.  Not to speak for the others but I would bet several of the other architects that post here are also one man shops and enjoy the site in the same way. ?

Unfortunately, I always forget to post something when it is going on and I need to remember to do so more often.  Plus photos durring construction dont convey much nor do 2 dimensional diagrams in my mind.  We also see other courses and probaly could post stuff on those too.  I played Stanley Thompsons Sao Paulo CC a while back (Ian) and forgot to take photos and if I had I would have thrown those up here as I bet not too many here have played it.  I wasnt able to get much history specifics when I played it because of the language barrier but maybe we would have heard some on here.

As far as concern about criticism, I think many of us work on fine projects that are not as richly in the mold of what goes on say at Bandon, Chambers, Sand Hills etc and thereore do not believe the group, this particular group, would be all that interested.

I'd bet lots of people posting here feel intimidated by the strong personalities and comments, and a bit of an inferiority complex compared to the gods - both architectural and YABB.  But, if you don't throw up your work we'll never know if they are as rich or richer than the more famous  ones you mention.   

As far as posters just bringing up our courses, they have to see them.  Many of us have probably done some things we think are really exciting and worthy of discussion along the lines of what goes on here on this site, but if no one sees it because it is off the beaten path, it isn't going to have traction.  For instance, Schaupeters Old Hawthorn in Missouri is chalk full of stuff the folks on here get into yet I dont think it got much more than some mentions of it.  Maybe that is a good example of a good reason for us to post more of our stuff alone.  My Laughlin Ranch (self promotion) has a bunch of features and traits worth discussion on here, but because of its location I would be the only one talking about it! At least architecturally.  Or, maybe a couple posters played it and thought it sucked and are just being nice and not commenting on it .

Somebody paid you to design Laughlin Ranch and spent more money to build it.  You think it's good.  You should post some thoughts on its merits here.  Nobody's going to say it sucks, are they?    And, maybe some of our horizons will be widened.  Besides, you gotta do more than just ski in those Idahoan winters.

DbD

[David Druzisky]

Bryan,

Heck, today I could have golfed in the morning and then 45 mins later could be skiing until 10:00 PM! How bout that .

Ian,

Its too bad the needs of all our clients are not always about making playgrounds for the purists isn't it.  Most of us do ocassionaly sneak some neat stuff in here and there though.


What might often get lost in all of this, or that may not be wholly known by everyone that posts on here, is that many of our projects have considerable constraints and things that need to be satisfied that to a high degree dictate what we can and cant do.  I am equally proud about how I delt with and satified many of those aspects as I am about specific golf hole design accomplishments. 

DbD

[Tim Nugent]

I'm pretty much with Brian Costello on this one. One thing that most of the archies have stated is that they don't feel comfortable with throwing up their own stuff.  While this may seem to some as afrad of self-promotion, I think it may be that we start with an idea and a piece of raw land and try to mold it into that vision. When it's finished (and it does look different at every stage of the process), the perfectionist in us (I know me for sure) is hardly ever satisfied. There is always a tweak here or there that could "make it just a bit better".  Being so intimate with a golf hole, and hence knowing of a flaw (while no else would probably ever notice it) tends to make one hesitant to post a picture of it.  It's also why most of us are probably less critical of the work of others.  Also as David D. (how's your mom by the way - it's been 20 yrs) stated, we know what all the constraints were and alot of time would have liked to have done it differently but couldn't.  You then go through life  thinking about what could have been.
Ian - lighten up. We have all (well most of us journeyman architects- as opposed to marquee designers)  done those types of jobs.  The fact that it's serving the purpose for which you were hired to do means it is, by definition successful.
The day you are 100% satisfied with a project should be the day you quit.

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:

I wouldn't put that last quote on your web site if I were you.  You're only going to allow yourself one project where you do everything to your own liking, and then you are moving on?  How about "The day you are 100% satisfied with a course is the day you're ready to start another."

I understand completely that not every project allows you to do the things you'd really like to do -- I currently have a couple of whoppers in that regard that I have to deal with next week.  But, I have occasionally heard fellow architects explaining why nothing turned out like they wanted it to, and it just sounds like a laundry list of excuses.  I would encourage you to fight the distractions and constraints just a bit more, or else to look at them not as constraints but as a reality you have designed for.

[Tim Nugent]

Tom - you hit it on the head - Reality.  I guess it's just a matter of being satisified.  I would hazard to guess that most of us are satisfied with the end results.  I just got to thinking about this today as I was looking at an old propect masterplan that I hadn't looked at for a couple years and one hole just jumped out at me and I said to myself "self -what the hell were you thinking."

[Bryan Izatt]

Tim,

As a perfectionist in many things myself, I can empathize with your feelings about being unsatisfied with your own work.  However, Tom offers good advice.  I often think that the most successful people in any line of work or life itself are those that are the most confident in themselves and suffer the fewest self-doubts.  It's often tough to get from here to there, but worth the fight.   And, who knows, if you throw up your work maybe you'll get some positive feedback.  Nothing like positive feedback to help the confidence.   

[Tim Nugent]

Brian, don't get me wrong, I never leave a job until I'm satisified with the results  as Tom said considering the "reality" of the situation.  It's just that perfectionists are their own worst critics.  Look at Ian's post as an example.  Tom got it partially right.  After finishing a job I always want the next to be better.  I my mind, I don't think I'll ever attain 100% satisfaction.  Maybe that's why Ross constantly tinkered with Pinehurst. As I tell my contractors, "iit's a gamr of inches".  By this I mean that a couple inches on a green or bunker can drastically alter the final outcome.
Maybe (although I don't think 2-D photos are a good medium) I'll throw something up if I can figure out how.
Thanks all for the input, as a solo practioner it's interesting to see how the rest of the world thinks

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