Over the last year I have come across the word quirky many times seemingly to describe the traditional golf courses in the British Isles.
Its use is wide spread, and encompasses all aspects that perhaps are missing on the North American courses. Not played any so it is difficult for me to judge first hand but many, many post here constantly refer to it.
I don’t accept the word Quirky, for me it appears to sideline the great courses, to dismiss them as kinky, peculiar, or whimsical. But why, I believe it maybe because many are not use to the original design concept used here in the British Isles. So please excuse me if I object to the description of our courses being described as quirky.
Thanks to Mike Cirba, I am reminded of my comment on the North Berwick post dated the 3rd Oct 08
“Quirky – No golf courses are just Golf courses – quirky is a modern term being used to describe a natural golf course. I expect the word has become acceptable in areas that do not have a balanced PH with its surroundings or a modicum of normal natural nature to relax the golfer. So anything non man made is now to be described as quirky.
So, quirky is alien to me as I see no quirks, I just see a beautiful course in total harmony with its surroundings, rough at the edges, smooth and perhaps undulating to its centre leading to the ultimate pleasure of life, the struggle to return from whence we came. But certainly not quirky, just unbelievably natural and enjoyable”.
I would go one step further and say that quirky should be used for all man made courses which remodel the land, the chocolate box picture of a course totally contrived, course like The Castle Course at St Andrews. Quirky would be my description for this type of course, other words spring to mind oddity, singularity, peculiarity and whim.
My past clients (nothing to do with golf), like Harrods, ICI etc always asked us to provide a sense of theatre in our designs, to attract the public, to ultimately ‘put bums on seats’ to pays the bills. This is my definition of quirky, may go as far as including eccentricity as well.
I fully understand that no insult in intended, nor even considered, but I feel that it is more appropriate to call many North American courses quirky. To see the immaculate manicured clubs with not a blade of grass out of place that to me is very quirky. Courses constructed on sites that need carts to play are extremely quirky and I would extend it to those who play these unusual courses.
No Guys we do not have quirky courses, yes a few man made expensive works of art, but most of our courses speak only one language originating from the traditions and game played by British & Irish Golfers over the ages.
Is this not one of the reasons most of you want to travel to our little islands to experience golf of your forefathers.
Designers have a hand in shaping the game and as we have read here over the last few weeks not many architects/designers are willing to walk away from a project (I am both surprised and saddened by this). In my day, my reputation was paramount and I would not accept the commission if I felt it was already flawed. We are all different and have our own standards, so we approach projects from alternatives directions, but compromise is just that compromise, which is total submission of ones ideas and normally results in the restriction to think freely, further affecting the quality of the project.
So if we must then lets define the word quirk as ‘fun’. Or do you not agree?