What are the Key Tenets that have stood the test of time?

[Jason Topp]

From the introduction page:

"While golf course architecture is a subjective art form, several key tenets have stood the test of time. These are explored in an effort to understand why some courses are more fascinating than others, and to understand why such courses continually beckon for a return game."

What, in your view, are the key tenets that have stood the test of time?

[Mark Pearce]

Great question.  I'll start with Colt's assertion that trees are an unfair and flukey hazard.

[Rich Goodale]

Tennent's Lager.

http://www.tennents.com/index.php

Oops!  Did you mean "tenets?"

[TEPaul]

Richard The American Expatriate now Scottish Smartass:

No, he asked what the key TENANTS are that have stood the test of time. I'll give it some additional thought but off the top of my head I'd have to say birds, worms, grubs and critters of multiple ethnicities. I guess we could throw in rabbits, squirrels and the ocassional hedgehog.

[TEPaul]

Seriously, I'd have to say it starts with good topographical slopes and contours (perhaps of both broad and close-coupled variety) and fine ANGLES (man-made architectural and otherwise) of play. But with the natural stuff (both angles and slopes and contours) the devil in the deal is they also sort of have to match up with particular shot values throughout the holes and the balance and variety of the routing. If they don't they tend to become sticky-wickets both to the architect and future golfers and may prompt the architect to order up a couple of D-6s!

Jason:

If you like that answer, particularly the part about slopes and contours, their size and scale and how they pretty much need to match up in many ways with the basic exigencies of golf and golf's individual shot values and such but also including routing exigencies, I'd be happy to go into some details on what I mean by that. This is an area I learned from Bill Coore way back and to put it mildly at the very first I was totally stunned and then became exceedingly impressed by both what he said and what he meant.

[Thomas MacWood]

Variety.

[TEPaul]

Mr. MacWood:

Stone Harbor has some extreme variety. Have you ever seen Stone Harbor? It would be pretty hard to imagine that anyone who has ever seen it would say it does not have some real variety, but there may not be many golfers to be found who would also say the golf course, its architecture and style has stood the test of time. For some reason many seem to view it as an architectural and stylistic aberration.

Because it is so very different, however, I actually like it.

[Pete Lavallee]

Contours formed by Nature are infinetly more enjoyable than ones crafted my Man.

[Rich Goodale]

"Saund, Honeyman!  Saund an' mair saund!"

Old Tom Morris c. 1890

[Phil McDade]

Choices in the line of attack, i.e, non-one-dimensional play.

[Jason Topp]

Tennent's Lager.

http://www.tennents.com/index.php

Oops!  Did you mean "tenets?"

The beauty of the internet is that you can just change the title and now your remark looks goofy!

[Jason Topp]

Seriously, I'd have to say it starts with good topographical slopes and contours (perhaps of both broad and close-coupled variety) and fine ANGLES (man-made architectural and otherwise) of play. But with the natural stuff (both angles and slopes and contours) the devil in the deal is they also sort of have to match up with particular shot values throughout the holes and the balance and variety of the routing. If they don't they tend to become sticky-wickets both to the architect and future golfers and may prompt the architect to order up a couple of D-6s!

Jason:

If you like that answer, particularly the part about slopes and contours, their size and scale and how they pretty much need to match up in many ways with the basic exigencies of golf and golf's individual shot values and such but also including routing exigencies, I'd be happy to go into some details on what I mean by that. This is an area I learned from Bill Coore way back and to put it mildly at the very first I was totally stunned and then became exceedingly impressed by both what he said and what he meant.

Tom:

I am very interested in learning more.  A few experiences that may or may not fit with what you are saying:

1.  From my viewpoint, the best greens are those that have a tilt in the same direction that the land tilts, but then combine spines and counterslopes to make putting and approach play an interesting problem of weighing the competing slopes.

2.  One of my favorite tee shots is the 16th at Sand Hills - where an agressive line can yield a huge distance advantage.  I presume that tee shot fits what Coore's viewpoint. 

[Jason Topp]

Variety.

Tom:

I agree.  I was really fascinated by how much more interesting Oakmont seemed based largely on the short par fours sprinkled throughout the course.  Even though the course features pretty much penal bunkering scheme and scores were high, I thought the last US Open there was more entertaining than a typical US Open.

[Jason Topp]

Contours formed by Nature are infinetly more enjoyable than ones crafted my Man.

Pete:

I think I agree but there is a lot of contrary evidence.

Why are the McDonald Raynor templates so successful and so well thought of?

Why are TPC Sawgrass and the Ocean Course such fine courses without natural contours to work with.

[Kirk Gill]

Contours formed by Nature are infinetly more enjoyable than ones crafted my Man.

I don't know if I can say that this is a tenet that has stood the test of time (although I'm not denying that you might actually feel that way).

I might go with something like "the best courses are typically built on the best bits of land, with the best terrain and sandy soil, and are designed to take maximum advantage of the natural contours of the site."

But even on great sites doesn't the hand of man get involved in one way or another? I've not played at Pacific Dunes, but Tom Doak has mentioned on this site where certain areas were built up, or altered from the "natural" pre-existing land to make a golf hole work best. Is it true, then, that a pre-existing contour that he used is inherently more enjoyable than a contour that he had to create? If no-one ever told you, would you be able on your own to tell the difference?

[Jason Topp]

Choices in the line of attack, i.e, non-one-dimensional play.

Many acclaimed holes have few choices:

For example:

The Alps at Prestwick
12 at Augusta
17 at the TPC Sawgrass
The 5th at Lahinch
The dell at Lahinch

In addition - a recent thread suggested that almost no hole is multidimensional for a professional player.  There was little rebuttal to that premise.

[Jason Topp]

I'm going to get this title right some day.  If nothing else it is a vocabulary lesson.

[Phil McDade]

Choices in the line of attack, i.e, non-one-dimensional play.

Many acclaimed holes have few choices:

For example:

The Alps at Prestwick
12 at Augusta
17 at the TPC Sawgrass
The 5th at Lahinch
The dell at Lahinch

In addition - a recent thread suggested that almost no hole is multidimensional for a professional player.  There was little rebuttal to that premise.

And many acclaimed holes have several...

The 3rd and 13th at Augusta
The 12th, 14th, and 16th at TOC
The 9th at the Honourable Company (Muirfield)
The 4th at Lido (NLE)
The 6th at Carnoustie

Jason -- three on your list are par 3s, by their very nature a lot more one-dimensional than par 4s/5s.

[Rich Goodale]

Tennent's Lager.

http://www.tennents.com/index.php

Oops!  Did you mean "tenets?"

The beauty of the internet is that you can just change the title and now your remark looks goofy!

I would have used the "quote" feature if I thought you deserved to live in ignominy.

[Anthony Gray]

  Challenge mixed with playability in an isolated location.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Tenet: Routing embodies at least 80 percent of overall quality.
Corollary: Although great courses may lack certain elements, no course can be great without a great routing.
Corollary 2: Flawed routings often disguise themselves as blah or sometimes outright flawed holes. But the fault lay in our routings, not in our holes, that we are underlings.

[Jason Topp]

But the fault lay in our routings, not in our holes, that we are underlings.

Not sure what it means and I must say I find the quote a bit disturbing.    [this emocion dedicated to Dan Kelly]

[Patrick Kiser]

Jason,

The intro comes from a book?  If yes, what book?  If no, are you starting something?  Do tell.

As for me ... natural undulations, variety in options and ... temptation with hazards.  I find temptation a very important factor.  How much are you willing to bite off and chew lest you get yourself in trouble.  Just the risk vs. reward equation has been huge in my mind.

[Jason Topp]

Jason,

The intro comes from a book?  If yes, what book?  If no, are you starting something?  Do tell.

Patrick:

The intro page on this web site

[Wade Whitehead]

All other things being equal, send a first hole westbound and return the eighteenth eastbound.

WW