What Is the Opposite of Dumbed Down Architecture?

[Mike Hendren]

Can the design pendulum swing too far the other way and if so, how?

[George Freeman]

I have not played it (someone who has please chime in), but from what I've read, TPC Sawgrass seems to me like the opposite of dumbed down.  I get the impression that there is a specific target/place to hit for nearly every shot.  I forget who said it yesterday (I think Faldo) "You're ball can find the fairway, but you may be in a much better spot 2 yds to the right or 2 yds to the left."

Sounds like the antithesis of "dumbed down" to me...

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike -
the first thing I thought of was those word association tests (not that I've ever had one, mind you).

White-Black
Girl-Boy
Dumbed Down - Subtle.

As in REALLY subtle. As in, if you weren't paying attention and weren't going in with an open mind and a generous heart, you wouldn't notice ANYTHING special about the architecture, or at least nothing worthy of remark.

But perhaps AFTER the round, if you were so inclined, you'd realize the playability and challenges and elegant simplicity of the presentation.

Some might even call it a BORING course, which is why I think you don't see too many of them being designed/built anymore. With the business and the marketplace the way it is, no one involved in the process can afford to be a part of a course that doesn't have an instant WOW factor.

Peter 

[Jason Connor]

Regarding placement, Rich Beem just had to hit wedge from his location on the green to the hole.

[RJ_Daley]

Mike, I think of the process of 'dumbed down' as some one, actively remodelling or constructing, easy to play features.   Thus, to dumb down a course, an architect must figure out how to take any thought or mental effort to a course by making everything mundane, smoothed out, no vaguaries, etc. 

The opposite to me would be little/no architect intervention with features that already exist.  The opposite of dumbed down is leave it alone to play as it lays out, with harmony to the terrain, and little construction work to take out features that are challenging, mentally demanding, skillfully demanding, so that a dumb person may get around with little mental conflict.  The opposite of dumbed down, is wise or smart use of existing ground features through routing and wise estimation of what exists for the possiblities of golf, and little active intervention to make things easy, smooth or obvious.

[Carl Rogers]

I think this thread has to do with surpassing people's (people who observe and value) design expections and who have the ability and open mindedness to be pleasantly surprised.