Jim
Many thanks for your short article, extremely straight to the point and honest.
Nevertheless reading your post, I feel it is more inline with a Scottish lament or an epitaph on the Great Game of Golf.
I speak only for myself although no doubt, the political correct Golfing Brigade on GCA.com will chime in with their waffle and condemnations, but then that is the price we pay for freedom of speech. Pity that freedom does not always extend to Walkers on a Golf course.
I am labelled as a traditional golfer by many which seems to allows them to believe that it gives them the right to ridicule my thoughts, opinions and to introduce some of the most unbelievable comments along the lines that I should stick with Hickory shafted clubs and the old Gutta balls (well, some words to that effect). I view myself as a Golfer, I honour the game as it was taught to me and why I have played it ever since. By definition being, a Golfer (IMHO) means that I walk. I do not use Caddies, nor am I keen on carts (although I did try them when they first appeared here in the UK - having tried and disliked the remoteness of experience/feel, I have never used them since). I also do not use distance information apart from the scorecard, I never use distance books, markers or electronic aids, believing that we, the golfers have that ability to judge distance given to us at birth. So, I view them as outside aids, as is a cart which keeps a golfer refreshed by not walking, having said that you would think it would actually help some golfers but you would be wrong, the real result is to further isolate the golfer from the actual game of golf.
So having given you an idea of where I am coming from, it probably will not surprise you when I say that I feel that every Architect, designer or course planners first duty to the Game (not the clients) is to honour the basic tradition of the game, that is to walk. Not to offer that simple basic Human Rights of Golfing leaves the owner/developer and architect open to their commitment to the Game of Golf. With out walking you are NOT PLAYING GOLF, nor are you really designing a Golf Course. What do you call it Cart Ball Golf, so the course should be declared a Cart Ball Golf Course.
I hope you realise this is my own personal opinion and that I am not judging the quality of your courses or cart ball courses as I have no experience of the American game. Nevertheless, I would like to make my final comment based upon you statement (please note the highlighted lines)
From my perspective, I often times do not get the opportunity to choose whether walking is an option. We are typically given mountainous and very rolling terrain type sites. On the truly mountainous sites like Sanctuary, Redlands Mesa and Lakota Canyon, the decision was not whether walking is resonable, but more to the point, is this project even possible to build on this land. At this point, riding vs walking is a mute point.
The good news is, if it is possible it will be very spectacular. When dealing with moderate land upon which it might be "possible" to create a walking course, I have the following decision; should I create a course that is very much less exciting/fun but is potentially walkable for 50% of the players? Or should I decide that this will be a mostly cart course and create a much more powerful golfing experience and sales engine for thr project? When making that decision, you must, as a professional, consider that if the course is walkable for 50% of the players, it is likely that you will have 90% of the golfers using a cart. In my mind that is an easy decsion. Do the better course.
Now, if it is a flattish piece of land that I have been given, the factor of walking is a much bigger consideration. For example, at our new project in the snad hills of Nebraska, called Awarii Dunes, I have set a paramount on walking. Cart paths will be green to tee only and consist of a mixture of native sand and small gravel. Tee placements have been located for ease of access from the previous green. I am very pleased to be able to take this position, still I suspect that we will have a significant amount of cart use. Unfortunately, that is the way things are.
Please excuse my ignorance, but why should a golf course design be less exciting/fun if walking or much more powerful experience for carts. Sorry I just cannot get my head around that statement. It seems to imply that golfing with a cart is a different game to Golf and that your design takes into account that underlining fact, yet you say you do not consider cart paths in the initial routing/design.
I am not trying to be pedantic, just trying to understand why a course needs to be different and more powerful if designed for a cart. Are you saying that on all other courses which allow carts and walking the Carter has a more powerful experience from just sitting in his backside, than the Walker who has the ability and time to study all the GCA and beauty of landscape before him/her. Carts can also be dangerous even on gentle slopes as shown by Kalens accident earlier this year (sorry cant find a copy of the photo).
I am from an old golfing family, who have played the game in the normal manner for centuries (walking), through that I believe some of us have a deep association with the game in Fife and for me TOC, New Course, not to mention St Andrews.
I hope you take my comments in the way they are intended and not disrespectful or an attack upon your person, as I am unable to convey a tone of interest in my writing.
Again, many thanks for your post its from these posts that the debate can move forward.
Melvyn